A walk in a bluebell wood - Prior's wood in Bristol

April and May are the Bluebell months in England but the April showers were also plentiful this year. For several weekends I’d been watching the bluebells in our front garden. I wanted to get out into the Bluebell woods around Bristol but put off by the heavy rain.

Bluebells in Prior's Wood, Nr Portbury, Bristol Photo: Heatheronhertravels.com — Bluebells in Prior’s Wood, Nr Portbury, Bristol

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Finally we got a sunny day and set off for our Bluebell walk at Prior’s wood near Portbury. Go over the Clifton suspension bridge and turn left just before junction 19 of the M5.

We parked the car in a lay-by just beyond the village of Portbury and walked back to the gated lane with the old lodge. The wood was once part of the Tyntesfield Estate near Wraxall and its timber was used in the estate sawmills. Tyntesfield Estate is now owned by the National Trust.

I hope you enjoy the video below about the Bluebell walk at Prior’s wood near Bristol.

If you can’t see the video above, view it on my blog here

Following the suggestion on the guide we headed straight up the hill rather than turning right by the lodge like everyone else. We passed a house and went through another gate on the track.

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Follow signs to Prior’s Wood

Immediately after the gate we turned left following the Prior’s Wood signs. We went down some steps to a flat track that skirted the side of the hill.

On our left was a stream but on the hillside were plenty of bluebells among the clearings of oaks and sweet chestnut trees.

On this side of the hill the background hum of the motorway traffic was more muffled. Somewhere high up in the trees a bird was warbling it’s heart out.

I experimented with different camera settings, trying to get the perfect bluebell shot. Eventually Guy asked “do you think you have enough bluebell photos now?” and we continued our walk.

We skirted the edge of the hill on a track that was muddy and churned up – thank goodness for the wellington boots! Eventually we came to the end of the high ground where we could see another gate into the wood and fields beyond.

In the distance we could see the Children’s Hospice South West. They had originally owned the wood and sold it to the Avon Wildlife Trust.

Here there was an information sign and map of the woods and we turned down the hill. The countryside was more open here but still with clouds of bluebells on either side. Who says that bluebells only grow in the shade?

Wild garlic

At the end of the path was a stream with a slatted wooden bridge to cross. On the other side a path skirted the hill with thick woodland.

There were more bluebells on either side although not quite so many, as the tree canopy was heavier here. After a while the paths opened up showing a vista of a meadow with some onion scented wild garlic (the thugs of the wood.)

Then we joined an open path with a view towards the motorway and walked back towards the lodge and the start of our walk. We passed a solo woman walking who asked us anxiously if we’d seen any bluebells?

“Oh yes”, we said, “just up there and over there and round there”, but she’d have almost done better to turn back and start her walk in the other direction as we had. Behind her were two families, the mums chatting to one another. The children were banging sticks in mock fights that they’d picked up along the way.

A lovely walk with or without bluebells

If you get there next weekend, you’ll probably still see some bluebells but a week more and I expect they’ll be gone. I’m sure the walk is lovely just the same and you can always come back next year, from mid April to mid May.

When the bluebells are in full bloom in your garden, they’ll be a couple of weeks behind in the woods. The walk took us about an hour and a half, and if you’d like to try another Bluebell walk in Bristol there’s always the Bluebell wood near Abbot’s Leigh.

Directions to Prior’s wood from the Clifton Suspension Bridge

Coming from Clifton village, drive over the Clifton Suspension bridge. At the next traffic lights opposite the entrance to Ashton Court turn right.

Drive straight ahead along the A369 Abbots Leigh Road for about 10 minutes. Just before the roundabout of the junction 19 M5 motorway turn left following the signs to Portbury.

When you reach the centre of Portbury village take the right fork of the road signposted to Portishead/Clevedon. Where the road makes a right turn, go straight ahead along Caswell Lane and park in the layby or in the car park of the rugby club a little further on.

Walk back on yourself to the gated lane with the lodge house on the right side where there is an information sign to start the walk.

Directions to Prior’s wood from the M5 motorway

Come off the motorway at Junction 19 and follow signs for A369, Clifton suspension bridge and Easton in Gordano. Immediately after coming off the roundabout onto the A369 (don’t go into the services), turn right following the sign for Portbury and continue using the directions above.