The Best Places to See Blooming Bluebells in the UK

As springtime hits the UK, the winter blues are replaced with a violet hue of a different kind. A carpet of bluebells are blooming across the country’s ancient woodlands, parks, and meadows.

The UK is home to more than half of the world’s bluebells, and these vivid blooms are synonymous with spring, flowering through April and May all across Britain. Whether you’re seeking out England’s best bluebell woods or fancy camping with a backdrop of wildflowers in Wales, here’s how to make the most of your camping trip during bluebell season.

Your 2024 guide to finding bluebell woods in the UK

1. When to see bluebells
2. Tips for bluebell viewing
3. Best bluebell woods in the UK
4. More spring camping inspiration

When do bluebells flower in England and the rest of the UK?

British bluebells typically flower from mid-April through the end of May. Bluebell woods in the south of England flower first, while those in Northern Ireland can take until mid-May to reach peak bloom. In the north of England and Scotland, bluebells flower up to four weeks later and may even occasionally last until early June.

Like all wildflowers, English bluebells are highly sensitive to the weather so times may vary from year to year. They are one of the last spring flowers to bloom before the woodland canopy thickens with foliage and blocks the sunlight, but if the winter frosts thaw quickly or if spring is particularly mild you might even spot early blooms in late March.

According to Nature’s Calendar, which is run by the Woodland Trust and allows members of the public to record flowering sightings, the most typical date in which flowering bluebells are spotted in the UK is 14th April. You can see the Woodland Trust’s bluebell map here.

Tips for viewing bluebells

Protect Britain’s bluebell areas and maximise your chances of spring flower sightings with these tips.

1. Know your bluebells

Two different types of bluebells can be spotted along most of the UK’s bluebell walks. British bluebells (hyacinthoides non-scripta), which bloom throughout the country’s ancient woods, are known for their strong, sweet smell, deep violet-blue colour, and drooping flowers. Meanwhile, the non-native Spanish bluebells (hyacinthoides hispanica) were introduced in private gardens in the late 17th century and have since spread to the wild in some areas. Spanish bluebells are known for their paler blue petals and upright stems, and they have little to no smell, though hybrid versions can be noted.

2. Don’t doom the bloom!

Native bluebells are protected in the UK under the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act, meaning that it’s illegal to pick the flowers or dig up wild bulbs. Bluebell woods take more than five years to establish and provide an important nectar source for bees, so protecting these delicate blooms is essential. Be sure to Leave No Trace when admiring nature’s display of bluebells, stick to the paths, and keep dogs on a lead when following woodland walk. Always take care not to step on, touch, or damage the blooms!

3. Plan ahead

Spring flowers coincide with the start of the UK camping season (April through October), as well as the Easter half-term holidays, so expect campsites to fill up quickly during this time. Early bookings are essential for popular family campsites and busy areas such as Norfolk, Kent, and Wiltshire, where the best campsites and glampsites can book up three months or more in advance.

4. Know where to find the latest info

If you want to know where to see bluebells near you or when bluebells flower at a particular woodland or nature reserve, the following resources are the best places to start.

• The Woodland Trust is the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity.
• The Wildlife Trust manages more than 100 bluebell woods.
• The National Trust heads up the UK’s native bluebell conservation.

Best bluebell woods in the UK

You’ll find plenty of spots to pitch your tent or park your campervan near these bluebell-watching hot spots.

Blickling Estate, Norwich

Norfolk has several woodland walks and nature reserves where you can see spring bluebells, but the Blickling Estate affords the most regal backdrop—this is where Henry VIII’s wife Anne Boleyn was born. Rent a bike, follow the dog-friendly footpaths, or take a tour of the Jacobean mansion, then escape to the Great Wood to see the brilliant bluebell displays. There’s seasonal camping on-site in summer, but you can also check into a country campsite nearby. Our pick? Archer’s Field in Erpingham.

Hole Park Gardens, Kent 

Nicknamed the “Garden of England,” Kent’s rolling countryside provides plenty of camping getaways within easy reach of London. The bluebells at Hole Park Gardens—both in the semi-natural bluebell gardens and in the acres of surrounding woodlands—are the star of the show in spring, but there are also colourful bursts of daffodils, wild garlic, primrose, and wood anemone. Check out the park’s handy Bluebell Barometer and time your visit for peak bloom, then stay the night at nearby Glottenham, which features its own bluebell fields.

Grovely Wood, Wiltshire

The rural county of Wiltshire might be one of the best places in the UK to see wild bluebells in the woods—and even better, you’ll never be more than a short drive from a campsite. Grovely Wood, Wiltshire’s largest ancient woodland near Salisbury, bursts with powder-blue flowers through May, and there are miles of footpaths and designated cycling and horse riding trails that crisscross the county’s three National Landscapes (formerly “Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty”). Marshwood Farm Camping, just 20 minutes down the road, features camping and glamping pitches.

Monmouthshire, Wales

Less than an hour’s drive from the Welsh capital of Cardiff and stretching all the way to the English border, the county of Monmouthshire harbours some of Wales’s most dazzling bluebell woods. The National Trust-protected bluebell woodlands of Coed Cefn are among the most photographed, followed by the Whitestone woods of the Wye Valley and the Wentwood Woods, Wales’ largest ancient woodland area. Cwmffrwd Farm Campsite is one of the best-rated Hipcamps in Wales.

Kinclaven Bluebell Wood, Perthshire, Scotland

If you want a change of scenery after exploring the wild mountains, lochs, and moorlands of the Cairngorms National Park, one of Scotland’s most spectacular bluebell-viewing sites lies just a short drive south. May is peak season for bluebell-watching in Scotland, when campers can follow the circular walk along the River Tay and through the hillside woodlands to swathes of bluebells spread throughout the ancient oakwood forests. If you’re tempted to touch the fragile flowers, watch out—legend has it that fairies watch over the enchanted forest! The Wee Blue Dream Log Cabin is a convenient glamping spot between the national park and the wood.

Clumber Park, Nottingham

Part of the ancient Sherwood Forest (of Robin Hood fame) and just outside Worksop, Clumber Park is among Nottingham’s most idyllic parklands and one of the most-visited National Trust parks in the UK. There are more than 3,800 acres of parks, gardens, and woodlands to explore, all set around a huge serpentine lake, and more than 20 miles of walking and biking trails to wander. To see the bells in full bloom, take the circular walk through the Bluebell Wood, where swathes of violet-blue flowers coat the woodland floor through April and May. Sunrise Eco Glamping is just 12 miles away for a bell tent stay among alpacas.

Antrim Glens, Northern Ireland

Few Northern Ireland road trips are as impressive as the Causeway Coast, which hugs the rugged northeast coast of County Antrim before curling west toward the Giant’s Causeway. The nine glens of Antrim provide plenty of easy detours for hikers and campers along the way. Our pick is Glenariff, the “Queen of the Glens,” where you can admire the hillside bluebell fields and ancient bluebell woods, then camp in and around the Antrim Coast and Glens National Landscape.

More spring camping inspiration

Spring is in the air—get inspired for your next camping trip as the weather warms up and the blooms are budding.

• How to make DIY seed bombs to grow wildflowers
• See all woodland campsites