Bluebells, Beaches and Bustling - April 2026

Bluebells carpeting West Woods, Near Marlborough

Spring has most certainly arrived here in the UK! The weather has improved, the daylight hours are increasing, and the floral displays have been something spectacular. All of this has led to a bumper month for photography outings, with a total of nine. So settle down with a cup of tea for this month’s blog.

Bluebells

Three of my photography outings this month have been all about this beautiful flower, which carpets the woodland (and other areas too) in the local area. I always look forward to bluebell season as it brings a dramatic colour wash to the landscape, and we have some brilliant displays all within a relatively short drive from home.

West Woods near Marlborough is probably one of the best examples. With over 900 acres of woodland to explore, it is also a fantastic place to go for a long walk; my circular route via the National Trust also took me through the nearby Lockeridge Dene. The display of bluebells in the morning sun was breathtaking, and the smell was incredible.

Badbury Clump is a much smaller woodland on the hill between Coleshill and Faringdon. It always promises a fantastic bluebell display. This year I headed up for an evening dog walk with the camera, a tripod, and my new polarising filter. It was great to experiment with the longer zoom lens and the setting sun in the background.

Ashdown House is another nearby National Trust property between Ashbury and Lambourn with a fantastic small woodland, but it is not as well known for its bluebell display. The display this year is incredible and offers some unique compositions at the far end where the woodland borders farmland where oilseed rape is grown, so you have the bright yellow in the background of the purples/blues in the foreground. An evening looping walk that included a climb up Weathervane Hill presented the opportunity to capture some more photos.

Beaches

This month was slightly quieter for my Coastline Photography Project with just one outing, but it was an absolutely brilliant day out. I headed down to Littlehampton and enjoyed a long coastal walk between Littlehampton and Bognor Regis, where the coastline is varied and, at this time of year, very dog‑friendly. A 7‑mile stretch included rocks, calm bays and coastal towns, as well as, most interestingly, a section of soft rock characterised by low, retreating sandy cliffs shaped by wave undercutting and slumping. This walk presented the opportunity to explore the coastline as well as both the towns of Littlehampton and Bognor Regis. The weather was a perfect spring day, and the dog enjoyed the exploration as much as I did.

Bustling

I wanted a third ‘B’ to make the title alliterative — so I looked this one up in the thesaurus. As usual, many of this month’s outings have been combined with my dog walks, taking the opportunity to enjoy the local landscapes. This month’s visits have included a lovely 5‑mile walk in the Gloucestershire countryside near Driffield and the Ampneys, a couple of village walks around Shrivenham and Watchfield, a walk to nearby Sevenhampton to visit the churchyard which includes Ian Fleming’s grave, and a short walk with family at Stanwick Lakes in Northamptonshire.

Next month, we head to Scotland for our month long vacation tour! So look out for a weekly installmeent of the blog update with hopefully a nice mixture of different photos from what promises to be a great adventure.

Until next time,

Kenny