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The Golden (Daffodil) Triangle: Hay Wood

Hay wood is beside the M50, about ten miles from our self catering holiday cottage in Green Bottom.

The area around Dymock, Kempley and Oxenhall is known as the golden or daffodil triangle: it is the foremost area in the country where wild daffodils may be found. The M50 passes through this area and, in season, its verges are covered with wild daffodils. Before the closure of most of Britain's railways, a line ran through the area from Newent to Dymock and was known as the daffodil line: in season it was busy with visitors to the daffodils. Nowadays part of the old line is a footpath - the Daffodil way.

Once daffodils carpeted fields and woods in this area. Regrettably many of the fields no longer contain wild daffodils because of modern agriculture, but if you drive along some of the back roads, some of the domestic orchards and lawns are still carpeted with them. Kempley daffodil meadow is listed SSSI, being one of few old meadows which still show the daffodils as they once used to be.

We visited Hay Wood in Easter 2010: a very cold year which delayed the daffodils so that on April 4th, when these photographs were taken, the daffodils were about at their best.

Of course our dog, Poppy, and our cat, Misty, came with us. We have done many walks with our cat, Misty.

Daffodils in N E corner of Hay Wood	Path in Hay Wood	Most of the daffodils in Hay Wood are along the roadside, but there is a large display in the north east corner, photo far left. However there is a path through the wood which makes a pleasant stroll through the woods before it rejoins the road.	Path in Hay Wood	Our cat and dog in Hay Wood
Coltsfoot Flowers	Poppy has a paddle	There are few flowers in the wood at this time other than the daffodils. We found a patch of Coltsfoot flowers, far left. The soil here is rich in iron, so the puddle Poppy chose to bath in was red, leaving her with a pink rinse.	Poppy's pink rinse!	Wild daffodil in Hay Wood
Road through Hay Wood	Roadside daffodils, Hay Wood	Coming out of the wood one is met by a spectacular display of roadside daffodils. These are somewhat thicker in Little Hay Wood which is to the north of the road, so south facing.	Roadside daffodils, Hay Wood	Daffodils in Little Hay Wood
Roadside, Little Hay Wood	Roadside, Little Hay Wood, after daffodils season	After the daffodils, other wild flowers blossom. Photo near left was taken 12th April 2009, when the daffodils were nearly finished. Wild daffodils are present in other woods in the forest. Photos on right were taken in Welshbury wood, a short walk from our cottage.	Daffodils in Welshbury Wood	Wild daffodils in Welshbury wood

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