The Bluebells of Christmas Common

Christmas Common is an area of outstanding natural beauty located near Stokenchurch. It comprises of woodland and multiple walks over a large area. There are also a number of outstanding viewpoints which let you see for miles over the fields and settlements below. The highlight of Christmas Common is the mass of bluebell flowers that grow there for a few weeks every spring. They are incredibly beautiful and create one of the thickest carpets of flowers I have found in the UK.

The way the trees overhang the delicate bells often creates a stunning layer effect of light as sun beams dance between the leaves and branches, often casting shadows on the ground. Heading up to the common on a sunny day really is a wonderful thing to behold and it can’t help but conjure images of pixies and other magical creatures hiding among the foliage.

It’s remarkable just how dense the bluebells are and they often seem to stretch off into the distance as far as the eye can see. In some areas you can barely see the ground because the flowers are so densely packed together. Away from the wooded area containing the glorious bluebells is a magnificent view over the countryside. On a clear day you can see for miles around. The surrounding fields also contain a number of rare wild flowers.

Christmas Common is one of the most beautiful places in the country during the late spring period. On a warm day there is nowhere better than to come and enjoy a stroll through magical woodland with a floor painted with swaying blue flowers. The best time to go is late afternoon as when the sun begins to fall it creates a kaleidoscope of rich colours and shadows.

 Christmas Common is often busy with artists and painters joining dog walkers and people out for a picnic. However, because it is such a massive place you can always find a quiet spot to relax in the sun. Anyone who lives near the area should explore it for themselves at their next opportunity.

Food in Brugge

This right here is a beautiful thing. A warm chocolate waffle with chocolate sauce,cream and cherries.

Historic Warwick in the Rain

It was raining but I was determined to do something interesting while my girlfriend and I both had a day to spare. Warwick isn’t far away and I had never been there so we set off and hoped the weather wouldn’t turn too bad.

Dominating Warwick is the impressive castle. It was a busy day with lots of tourists. It made things a little difficult in getting around but the atmosphere helped to keep my mind off the rain. Today, there were lots of events running and the castle grounds were filled with tents and people dressed in medieval armour. I caught one group of soldiers taking about Chelsea, which broke the spell somewhat.

The first event we went to see was a man flying some eagles. Despite the rain there was a large crowd and we all watched as Archie the eagle flew around high in the sky. He truly was a remarkable creature. After a protracted game bout of hunting for hotdogs we headed off to the river to watch a re-enactment of the storming of the castle. What this equates to is a bunch of ageing men hitting each other with sticks.

Bored of watching people fight we headed down the side of the river towards the castle’s waterwheel. Even in the poor weather the waterway is very pretty and provided a calm moment away from the mass crowds. The crowds were becoming a bit much to cope with so we headed out into the town. Among the ugly new buildings are quite a few older structures that still hold the character and feel of old world Britain.

Warwick is also home to a rather imposing church which can be seen from just about everywhere in the town. Today it was closed for services so we decided to walk down the road to the old shop area. Away from the new high street are quite a few antique and art shops taking residence in the old buildings. It’s worth a look but we soon decided to return to the castle to attempt to climb the ramparts.

The rain was still coming down but we marched up the very steep and windy stone staircase to the top of the Warwick castle tower. The view from the top is impressive and the dark skies made it even more dramatic.

After a day spent walking in rain we were beginning to get a little tired. It began to get late and we snuck out to return home before the mass of crowds decided to exit. It was an interesting trip to one of Britain’s most historic towns and worth a visit. I would wait for better weather before I go back again though.