MAKE MERRY IN MAY

Time to come out and play! From maypole dancing to ancient well-dressing, bluebell walks to butterfly spotting, here are ten of our favourite ways to celebrate the rites of spring

Celebrate the rites of spring, from ancient well-dressing to butterfly spotting

1 Tiptoe through THE BLUEBELLS

DID YOU KNOW THAT THE UK IS HOME to half the world’s population of Hyacinthoides non-scripta – which also go by the name of witches’ thimbles and granfer griggles? For one of the best bluebell spectacles, head to Croft Castle in Herefordshire, where thousands of the nodding, bell-shaped flowers bloom beneath the ancient Candelabra Oak; or to Gunby House in Lincolnshire, where they congregate in multitudes around the 14th-century St Peter’s Church. North of the border, Crinan Wood also has hordes of bluebells, as well as 40 species of lichen and 13 types of fern. To find a bluebell wood near you, visit woodlandtrust.org.uk.

2 Meet up at the MAYPOLE

GIDDY GIRLS AND BOYS DANCING around a beribboned pole is a tradition rooted in an ancient Pagan fertility festival. Although dismissed as a “heathenish vanity” by the Puritans in 1644, the revelry has survived down the centuries, with many a village green still adorned with a maypole at this time of year. Among the most celebrated venues are Offenham in Worcestershire, home to one of only six 64-foot permanent poles (offenhamvillage.co.uk), Gawthorpe in West Yorkshire, which also features a fancy-dress procession (gawthorpemaypole.org.uk), and Wellow in Nottinghamshire, where festivities date back to the 1800s (visit-nottinghamshire.co.uk).

3 Feast on your FIRST SCOOP

LITTLE LIFTS THE SPIRITS LIKE an early-bird ice cream in spring – a tantalising taste of what’s to come. Whether yours is a classic 99 or a tub of rum and raisin, it’s worth seeking out a superior parlour. Nardini’s in North Ayrshire sells Scottish tablet flavour as well as the famous Clyde Coast sundae (nardinis.co.uk), while Snugburys on Park Farm in Cheshire tempts tourists with hunks of homemade sloe gin and damson (snugburys.co.uk). For an immersive ice cream experience, visit Roskilly’s in Cornwall, where you can watch the journey from cow (milk comes from the organic farm’s herd of Jerseys) to cone (roskillys.co.uk).

4 Behold the HOLLY BLUE

EMERGING FROM ITS CHRYSALIS around now, the holly blue butterfly is one of the first to flutter into life in spring. Identifiable by its black-spotted, silvery-blue underside, the native Celastrina argiolus is part of a species success story, with numbers increasing significantly since the 1970s. Found throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland (though scarce in Scotland), the holly blue can be seen flitting through gardens, hedgerows, woodlands and churchyards. Holly is a favourite haunt as the plant is a good food source. To find out more, visit butterfly-conservation.org.