Potted history of SPRING

The season is defined two ways: meteorological spring begins on March 1st and astronomical spring starts on the vernal equinox around March 20th.

If you’re going to get lost without a compass, the vernal (or autumnal) equinox is a good time to do it as these are the only two days when the sun rises due east and sets due west.

Spring moves across Britain at about 2mph, coming first to south-west England and last to north-east Scotland just under three weeks later. That’s ‘much the same speed as a walking man’ notes Graham Hoyland in his book Walking Through Spring, as he hikes north across England with the new season.

In 1736, Robert Marsham began recording 27 ‘Indications of Spring’ including first snowdrop, first swallow and first butterfly. He kept this phenological record for 60 years, his family after him, and now you can add your own observations at naturescalendar. woodlandtrust.org.uk and help build an incredible resource for monitoring climate.

Your sense of smell is stronger in spring: humid air can carry more scent molecules and your olfactory receptors work better when moist. All the better to sniff those sweet bluebells.