Daffodil project springs to life
Historic daffodil varieties naturalised in an idyllic Cornish landscape are to be conserved for future generations to enjoy. Thanks to a grant of almost £10,000 from the Heritage Lottery, groundbreaking project ‘Heralds of Spring’ plans to catalogue and raise the profile of the many different daffodils, dating back more than 100 years, found in the Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
The spring blossoms are all that remains of the largely family-run cut-flower industry that once flourished in the region until the mid-20th century. Thousands of daffodils grown on the small, steep fields on south-facing valley sides were cut and transported to London by rail. Although many varieties were grown, the most famous was ‘Tamar Double White’.
Reaching its peak in the 1950s, the industry supported 8,000 people on the farms, peaking to 10,000 in the picking season. The closure of branch train lines in the 1966 Beeching review derailed the industry, along with foreign competition and the challenges of mechanising production on the steep slopes.
“We’re really looking forward to working with different organisations and the local community to learn about these survivors of flower growing in the valley,” said AONB manager Corinna Woodall.
Visit www.tamarvalley.org.uk.