Visitors urged to enjoy snowdrop walk at Whaplode church
Spring might seem a long way away after a very wet and dreary January but visitors to a woodland will be able to enjoy early signs of what is to come.
A blanket of snowdrops are now covering the floor of The Nut Walk in the grounds of St Mary’s Church in Whaplode, which visitors are urged to come along and enjoy over the next two weekends.
The popular Snowdrop Walks have been running for more than a decade and attract hundreds of people while also raising vital funds for the church, which has recently won a £20,410 grant from the UK Shared Prosperity and Rural Prosperity Funds for a pilot scheme.
One of the people who help to ensure that the woodland and the church grounds look their best is volunteer Geoff Hoare.
He said: “The Snowdrop Walks start the year off to a good start. It’s a period where we have not had the best weather so seeing the snowdrops is a traditional spring sight.
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“We have Christmas and then you have January with the awful weather and floods but then the snowdrops come out and you feel happy.”
Among the first sights greeting visitors to the church, parts of which date back to 1150, are the white snowdrops and the yellow winter aconites which have sprouted up around sculptures around the access path.
And there are more of these beautiful snowdrops as you make your way through The Nut Walk, which is among the benefits of the hard work put in by volunteers.
Geoff said: “We cleared the undergrowth and now there are thousands of snowdrops.
“This was known as The Nut Walk due to the trees which were here and a previous vicar used to walk through from the old Vicarage to get to the church.
“Last year was a really good year for snowdrops as we had so many plants.
“The loss of the trees helped to clear a big space and we are also keeping the nettles down and that is letting the snowdrops grow.
“They have just spread!”
Nothing is wasted as trees which had to be taken down are now used for wood chippings which provide a path around the beautiful wood, which is also home to muntjac deer as well as the many snowdrops.
Geoff has also cared for a bench which now provides an ideal spot for people to stop.
He said: “It is a nice place for people to stop and enjoy the view.
“We have a regular stream of visitors over three weekends.
“Anyone is welcome at anytime but we like to encourage people over these weekends which refreshments are served in the church.”
The Snowdrop Walk at the church is open from 10am to 3pm on Saturday and Sunday, February 17 and 18, and the following weekend.
