Wild with Wheels founder Gini Mitchell writes in King's Wood, Challock

'There is a silent eloquence

In every wild bluebell'

- The Bluebell, Anne Bronte

The rain held off on Thursday 11 May, and we trundled through dappled woods to reach clearings bathed in sunshine.

King's Wood is famous for its bluebells - and they were spectacular. A deep violet blue haze filled the landscape as our wheelers rolled along sweet-smelling paths. 

Regular participants were especially proud of our newcomer, who took on challenging terrain like a pro on their self propelled wheelchair. 

Manual, electric, sports, NHS - read more about the different types of wheelchair

The ancient woodland we explored is part of the 1,500 acre forest. So there's a vast variety of pathways and tracks to investigate.  

One track took us deeper into a pine forest. We stopped for a moment in a dark space to listen to birds', breathing in the musty fungal aroma of the woodland floor.

We halted to appreciate the view in another clearing - then and spotted dark storm clouds nearby. Luck was with us and only a few spots of light rain fell.

Southern wood ants roam our woods in huge gangs

A slightly alarming description by the Woodland Trust about these fascinating insects. We stopped by a wood ants nest to see for ourselves the amazing effects of these ants' formic acid on a bluebell - it turns them pink.  

Did you know the Southern Wood Ant is listed as Near Threatened on a global list of threatened species? Find out more.

Perfect timing

We headed back to the carpark, then reconvened at a local cafe for an al fresco meal. Just as some of the group were leaving, thunder roared followed by a deluge of rainfall and even hail bucketed down.

We look forward to our next adventure in King's Wood - will you join us on 8 June?

Other King's Wood sessions - please check for updates -

• 13 July
• 14 September
• 12 October
  
  #bluebells #bluebelladventure #bluebellwoods #ancientwoodland #accessiblenatureexperience
  
  📸 image credit Gini