Daffodils in Gloucestershire: free bus transfer and the best walking trails

People wanting to walk the Daffodil Trail and see wildflowers near Dymock can look forward to a free bus shuttle service next weekend and better access to footpaths. Gloucestershire County Council has replaced around 24 footpath posts in Kemble with kissing gates.

Buses4Us provides a free minibus shuttle service from the Newent Lake car park to the daffodil villages, with support from Kempley Parish Council, rail and bus transport for Herefordshire. The wild daffodil is the county flower of Gloucestershire and residents say there is no better place to enjoy this harbinger of spring than in the wilds of the woods and meadows of the Golden Triangle, the northwestern corner of the county around Newent. This was reported by gloucestershirelive.co.

Many years ago, the Daffodil Line trains collected the valuable annual harvest of these wildflowers on the branch line from Newent, Four Oaks and Dymock to the main stations in Ledbury and Gloucester. From there, they made their way to the flower markets of Birmingham and London.

Today, most people prefer to see their wildflowers growing in the countryside, and every March, visitors flock to the Golden Triangle to enjoy the show. As early as the 1970s, villagers began opening churches and village councils to treat visitors.

These "Daffodil Teas" evolved into "Daffodil Weekends" and soon became an important source of income for the village's good cause: the annual daffodil harvest. This year's Daffodil Weekend in Kempley, Oxenhall and Dymock will include refreshments for visitors, guided daffodil walks, stalls, exhibitions and children's activities.

But for people who don't have access to a car and those who prefer to travel in an environmentally friendly way, there hasn't been a public transportation option before. "The narrow lanes around Kempley and Oxenhall are clogged with visitors' cars, which takes some of the luster off the natural beauty that people have come to see. The 232 Daffodil Line bus serves Dymock (seven days a week, all year round) and we always know that daffodil season will be a highlight of our year. But the narrow lanes around Kempley and Oxenhall just don't allow a full-size bus to get through. Martin Brocklehurst and Kempley Parish Council contacted Buses4Us back in 2022 to discuss what might be possible. This year, thanks to the financial support of Kempley and Rail & Bus for Herefordshire, we are delighted to be able to provide a free bus on the weekend of March 23/24," said Claire Stone, Chair of Buses4Us CIC.

The minibuses will run every weekend, connecting with bus routes 32 and 232 in Newent and giving people traveling from Gloucester, Ross-on-Wye and Ledbury the chance to enjoy the daffodils while leaving the car at home.

And Gloucestershire County Council replaced 24 lanes to coincide with this year's daffodil season. The stiles have been replaced with gates that allow people to pass through and livestock to be safely contained. They provide greater accessibility, as the walkways can be difficult to navigate, especially for people with mobility issues, the elderly, and those with small children.

Gloucestershire County Council's Community Rights Team is working with Kempley Parish Council (KPC) to replace as many styles as possible in the area with the support of landowners and farmers. Landowners are responsible for the footpath posts and gates on their land and must keep them in good repair.

Martin Brocklehurst, Chairman of Kempley Parish Council, said: "We have had incredible support from our local family farmers and local community. Every spring we welcome visitors to our village to see the wild daffodils and organize walks with the support of our farmers. We want visitors to be able to enjoy our beautiful countryside, but to do so responsibly and remember that they will be crossing working farms. That means keeping to the trails, keeping dogs on leashes, and picking up after their pets so we can maintain the ongoing positive working relationship with the farmers in our community."

Earlier, TravelWise reported on where to relax outdoors in the UK.