Social distancing dilemma on narrow bluebell wood paths

ACCORDING TO the website of conservation charity the Woodland Trust, only one of the UK’s top 10 bluebell woods is located in Yorkshire.

While those who know Hackfall Wood, near Masham, will concur that it is indeed beautiful in spring and worthy of inclusion on the list, many will be perplexed that other wonderful displays of bluebells like those in Middleton Woods at Ilkley and North Cliffe Wood outside Market Weighton have been overlooked.

Hackfall almost shimmers with a wonderful blue ground mist each April, and deservedly attracts admirers from all over Yorkshire. Which is not surprising given that the bluebell always comes out top in polls aimed at finding the nation’s favourite wildflower. It is also the symbol of the Botanical Society of the British Isles.

But unless you happen to live in or near the village of Grewelthorpe I’m afraid Hackfall will be out of reach for the remainder of this year’s bluebell season. That being the case, I would suggest to you that right now the best bluebell wood in the whole of the UK is the one which happens to be within easy walking distance of your home.

For me this is a wooded clough on the south-facing slopes of the Aire Valley, where a mixture of broad-leafed trees and conifers rises up the daleside – quite steeply in places – and over many decades locals have worn a labyrinth of footpaths off the main path.

But until a visit there last week, when the first bluebells were out, it hadn’t occurred to me that some of these minor paths were a tad narrow, measuring not more than half a metre in width and frequently much less. It’s a common feature of bluebell woods. This wasn’t usually a problem, though, because people were always careful to avoid trampling on bluebells on either side of the path, and two or more people walked in single-file. Also, the wood is so big that I don’t remember encountering another walker on the same stretch of minor path.

This spring, however, we are all taking our daily exercise close to home, and the wood has attracted more walkers and runners than usual. This has created a rather awkward dilemma for me: how can I stick to the strict social distancing rule of maintaining a gap of at least two metres between myself and anyone who is not part of my household when I see someone approaching from the opposite direction?

When this happened to me at the weekend, I initially searched the area of woodland floor next to the narrow path for a bluebellless patch and managed to surprise myself by performing a longish leap to allow two people to pass. Further on, I was presented with the same problem and executed another bound off the path only to end up standing precariously on one leg in an almost balletic arabesque position before I recovered my balance.

The experience has discouraged me from any further forays off-piste. On future visits I will enjoy this year’s bluebells from the broad main path through the trees.