Foxley Wood: Bluebells and Caravans

See it LARGE.

Well, not quite caravans - just 1 - what's left of it!
I love woodlands and forests with a vengeance, I'm happy to admit. They're my spiritual home, where I feel most at one with nature and the world generally. And Foxley is especially close to my heart, only about 1/2 hour drive from home. It's the largest remaining ancient woodland in Norfolk (123 hectares, or about 304 acres - that's big!). We started visiting Foxley most springs about 15 years ago, for the stunning ancient bluebell glades. We soon found this particular glade, with the remains of an old gypsy caravan at the entrance and it became our regular 'haunt' when we visited. It's a huge glade, must be over 3 acres in total - it's hard to tell. It runs along the perimeter of the wood to the right as you enter through the gate. It's the only glade I've seen so far that has a narrow track running through it, making it totally accessible. That path, and the glade, seems to extend forever - you just keep walking - and walking - and walking. We often used to find a fallen tree stump and spend ages sitting on it, just looking around at the mass of bluebells which disappear under and into the trees all around in all directions - a stunning sight. It's an especially beautiful and magical glade. The old caravan WAS a gypsy one, I promise, even though it's hard to tell now - when we first found the glade there were still remains of the front fascia with door there, and part of the walls - but of course in the intervening years that's slowly rotted away completely.

Last year I visited Foxley again for the first time in several years - but as I had company I took her on the established and well-marked out routes on the left side of the wood, which guide one through and past lots of glades (an area I'd never explored before as we'd always been on the other side of the wood). It's the area where most people go, and can get quite busy in bluebell season, whereas the magical glade is off the beaten track and hardly visited. I had explained about 'the' glade and tried to find it to show my companion, but had never approached it from the other side of the wood before, was disorientated and couldn't find it! Last visit was before my blipping days, but here's my favourite pic of the ones I took last year.

When I visited between Christmas and New Year hunting for fungi to blip (on the left side of the wood), I made a point of locating my 'magical' glade once more. Today I returned., and found it with no problems. As in the past I found a fallen tree to sit on - and ended up spending over an hour sitting there, staring around me, drinking it all in, listening to the varied birdsong and soaking up the sheer energy of the place - it has immense, ancient energy and just buzzes with it. In that time just 1 couple came though, but it made me wonder - how many people just walk, never take time to find somewhere like that to just sit, and really take it all in? Very few, I should think. I just wanted to stay there for hours days weeks! I ended up spending all my visit in and around that one glade ...

So - my blip today is from the entrance to the magical glade, with the old caravan carcass behind.

This is a view of the central part of the glade down the path.

Here's a close-up of the caravan carcass.
A close up of one of the bluebells.
This bee was feasting on a bluebell.
This ladybird seemed to like bluebells too!
The wood is also home to lots of orchids, here's an Early Marsh orchid, here's another, and here's an Early Purple.
There are some lovely mosses to be seen.
On one tree I found several of these cute little snails.
Towards the top end of the glade is a narrow stream which you have to jump over.
On the way back to the car I came across these 'shrooms.
Driving to Foxley I noticed that after all the rain we've had the River Wensum at Swanton Morley is pretty high. So I had to stop and take some shots of the weir.

Here's A SLIDESHOW of all the best pics I took today ....