It's that time again, I'm pleased to say

We decided to go for a walk to look for bluebells. As it turned out I had a certain type of view in mind for possible prints whereas Helena wanted to smell the air in a spring woodland especially that emanating from wild garlic.

We decided on Siccaridge Wood, which is on a steeply sloping hillside adjoining the abandoned Thames and Severn canal near Sapperton. It is a nature reserve in an ancient coppiced woodland.

It was good to be there and easy to walk through as the slopes were manageable being close to the canal. The sun was hazy but it remained warm. Helena wandered off to find the area with lilies of the valley, but they were too far away. Instead she sat on a rock beside the bed of the old canal listening to the sound of running water which emanated from the springs coming out of the limestone rocks beneath us. I didn't notice any birdlife once we were inside the wood, although two buzzards circled just above the trees tops when we entered it.

From the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust website:
The wood is in the Frome Valley and is about half a mile west of Sapperton. It is adjacent to the Sapperton Valley and Daneway Banks nature reserves. This is semi-natural ancient woodland which has been managed as coppice for hundreds of years and is situated next to the Thames and Severn Canal. Access to the reserve is either from the canal towpath or from the road to Daneway and Tunley. The wood includes ash, silver birch and beech and there is a glade noted for its lily-of-the-valley. Uncommon species found in Siccaridge Wood include angular Solomon’s-seal, herb Paris and bird’s nest orchid. Bluebells carpet the woodland floor in spring. The reserve is part of the National Dormouse Monitoring Scheme, where monitoring takes place monthly. There are also huge wood ant nests throughout the woodland floor and the open rides attract silver washed fritillary and comma butterflies.  Historical records have been traced to the mid 16th century (1576). At that time it was called Sickeridge Coppice and it belonged to the lord of the manor (being Bisley). The name Siccaridge comes from the old English ‘sicor hyreg’ which means 'secure, safe ridge'. The Bathhurst Estate acquired the wood in 1861. Siccaridge Wood is part of the Golden Valley Wildlife Way, which includes Strawberry Banks, Daneway Banks and Three Groves Wood nature reserves.