Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Bulbs => Galanthus => Topic started by: Alan_b on March 08, 2012, 08:30:37 AM
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Strange as it may seem, there is a snowdrop valley in the middle of Exmoor which I visited on the way home from the Galanthus Gala. So, sorry, this is old news and it is too late to visit this year as the snowdrops were in full flower three and a half weeks ago. But for future reference:
The valley is reached from Wheddon Cross, which is as near as you will be allowed to drive. There is a good synopsis here http://exmoorencyclopedia.org.uk/contents-list/52-s/897-snow-drop-valley.html and up to date information is posted here http://www.wheddoncross.org.uk/snowdropvalley.htm
When you park at Wheddon Cross you can either walk to the snowdrop valley or take a small bus that operates as a shuttle service. You should be aware that the walk to the valley is much much longer than the walk in the valley. It is suggested you allow 1.5 hours for the return walk whereas the valley itself you could do in 10 minutes at the same walking pace. It is downhill all the way there, steeply downhill for about half the distance so uphill all the way back. The tracks were muddy so unless it has been unseasonably dry you will need some stout walking boots.
The valley itself has a small river running through it and the terrain is virtually flat. You walk up river on one side, cross by a footbridge then return on the other side. The snowdrops are all Galanthus nivalis (single form). I could not see any sign of seedlings so I think it is probably a sterile population - as many of the earliest snowdrop imports cultivated by monks seem to have been. As such the snowdrops are very uniform and not of much interest to a "spotter" like myself. The breadth of the mark on the inner petals shows some variability but I didn't see any green-tips, yellows or anything else unusual.
Overall it is a wonder to see snowdrops in such a remote location (given that they are not native to the UK) but there are other venues with larger quantities of massed snowdrops.
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On the way back Jo, Christine and I saw some doubles but they were outside a garden boundary.
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An amazing place Alan, the mystery of why the snowdrops were there is intriguing, I see that they say they thing the monks planted them there but why? Was it a hermitage or something?
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Good question Brian. They say the monks were from Dunster but Wheddon Cross is a long way to travel just to plant some snowdrops. And a long way to travel back when you want to pick the flowers for Candlemass.
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As a small child in the early 1960's I was privileged to be taken to this valley at snowdrop time when hardly anyone apart from locals knew of its existence.
With my growing love of flowers & a child's love of paddling in water it holds a special place in my memories.
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What a wonderful experience.
I wonder how long it would take to emulate those in the garden.