DAFFODILS SET TO WOW FOR FIRST DAY OF SPRING
Friday 20th March 2015
The wild daffodils of Gloucestershire are set to WOW visitors this Friday to mark the first day of spring.
The wild daffodils (Narcissus pseudonarcissus) can be found in an area of the county area named the ‘Golden Triangle’ near Newent, which draws hundreds of visitors every year and has inspired poetry and local folklore.
Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust (GWT) has four nature reserves in the Golden Triangle that boast carpets of wild daffodils and has also put together two walks linking them that people can follow. The walks can be downloaded for free from our website at www.gloucestershirewildlifetrust.co.uk/daffodils
Local memories
In 2011 GWT collected memories of the area through recording local people talking about their lives in the Golden Triangle. These memories have now been uploaded to the GWT website www.gloucestershirewildlifetrust.co.uk/daffodils so people can listen and learn more about the area.
Betty Jones was one of the locals that kindly shared her memories. “There were seas of daffodil wherever you looked, the woods and fields were full of them and if they were picked properly they would come back year by year”.
The blooms used to attract train and coach loads of tourists who would come out and pick box loads of flowers to take back to the city to keep for themselves or to sell during the war, nowadays however members of the Newent community such as Linda Schofield are helping to support the native wild daffodil by planting some in their gardens and as of 2011 Linda thought to have around 10,000 bulbs planted.
Visit the Golden Triangle
In Oxenhall, near Newent there are daffodil walks with local experts taking place on the 21st and 22nd of March at the Trust’s Gwen & Vera’s Fields, Betty Daw’s Wood nature reserves. You can find out more about them by visiting the Trusts website www.gloucestershirewildlifetrust.co.uk/daffodils
The local Parishes of Kempley, Dymock and Oxenhall also put on daffodil teas for visitors each weekend.
Trust publishes report which highlights the rarity of the wild daffodil
Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust has also published a State of the Natural Environment Report which states the area - known as the Golden Triangle - is the county flower’s only remaining stronghold in the county.
An increase in ploughing and the introduction of non-native wild daffodil species in recent years, have seen the delicate flowers come under threat. Report author Dr. Colin Studholme, Director of Policy and Research at Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust states that “While still locally abundant today they are certainly no longer in every meadow. The wild daffodil is certainly one of nature’s most beautiful and understated spectacles.”
Download the 2015 State of the Environment Report
Daffodil Walks
Come along to one of the guided walks at the annual Oxenhall Daffodil Weekend to see our nature reserves carpeted with the golden blooms of our native wild daffodils.
Learn about what we are doing to conserve these fragile remaining populations. After enjoying a walk, why not make a day of it and pop along to Oxenhall Parish Hall to enjoy some of their delightful teas or light lunches.
Dogs on leads are welcome. The walk passes through stiles and kissing gates. Walking boots or wellies, and waterproofs are recommended depending on weather conditions.
The walks are free and leave at:
2.00pm, Saturday 21st (two mile walk, Betty Daw’s Wood & Gwen & Vera’s Fields)
2.30pm, Saturday 21st (Shorter Family Friendly walk)
2.00pm, Sunday 22nd (two mile walk, Betty Daw’s Wood Nature Reserve)
Four Oaks, Oxenhall, GL18 1LU
Grid reference: SO 696284
Downloads
| Filename | File size |
|---|---|
| State of the Natural Environment Report | 828.05 KB |