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| National Trust to Charge to See Bluebells; Bluebells at Dockey Wood | |
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| Topic Started: Apr 19 2016, 09:23 PM (526 Views) | |
| Grayling | Apr 19 2016, 09:23 PM Post #1 |
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I heard this on the Radio this morning. It seems Dockey Wood in Hertfordshire has become too popular for its own good, after the National Trust announced it was introducing entrance fees at the site - to fund new crowd control measures. In what is believed to be a UK first, the trust will now charge adults £3 and children £1 for a visit to the bluebell woods over the May Day bank holiday weekend and the second weekend of May, when the flowers are expected to be at their finest. I don't blame them at all 2,000 cars at peak time It's only a small wood, part of a larger complex. The Trust says it has been driven to the move because the woods, which form part of its Ashridge Estate, have been attracting so many visitors that the bluebells have been getting trampled and the ground being compacted.As a result, the famed bluebells are actually going into decline. They have even had calls from Lichtenstein for goodness sake - someone was travelling to Ashridge to see the bluebells,” she said. “Local photographers advertise the bluebell woods as a backdrop for family portraits and the visitor centre takes many enquiries about large group visits." All the money raised will be spent on conservation of wild flowers and trees at Ashridge. LINK |
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| Jane | Apr 20 2016, 05:57 AM Post #2 |
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I don't blame them either. Our native bluebell is under threat from Spanish bluebells and global warming as trees come into leaf earlier which doesn't suit Bluebells. They don't need to be trampled on and picked by thousands of humans as well! Thanks for the link Grayling
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| celticsparrow-Jan | Apr 20 2016, 08:56 AM Post #3 |
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It certainly sounds like something had to be done Grayling it attracts an enormous number of visitors.its good that somewhere is so popular but a shame the Bluebells are getting trampled on. |
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| Davebutterflyman | Apr 20 2016, 04:20 PM Post #4 |
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That's the problem when places such as this become too popular and it's a good idea to charge a small fee which will be going to a very good cause. Thanks for the link Grayling. |
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| AnnB | Apr 20 2016, 06:38 PM Post #5 |
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I saw a few weeks ago that they'd put up a roadside fence by the bluebell wood and I actually thought it was a real shame. Then yesterday I heard on the radio and saw on the BBC news the reason behind it. I think the herd of Fallow deer up there trample more paths through the bluebells than visiting members of the public but hey! Last Autumn they blocked off a car park area by a field where the deer can be seen rutting.
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| Night Owl | Apr 20 2016, 10:34 PM Post #6 |
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I saw this on tv yesterday and looking at some of the photos they were showing of people walking straight through the Bluebells and squashing them I suppose something had to be done to cut down on the volume of visitors and it's good that they are going to use the money to fund conservation of wild flowers and trees
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| JennyWren | Apr 21 2016, 07:51 AM Post #7 |
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It's a shame when Woods and Forests have to be penned off because there are too many visitors . i suppose that's a sign of things to come with populations rising across the world I'm told that one of the few bluebell woods here has been almost all bulldozed and a fence is now in situ . Snowdrop Valley in Devon became a very popular place to visit . Exmoor National Park organised tiny coaches to the entrance so that people left their cars in a local pub car park . It was always a hushed place but then a coach company advertised it |
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| Davebutterflyman | Apr 21 2016, 05:22 PM Post #8 |
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This is the trouble with lesser known sites and i'm always very wary of making them public. |
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9:35 AM Jul 11
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It's only a small wood, part of a larger complex. The Trust says it has been driven to the move because the woods, which form part of its Ashridge Estate, have been attracting so many visitors that the bluebells have been getting trampled and the ground being compacted.







Last Autumn they blocked off a car park area by a field where the deer can be seen rutting.

I saw this on tv yesterday and looking at some of the photos they were showing of people walking straight through the Bluebells and squashing them I suppose something had to be done to cut down on the volume of visitors
and it's good that they are going to use the money to fund conservation of wild flowers and trees
9:35 AM Jul 11


