Cardinham Woods

On Thursday I thought I would go in search of a bluebell wood. The internet suggested Cardinham Woods near Bodmin as a likely contender. So into the trusty Rover and off I went.

It wasn't exactly the wilderness. There was a large carpark, that I had to pay for, a cafe and a toilet block. There was also a rack on which to leave mountain bikes. (Lots of mountain bikes did indeed turn up, but they didn't use the track that I used.)

No bluebells near the car park. I set off on a 4 1/2 k track that looked pleasant. It started off very shady and dark, under pines near a stream. A spaniel that had slipped its leash came bounding down. Soon after, a man with SIX dogs wandered by. Then someone with two. Quite a long way up the hill, three large dogs bounced around me, soon joined by their puffing and apologetic owner. It seems Cardinham Woods is dogwalkers' central for the good people of Bodmin. In fact, every other person I encountered had at least one dog with them, except for the group of disabled people I saw on a picnic near the car park. Park visitors are generally different from the sort of people who go walking along the coastal paths, I decided.

I walked along, looking closely at the vegetation. Lots of pines... in suspiciously straight lines, although pleasant and shady and all that. It wasn't until I was about three quarters of the way around the walk that I noticed any bluebells, up the hill under some deciduous trees. They weren't in full flower, but I pulled the camera out anyway. Alas, the battery had run down. Never mind, I will take the family out to see bluebells soon, and get pictures then. (This picture of the park is from the internet.)

I had a cup of coffee at the cafe, then went for a gentler walk up and down the stream. Such a green and wet country! I hope I don't start taking rushing streams for granted. I mused that in a country where so many buildings and standing stones and stiles are so old, the trees are so new. I looked up 'Old Growth Forests' on the net, and found out a few things. The English call them 'Ancient Woodlands', for one thing. Then, they are pretty generous in their definitions. If there has always been a wood around the area, it is counted as Ancient Woodland; even if it has been coppiced and thinned and grazed around and replaced. Also, old trees are so rare, that if you think you know about one, there are websites and people to record it with.

England is a garden, I thought, with a few exceptions around the moors and coasts. Anyway, it was a very pleasant morning out.