A normally closed nature reserve in west London will be open for a few days next month when the woods are filled with bluebells at their best.

At 27 acres in size, Perivale Wood sits just next to the Central line railway and is one of the oldest dedicated nature reserves in the UK. Set up as a bird sanctuary at a time when all around here was fields, it was an unusually farsighted vision of how urban sprawl could someday leave no large swathes of woodland for birds.

Now, each year during the spring, the woods are blanketed by a vast number of bluebells that turn otherwise green and brown floors into a riot of violet-blue flowers that carpet the landscape.

To control numbers, what was once a one-day event is now spread over three days, including fortunately for weekend workers, there’s also an open day during the week.

The open days will take place on Sunday 16th, Thursday 20th and Saturday 22nd April 2023.

Entry will be by pre-booked tickets only, and tickets cost £5 per adult (£3 concessions), £2 for accompanying children aged under 16, with no charge for infants under 3 years of age.

You need to book tickets in advance from the following links:

Dogs or other pets are not allowed, except in the case of registered assistance animals. Tea, coffee and cakes will be on sale in the Bluebell Centre and there are toilet facilities.

Getting to Perivale Wood

The wood is about a 10-minute walk from Perivale tube station on the Central line, and TfL is currently showing no planned engineering works on the open days, so you shouldn’t have any problems using public transport to get there.

When you leave the tube station, turn right and cross over on the pedestrian crossing, then walk along to Sunley Gardens, and the nature reserve is at the end of that street.