A Walk Amongst the Sea of Bluebells

I mentioned in my last post that there is common land close by which is covered in bluebells. Yesterday I walked there to see the bluebells for myself. Felton Common covers about 100 acres on the other side of the A38 from Bristol Airport. It is owned by the parish council and as well as being a designated nature reserve it is a popular place for dog walking.

It is common land and as such many local farmers had grazing rights for their animals to be grazed on it. There is still a cattle grid as you come off the A38 by Felton church but it is no longer practical for farmers to use this entitlement. This means that where animals used to keep the bracken and trees under control the area now has to be managed to control the growth of noxious plants such as ragwort and to control the bracken. The result in late spring is a fabulous carpet of bluebells.

It does indeed make a lovely place for a walk which Monty also appreciated.

He does not normally see a lot of dogs as I normally walk him on the farm. He enjoyed the opportunity to find a few playmates along the way.

One thing that is clear as you walk is the proximity to the airport as the planes either take off or land right above.

This can be a distinct advantage. We have in the past viewed aircraft displays including the Red Arrows over the airport and Bristol from the common. 

In stark contrast to this modern intruder there is evidence on the common of a Neolithic civilisation. There are the remains of burial chambers that have been cleared of scrub.

When I make the effort to walk up there it is always worthwhile and in fact a lot of people park on the edge and walk from there. Should you ever be in the area you can park by the church or at the top of Felton St and walk on up. You won't be disappointed.