On our journeys on the bus to Looe, we noticed a little pull-in, only big enough to hold two cars, on the edge of the bluebell woods, so today we decided to use it to explore. The woods were absolutely magnificent, covered in bluebells from top to bottom. Someone had even thought them so worthy of a prolonged look that they had brought a couple of picnic chairs and left them on the slope.

As nearly always the bluebells were accompanied by wild garlic which makes for a nice contrast. Both plants are interesting. Bluebells, at least the native English variety, are under threat from Spanish bluebells which can spread very quickly from gardens and from fly-tipping…luckily all those we see seem to be native. They are a sign of ancient woodland, as at Binley Woods where we used to live, so well worth further investigation. The same applies to wild garlic which is suffusing our lanes at the moment. I have used it to wrap fish but have just read that it is quite easy to confuse with three other plants which are very poisonous (Note…be very careful!).

On emerging from the woods at the top of the hill we consulted a map and walked across the fields to Tredinnick, a beautiful little village where we noticed a cottage for sale (further research showed it was £200,000 not a bad price but small and cottagey and with no garden to speak of). We walked along the lane and descended to another pretty village Treworgey which seems to be a village solely of holiday cottages and adjacent riding school. In fact it was a lovely location with the best children’ playground ever seen…we availed ourselves of the adult swinging chair to admire sandpits, ride-on tractors, skittle alley, wendy house, secret willow walk, pens for rabbits, sheep and much else, and all with a view down to the river near Looe,  we were very impressed. The cottages are the sort we would like to stay in too.

The walk back through the woods was even more spectacular with bluebells, and we

were so glad that we had done this short walk. On the way home, just 5 minutes drive, we called in at Duloe church which we had never visited before. The church is mainly fifteenth century, with of course Victorian restoration, but the tower is of the thirteenth century and quite unusual. It leans too (not as much as Pisa, but noticeable!). Inside there is the Coleshull chantry chapel added to the north of the chancel and it is ‘one of the glories of Cornish church architecture’. A rood screen was added between nave and chancel, and the chapel was provided with a parclose screen. The chapel still contains the tomb with recumbent effigy of Sir John Coleshull, for whose soul the masses celebrated in this chantry chapel were intended to intercede.  However, worthy Sir John no longer gazes up into the eyes of an angel (an otherwise unexplained corbel below the arch between chancel and chapel where the tomb was designed to stand).  The arch is carved with vines and grapes, crowned roses, angels, family coats of arms, tiny statue niches and even an upside down green man.