Britain's Best Wild Daffodil Display - The Golden Triangle

 

Photo 1: Panoramic shot of wild daffodils (Betty Daw's Wood)

Most people associate wild daffodils with Wordsworth and the Lake District:

I wandered lonely as a cloud (Daffodils)

BY WILLIAM WORDSWORTH

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed—and gazed—but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

(courtesy of the Poetry Foundation)

However, if you want to see the very best display of wild daffodils, visit Gloucestershire during March for

the Kempley and Dymock daffodil weekends.

Photo 2: Wild Daffodils (Betty Daw's Wood)

The wild daffodil (narcissus pseudonarcissus) is fairly easy to spot, being smaller (less than 30 cm) than its commercial brethren with a deep yellow trumpet and pale outer petals. There are plenty of places around Kempley and Dymock to see the daffodils in all their golden glory with teas and cake to enjoy on the two special daffodil weekends. After tea and cake at Dymock, we drove to the small car park at Betty Daw's Wood - there seems to be some confusion on how to spell Betty's name!

It is only a very short walk from the car park before you are surrounded by a host of golden daffodils:

Photo 3: Betty Daw's Wood (25/3/23)

Photo 4: Betty Daw's Wood (25/3/23)

Photo 5: Betty Daw's Wood (25/3/23)

Wood anemones, violets and primroses were also on display:

Photo 6: Wood anemone in Betty Daw's Wood (25/3/23)

Photo 7: Wood anemone and wild daffodil (Betty Daw's Wood)

Photo 8: Wood anemone (with pale blue tinge) and wild daffodil (Betty Daw's Wood)

Photo 9: Primroses in Betty Daw's Wood (25/3/23)

Photo 10: Violets and Wood Anemone (Betty Daw's Wood)

Walking through Betty Daw's Wood brings you to a kissing gate into a field, then to a bridge over a small stream, through another wood (can be muddy) until you hit the road. Here you will find Gwen and Vera's Fields:

Photo 11: Noticeboard for Gwen and Vera's Fields

Last year, the daffodils were a little sparse but this year the display was back to its best:

Photo 12: Gwen & Vera's Fields (25/3/23)

On our return journey back to the car, we came across three Roe Deer crashing through Betty Daw's Wood. Mary managed to snap one of them (look for the two white rumps) in Photo 13:

Photo 13: Roe Deer in Betty Daw's Wood (25/3/23)