The Bluebells of Betley
The weather has turned warmer in Betley Court Gardens over the past couple of days, and it is bringing on the spring flowers wonderfully. Mid-April is when our bluebell come into their own, and it looks like they will be at their peak for our Bluebell Walk on 1st May 2022. Do join us, if you’re in the area and free! £5 adults, children under 12 free. Tickets available at the gates on the day.
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| The dove girl, down in the bluebell woods |
The arrival of the bluebells has quite a poignancy for all
of us at Betley Court. It was this time a year ago we gathered for Godfrey
Brown’s funeral. The country was still in the midst of Covid restrictions, so
it was a small gathering at the crematorium in Crewe, bolstered by a good number
of family and friends both from the UUK and abroad, who watched online.
As I mentioned in a post from the time, Godfrey loved bluebells,
and was very proud of the annual display in the gardens here at Betley Court. For many years, Godfrey and his late wife
Freda opened the gardens for their yearly bluebell walk. As they got older,
Nigel and I got more involved, and Godfrey and I created a self-guided walking
map, which went onto form the basis of our current guide to the gardens. The
bluebells inspired him to compose poetry, and he also wrote several pieces for
publication. Nigel had a dig around in the Betley Court archives (a hard drive
that thankfully was at our house, rather than Betley Court on the day of the
fire) and found an article Godfrey published in April 2009. I thought I’d share
that with readers this week:
The Bluebells of Betley words by Professor Godfrey N Brown
They have been
voted Britain’s favourite wild flowers but bluebells can only be fully
appreciated when seen en masse in their natural setting. For a perfect
vision of this flower, take the bluebell walk in Betley on [1st
May].
They bow their heads so modestly
And from their leafy stems they smile
They dance in step to the passing breeze
And sprinkle perfume under swaying trees
This verse is, of course, referring to
bluebells, and more than half of the world’s bluebells are found in this
country. Small wonder, therefore, that Betley Court’s Bluebell walk is so
popular.
Indeed, one of the rites of Spring is the
Bluebell Walk at Betley Court, Betley, near Crewe, has well and truly arrived!
This year the Walk is scheduled to take place on [Sunday 1st May].
Visitors this year will wish to see how far the Spanish Invasion has developed.
Over the years hybrid a Spanish bluebell has been seen, occasionally, dotted
here and there.
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| View of the Gazebo |
Whereas the British bluebell has narrow
leaves, is sweetly scented, and has deep blue flowers which droop to one side
of the plant, the Spanish variety is more upright, has broader leaves, little
or no scent, and is pale blue-pink-white in colour.
Spanish bluebells add an attractive
spume topping a sea of blue, but horticulturalists are concerned that this may
be at the expense of native bluebells. Will climate change favour the Spanish
Invasion? Or will the services of a later day Sir Francis Drake be required?
Of course, the Bluebell Walk has far more to offer than just bluebells. It is a chance to explore a garden planned by the famous garden architect, William Emes in 1783 and whose plan still exists. It is indeed fitting that the Bluebell Walk is organised by the Emes Society of Betley Court.
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| William Emes design for Betley Court |
The Walk affords an opportunity to see features highlighted by the artist, Su Hurrell in her pictorial map of the garden made at the end of the 20th century. These include the Dingle, the creation of Sir Thomas Fletcher in the early 19th century and the Fishpond created by Robert Griffiths in the 1860s. And there are built features like the excavated remains of the ruin Temple, the Gazebo, said to be built from stone from Stafford Castle, and the Barbecue Site with its wonderful view of Betley Mere.
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| A pictoral map I made for Godfrey back in 1995 |
The Walk also takes in the more formal
garden, planned by the garden designers William Barron and Thomas Mawson in the
19th century with its recent ‘Sands of Time’ sundial. This year
visitors can see the progress that is being made on a Peace Garden in front of Betley
Court. Its message of Pax Vobiscum (Peace be with You) makes an appropriate
finale to the annual Bluebell Walk.[1]
Godfrey’s article is an
interesting window onto preoccupations at Betley Court in 2009. The Spanish
bluebell invasion did not materialise as feared – partly due to the Spanish bluebell
having what was described to me as ‘the bluebell equivalent of a lower sperm
count’ as compared to its English counterpart. Climate change has become a more
pressing issue, as our milder winters in the gardens illustrate.
Of course, the article was written 10 years before the fire, and for the time being, what was the Peace Garden has become Rebuild HQ, complete with site office, canteen and toilet facilities. The formal flowerbeds are impounded behind Heras safety fencing, and need some TLC. And our beloved Betley Court remains under wraps, until later this year when the roof is completed.
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| A bluebell by the fishpond in the Dingle |
There have been some changes for the better too. We have a smart, new visitors’ hub, which has a lovely view of the bluebell woods. The dam that holds the fishpond has been restored, and if we get a wriggle on, we should have our smart new information signs installed.
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| The visitors' hub seen through a sea of bluebells |
Hope you can join us! Tickets £5
for adults and children under 12 free. Buy tickets on the day at the gate. Well
behaved dogs (along with their equally well-behaved owners) are welcome, as
long as they are on leads (the dogs, not owners).
Fingers crossed for good weather!
All best wishes
Ladybird Su
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