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I must admit we don't normally visit places on bank holidays as they are always so busy but we realised this weekend that we were in danger of missing out on the woodland bluebell displays so we decided to go to Ryton Woods - a place I have long wanted to visit. Luckily, it was remarkably quiet there and we saw very few people.
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I'm not sure how much of the above sign you'll be able to read. Ryton Wood is a Warwickshire Wildlife Trust reserve which, together with 7 other large woods forms the Princethorpe Woodlands. They are the largest surviving area of semi-natural woodland left in Warwickshire today. Ryton Wood is an SSSI covering 85 hectares and has been returned to its current excellent state through traditional management practices. Parts of the reserve date back to the 11th century and it is Warwickshire's best site for butterflies.
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We saw a lot of wildflowers - below Bugle
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Emily was getting a good view of the Reserve from up here - lots of these tall "chairs" scattered throughout the wood.
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The Bluebell
"A fine and subtle spirit dwells
In every little flower,
Each one its own sweet feeling breathes,
With more or less of power.
There is a silent eloquence
In every wild bluebell
That fills my softened heart with bliss
That words could never tell.........."
by Anne Bronte
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Greater Stitchwort
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I spent rather a lot of time sitting on this wooden bench with carved animals. As usual when I stop to take photos or look at insects I turn round and find the family are hundreds of yards ahead of me. They had marched off along the path towards an adjoining country park in search of toilets and I hadn't a clue which direction they had gone in. So I sat on this bench as I knew it was the only place they could re-enter the reserve and I waited and waited and waited. Eventually they returned having, I suspect, downed icecreams!
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We went in search of a large clearing I had been told about that was apparently a sea of blubells and soon found it - a beautiful sight.
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We saw quite a few butterfly species - Brimstones, Orange Tips, Peacocks, Whites (too distant to id), Speckled Woods and my first Comma of the year. Sorry no photos they wouldn't stop still for long enough!
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