Equinox at Badock's Wood

Spring has come on apace these last few days, and as it was such a lovely day, we headed off to another urban wood, this one in the Trym Valley.  

Badock's Wood is one of my very favourite places in Bristol. It's almost a secret wood, tucked in its own miniature gorge and not as well known or frequented as the larger Snuff Mills. I come here a lot, and am on first name terms with many of its trees.  It's good to catch up with how they're doing every now and then.  

First we had a wander around the top fields, including Mill Tut with its bronze age burial mound, here seen through a shiver of birches. 

My favourite cherry is in blossom. 

And my first bluebells of the season in the shelter of the gorge - though Badock's Wood has few, being primarily a wild garlic wood.  In a month's time there will be drifts and drifts of stars. 

The bluebell that tickles Boggis the beech root's bum every year is yet to flower. 

The Yorkshireman offered to take some photos of me, potentially for publicity purposes. I like the notion of an interesting tree with a wonderful carving by Andy O'Neill and fabulous bark on the cover of a book called Breadcrumbs.  And Ted - well, he was included to corner the border collie-owning market. And they didn't come out too badly either, given the subject matter.  The light was soft and subtle, and for once I didn't look like Quasimodo.   

It was hours later that I realised Ted had his lipstick out in every single one.  EVERY SINGLE ONE.