Beningbrough Hall Bluebell Walk
Sometimes the least planned days out yield the most surprises, joy, excitement and happiness. My most recent of these was the day I spent in Easingwold and Beningbrough towards the end of April. Having taken a girl’s weekend away with my mum to the sleepy little Yorkshire town of Easingwold, a quick look at the National Trust website showed the nearest property to be Beningbrough Hall and Gardens. After initially being disappointed that the house was closed for the foreseeable future due to large scale renovation work, all eyes became focused on the gardens which do look delightful in spring time. It wasn’t long before we learned about the presence of the Beningbrough Hall bluebell walk and we were visiting at just the right time to see them in all their glory.
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Spring at Beningbrough Hall
Spring in the gardens at Beningbrough Hall looks a little something like this… beautiful pink blossom trees, vibrant plantings of tulips and fritillaria and woodlands full of daffodils and magnolias. These are just a few of the colourful garden attractions at Beningbrough. But what I love most about this time of year is the pretty pale lime green of the leaves just starting to come out and the blue and purple hues of a bluebell carpet amongst them. So, you can imagine my excitement to learn about the bluebell walk at Beningbrough.
Bluebell Walks
Bluebell walks seem to have become a big thing in the social media world, with the most stunning photographs and film footage of swaths of bluebells trending on every platform. Finding a walk that takes you through large colonies of bluebells is one of the most beautiful experiences of spring. Being able to document these moments too is a real privilege.
Unfortunately, the day I visited Beningbrough, the sunlight was incredibly strong, making it a lovely sunny warm day (which is always nice don’t get me wrong). However, this is murder for taking photos, so mine do not do this wonderful flower justice at all, with strong highlights and shadows featuring the majority of the time. But you will still get an idea just how incredible visiting the Beningbrough Hall bluebell walk is.
How to find the Beningbrough Hall Bluebell Walk
The bluebell walk is not located in the main gardens at Beningbrough Hall. Instead, they can be found carpeting a narrow strip of woodland which outlines a couple of fields on the Beningbrough estate in a ‘L’ shape.
You can access the bluebell walk for free and do not need to actually buy a ticket for the gardens. Of course, while you’re there I highly recommend going in to the gardens and supporting the vital work the National Trust does in managing these stunning countryside estates.
If you park up in the main car park (free), take the footpath out from the eastern side of the car park towards the farm. On reaching Home Farm, take their access road up the main drive and cross straight over following the blue way markers for the Larch walk.
When you reach the tree line, go through the gate on the right-hand side and follow the path into that line of trees.
The Beningbrough Bluebells
Do not become despondent when the bluebells only appear in small patches initially. You would not be blamed for starting to wonder what all the hype is about – I know I did. The bluebells do not become carpet-like until you reach the bend in the ‘L’ shape which is a good half way into the walk.
At this point, you need to take the path that forks off to the left. This will take you around the medieval pike ponds. These are a series of ponds that were dug out, lined with clay and used to keep fish in so there was always a fresh food supply nearby. This little detour will bring you to one of the best sections of bluebells at Beningbrough Hall.
As you circle round, make sure you look behind you as you re-join the main path, as the snaking shape of the path through the bluebells on both sides is my favourite view along the Beningbrough Hall bluebell walk.
The bluebells only intensify as you continue along the path with the most dense and vibrant cluster appearing just before you reach the main drive again. I sat here for a good 20 minutes just revelling in this tremendous bluebell loveliness and wishing it was a sight that could be experienced all year round and not just a few short weeks through April and May.
The Bluebell Walk Benches
I could easily have made this post all about the amazing benches you see along the bluebell walk. I ruminated on whether to call this walk ‘The sculpted benches of Beningbrough Hall’s Larch Walk’ (now that would be a niche subject matter) and I may just make a short mini post after this to document all the fabulous bench designs I found along the way. They totally fascinate me, the more creative and unusual the better.
I don’t know about you, but I always have to go and sit on a snazzy bench whenever I see one, no matter where I am. It seems reasonable that there must be other people out there like me, but in case you’re not one of them reading this, I’ll keep my bench porn to a minimum here.
These are just a couple of the stunning benches that can be found along the Beningbrough Hall bluebell walk. All carved out of felled trees, it’s a great way of utilising and renovating dead wood, creates many a talking point and provides useful resting and picnic spots along the way.
Beyond the Larch Walk
Once back at the main drive, I noticed there is a gate opposite with further bluebells and benches beyond. I did not have the time to investigate how much further the bluebells went on for, but on the map of estate walks that you can get from the ticket desk, there are both snowdrops and bluebells along this stretch.
It is the beginning of the River Walk which leads you down to the River Ouse and follows it west to its confluence with the River Nidd. The route then turns north to stay with the river, all the way up to the village of Newton-on-Ouse. There are then a couple of routes you could take to walk back to the hall. This river walk is approximately 5 miles, and like the bluebell walk, it is free to access.
If you are not extending your bluebell walk, then turn right and walk back towards the hall along the main drive, retracing your steps back from Home Farm to the carpark.
Facilities at Beningbrough Hall
There are no facilities open to you unless you pay to enter the hall and gardens. National Trust members of course get in for free.
There is a restaurant beside the walled gardens, in an attractive setting where outdoor tables surround a sunken lawn area, lined with pollarded trees.
There is a shop and plant centre, toilets and a wilderness adventure playground, perfect for the little ones in your party.
Dogs at Beningbrough Hall
Dogs are welcomed at Beningbrough Hall and Gardens. They have free reign to roam the wider estate, including the bluebell walk.
There are just a couple of places they are not allowed: the hall itself (but that isn’t open at present anyway), the walled garden and the restaurant.
They are also not allowed in the wilderness play area, however there is a woodland path which circumnavigates the playground and gives great views over the surrounding countryside which they are allowed to use.
Take Care Around Bluebells
I want to finish by saying, when viewing bluebells anywhere, please do not walk on them as they take such a long time to establish – around 5-7 years from seed to flower. Bluebell bulbs are delicate and easily damaged by footfall, so treading on them is likely to leave them unable to produce enough energy to reproduce in later years, thus killing them off.
Also, it may seem like bluebells are everywhere; indeed, the UK has over half of the world’s population of this dainty blue bloom, but please, please don’t pick them – leave them for everybody else to enjoy too!
Get in Touch!
Have you visited a bluebell walk anywhere this spring? Which ones can you recommend? I’m always on the lookout for future days out and now I have caught the bluebell walk bug, I can’t wait to find more.
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Further Reading…
If you’re still reading at this point, you clearly love getting out and about in nature, so you might like to check out these further posts…
- Risley Moss Nature Reserve in Cheshire
- Clock Face Country Park in Merseyside
- Walking the Ingleton Waterfalls trail, North Yorkshire
- Spring time in St James’s Park, London
If you’re an avid National Trust visitor, you may fancy giving these a look:
- Dunham Massey in the spring time
- Brimham Rocks in the snow
- Penshaw Monument – the Greek temple of North East England
- Little Moreton Hall in Cheshire
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Lois Cordelia | 16th May 22
Tilly, what a beautiful thing to find in my inbox! Stunning photos. Beautfully written, as always. A pleasure to read x x x
Tilly Jaye Horseman | 24th May 22
Thanks Lois, you are a wonderful champion! xx