For a few weeks between mid-March and mid-May the roadsides along the 50 mile AA signposted Blossom Trail are ablaze with colour. The trail celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2023.
Blossom Update:W/C 22 April 2024Pear and cherry fading but the apple blossom is coming through nicely, this is very visible in Childswickham area of the Trail. Hawthorn is now out in hedgerows that haven’t been flailed.Ornamental trees, shrubs and climbers can be see in many villages
The spring Blossom Trail can be enjoyed in many ways – as an adventure in your own time or as a fun-filled organised day out. To enhance your experience further, the trail incorporates many of the horticultural highlights the area has to offer throughout the rest of the year – award-winning parks, garden centres, nurseries and farm shops (many with cafes) selling outstanding local produce and home cooked delicacies. From April to June this will also include the famous Vale of Evesham Asparagus – whose prestige has gained it PGI European Protected Food named status.
To help you get the most from the glorious Blossom Trail, we have put together a handy guide that features more information on the area as you explore the 55 mile route. In the guide, you will find:
The guide will be available to be picked up from at the district’s Tourist Information Centres and multiple literature racks in the area. Alternatively, download it below (8mb).
For almost four decades the Vale of Evesham Blossom Trail has been recognised as one of the top ‘wonders of spring’ and can be experienced on foot, by bike, car or coach.
The term Blossom is given to a cluster of flowers that bloom on any plant – this can include magnolia, hawthorn, blackthorn and ornamental cherries. Blossom tress however, tend to be associated with the fruiting (Prunus genus) varieties – these include cherries, plums, apples, pears, peaches and crab-apples.
Blossom provides pollen to pollinators such as bees who initiate the cross pollination necessary for the trees to reproduce by producing fruit. The colour of the blossom that can be seen throughout the Vale of Evesham range from the delicate white of pear, plum, orange, some cherry and most almonds; to the variable degrees of pink via apple, peach and cherry.
Throughout the Blossom Trail you will find there are many different varieties of blossom, below are some of the different types you can find during spring time in Worcestershire’s Vale & Spa.
Apple
The blossom of apple is usually tinged with pink and an apple orchard in May is surely the most beautiful site in the farmed landscape. Apples are pollinated by all sorts of insects including long-horn beetles, malachite beetles, butterflies and solitary bees.
Blackthorn
A common shrub turning hedgerows white in early spring. The abundant blossom attracts many pollinators including hoverflies and bumblebees.
Cherry Plum
The first fruit blossom of the year. Often planted as hedgerow shrubs or as small trees in orchards. An important early nectar source for honeybees which will have used up their stored honey over the winter.
Damsom
The delicate blossom is not such a common sight in the Vale nowadays, being mostly restricted to hedgerows and along water courses. All of the old Damson trees in the Vale are infected by a fungus Taphrina insititiae which causes twiggy growths known as Witches’ Brooms.
Pear
Large old pear trees can be seen along roadsides and in hedgerows dotted through the Vale. The majority of these big trees produce small pears used for making perry. The bark of a pear tree divides into small rectangular sections making it quite distinctive.
Plum
The pure white plum blossom is on show for a very short period in April and attracts an assortment of pollinators including hoverflies, dagger-flies, bee-flies and small beetles. Plum orchards once dominated the landscape around the Vale but only a few of these special places now remain.
The signposted trail route takes in large areas of the Vale of Evesham, with visits to towns, villages and hamlets along the way. The different types of blossom appear at different times, so the trail map below will help give you an indication of where you can find each type. There are plenty of others points of interest along the way, so be sure to take in all the area has to offer.
Map business numbering
Cycling around the Blossom Trail couldn’t be easier. The National Cycle Route 442 is perfectly situated to enjoy the blossom – the route travels from Worcester to Evesham via Pershore, taking you through quiet villages and country lanes. It really is the best way to get close to nature.
To help you get around the route, there are a number of blue Spring Blossom Trail signs to look out for on junctions.
If you would like to enjoy the wonderful countryside by foot then Worcestershire’s Vale & Spa makes an ideal location. By offering a range of routes, from long, short, easy or difficult, there is something that allows everyone to enjoy the views. Many of these routes are signposted and can be easily found and followed to allow you to take in the wildlife without getting lost.
The walking routes are easily accessible and can be located all around the trail – marked by a black walking sign. From here, you can follow the arrows and signs that will take you over stiles, along bridleways, through stunning fields of blossom and orchards filled with colour.
Along the way you’ll cross many other trails which you could find yourself exploring, including:
• The Wychavon Way
• The Shakespeare’s Avon Way
• The Millennium Way
• The Cotswold Way
For more information visit: www.valeandspa.co.uk/walking
To assist you with navigating the route around the Blossom Trail, a GPX file has been created to guide you around the most efficient route.
The standard file is suitable for car and cycle users, whereas coaches should use the self-titled file to avoid unnavigable sections.
If you like The Blossom Trail, you may be interested in Droitwich in Bloom, Droitwich’s Spa’s fantastic flower trail. Numerous floral creations, each with their own theme, will be installed around the town for visitors to hunt out and enjoy over the summer. Keep a look out for more information on this year’s trail on our Facebook page.
