A WEEK of celebration of blossom on the Exmoor coast started on Saturday (April 20) with the National Trust leading a programme of community events.

The conservation charity’s first-ever Festival of Blossom has been inspired by the ‘Hanami’ celebrations in Japan and seeks to encourage everybody, everywhere, to take time to notice nature and enjoy the fleeting beauty of blossom.

In the Lorna Doone Valley, thousands of crochet blossom flowers have been made by volunteers and are being displayed in the greenhouse.

Porlock Information Centre has an arch of knitted blooms created by local community groups. 

The festival also aims to engage young people with nature on their doorstep and Porlock’s St Dubricius First School and local arts organisation Stacked Wonky have been brought together to work on a creative programme including music and dance.

The National Trust team will also visit local children’s centres to plant blossoming trees and bring colour to outdoor spaces.

The display of crochet blossom flowers in the Lorna Doone Valley greenhouse, on Exmoor.
The display of crochet blossom flowers in the Lorna Doone Valley greenhouse, on Exmoor. PHOTO: National Trust Images, Alison Marsden. ( )

Exmoor Coast Project senior programming and partnerships officer Charlotte Burke said: “We want people to enjoy the new burst of blossom that spring brings wherever they are.

“This is the first Festival of Blossom on Exmoor and we are proud to work with a variety of amazing partners to develop our blossom events programme.”

Porlock Information Centre manager Deborah Stanyon said: “We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of our local knitting community, who have been busy making floral blossoms ready for the display.

“Knitters from Minehead, Porlock Vale, and even holidaymakers have contributed.

“We have received hundreds of knitted flowers which will create a wonderful display and provide a focal point to highlight the great campaign by the National Trust to encourage people to feel more connected with nature.”

The National Trust’s Exmoor Coast project is working to create a mosaic of habitats between sea and land along 35 miles of coastline so nature and people can thrive.

The information centre arch of Exmoor’s community-knitted blossoms can be seen in Porlock from April 20 to 29 and visitors can also pick up information on spring walks and enjoy local produce.

Lorna Doone Valley can be visited for blossom walks, origami activities, and a crochet display featuring thousands of blossoms in the greenhouse from April 20 to 28.

Another community event with free nature activities, including a guided walk and poetry workshops, will be held in Blenheim Gardens, Minehead, on Saturday, April 27, from 11 am to 4 pm.

National Trust staff create a blossom display for the first-ever Exmoor coast blossom festival.
National Trust staff create a blossom display for the first-ever Exmoor coast blossom festival. PHOTO: National Trust Images, Alison Marsden. ( )

Wildflower nature walks will also be organised in Exmoor’s Heddon Valley from April 20 to 28 for visitors to spot blossoms and listen out for birdsong as they follow the river along to the picturesque Heddon’s Mouth.

Blossom can also be seen across the trusts Holnicote Estate, which makes up 12,500 acres of Exmoor National Park with its diverse landscape of moorland, ancient woodland, shingle beaches, and villages including Bossington and Selworthy.

National Trust rangers and tenant farmers have been working together for some time to make more space for nature, benefiting communities and wildlife.