SPRING IN ENGLAND
ON BIG BLEND RADIO: Glynn Burrows, owner of Norfolk Tours, talks about what there is to experience during the springtime in England. Watch here in the YouTube player or download the podcast on PodBean, SoundCloud.
Our last article about England in The Spring got us talking about the beautiful Spring flowers, and while they are definitely worth talking about, now I want to focus on what is available for visitors if they come over to England at this time of the year.
Many of our tourist attractions close, or have reduced opening hours during the winter, but they are almost all fully open by Easter. Many of our stately houses spend the Winter months cleaning and repairing internally and externally. Our gardens require a lot of work during the cold weather, to get everything looking at its best for visitors and many of our larger gardens take the opportunity to remodel or change some of their flower beds, so there is always something new to see, even for regular visitors.
The Winter months and sometimes well into Spring, often offer fantastic opportunities for the artist and photographer because the skies are so clear, and the light is so amazing. Our sunrises and sunsets are dramatic at this time of year and, as we have so much coastline in easy reach, walking along the beach at either end of the day, to experience these events over the sea, is a truly spectacular experience. If you add a full English Breakfast or Fish & Chips to the event, you have the start or the end of a perfect day!
As many of our attractions are just coming out of hibernation, this is also the time to see them at their best. Many of our castles, earthworks, and historical ruins are set in areas of outstanding natural beauty and to see a ruin, surrounded by Spring flowers, or to get up early and film a Castle or a ruined Church with The Dawn Chorus providing the background soundtrack, is really something.
Our countryside is truly inspirational and, if you are an artist, writer, musician, or if you are looking for any other kind of help to kick-start your creativity, England has so much to offer. If you are looking for serenity, our medieval ruins offer opportunities to walk in the footsteps of pilgrims, or the chance to meditate in peaceful surroundings, with nothing but nature to keep you company.
Colourful spring flowers - Norfolk Tours
The sound of a babbling, fast flowing stream, and the smells of nature can get rid of the worries of the world.
The first wildflowers we usually see, are Snowdrops. They usually appear in Churchyards and in woodlands, like a green and white carpet. The little flowers themselves are made up of outer petals, which are usually white, and the inner ones usually tipped with green. Their apparent fragility is what makes these little white bells so endearing.
On the grass banks which sit beside our country lanes and along ditches and streams, we often see carpets of Primroses. These flowers are amazingly profuse and, in many places, green turns to bright yellow overnight, as these little flowers bloom in such numbers.
With the blooming of the first Spring flowers, our trees and hedgerows start to become home to an amazing array of birds. The ones which have stayed with us over Winter, are starting to think about building a nest and the ones which arrive from elsewhere are looking around for a place to call home.
Birding is a popular pastime in England and there are hundreds of bird reserves dotted all around the country, but every garden, field, and woods, have an amazing number of species in it. Even in cities and towns, we have so much green space, it is often possible to see several species amongst the hustle and bustle of the business world.
If you are going away for a break this year, no matter where you are going, please do spend time walking through a park or getting into the countryside. It will give you an amazing sense of serenity and calm and I guarantee that you will feel so much better just by being surrounded by nature.
Glynn Burrows is the owner of Norfolk Tours in England. For help or advice about tracing your family history, or if you are thinking about taking a vacation to England visit www.Norfolk-Tours.co.uk
