Breathtaking bluebells in bloom that brought Monet to the Midlands

BRIGHT, bold colours in a captivating rural scene. All in all, it’s an image of spring that has created something of, ahem, an impression. But this is no work by a 19th century French master. Instead, this carpet of newlybloomed bluebells under the gentle shelter of white tree blossom was

captured on camera. And rather than being a scene from Normandy or Provence, the shot was taken in the rather more prosaic English Midlands. But thanks to the softer focus employed by the photographer, the image has come out more like a painting that the great Impressionist Claude Monet might be rather proud of. The image, taken at National Trustowned Clent Hills in Worcestershire on Monday, echoes the colours and style of Monet’s Water Lilies. Bluebells usually flower from mid-April to late May, meaning this magnificent display is just a little earlier than usual – probably because of the mild spring.