What is a bluebell wood?
Q: What is a bluebell wood?
A: A bluebell wood is a woodland that in springtime has a carpet of flowering bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) underneath a newly forming leaf canopy.
Q: Where can bluebell woods be found?
A: Bluebell woods may be found in all parts of Great Britain and Ireland, as well as elsewhere in Europe.
Q: How old are bluebell woods likely to date back to?
A: Bluebells are a common indicator species for ancient woodlands, so bluebell woods are likely to date back to at least 1600.
Q: Who was keen on bluebells?
A: Gerard Manley Hopkins, one of the romantic poets, was very keen on bluebells.
Q: What did Hopkins say about the sight of the bluebells?
A: In his journal entry for 9 May 1871 Hopkins said it was "a lovely sight" and that the "bluebells in your hand baffle you with their inscape, made to every sense".
Q: How does Hopkins describe the sound of the bluebell stalks when rubbed together?
A: Hopkins describes it as making "a brittle rub and jostle like the noise of a hurdle strained by leaning against".
Q: What does biting into a blue bell taste like according to Hopkins?
A: According to Hopkins there is a faint honey smell and in the mouth there is a sweet gum when you bite them.
