Bishop’s Snowdrops

Snowdrops – Bishops Palace, Wells, Somerset, UK. ID JB_146

Each year I make a visit to the Bishop’s Palace in Wells.  This is a beautiful place to visit, and you can return all year on the same ticket.  What’s not to like!  They have a display of snowdrops that is as good as anywhere.  Shaftesbury is very good, but that is not in Somerset!

It has been a late year for these little white flowers.  I made a first visit at the end of January and nothing had appeared.  In past years they had been fully out in the middle of January.  The second visit a week later and much the same.  A week later and finally some flowers were open.  Enough to hunt out the best flowers.

Snowdrops in the Bishops Palace – Wells, Somerset, UK. ID JB_8967

The palace does not open until 10am, but this is just early enough to get some winter backlight.

Snowdrops – Bishops Palace, Wells, Somerset, UK. ID JB_1399

Croci Lawn

Today there were more crocuses that snowdrops.

Snowdrops in the Bishops Palace – Wells, Somerset, UK. ID JB_0379

The croci are pretty but lack the history of snowdrops?

Snowdrops in the Bishops Palace – Wells, Somerset, UK. ID JB_0494

And finally…

Sitting in the cafe I was amazed to see several dead crows lying on the main lawn.  Despite the keep off the grass signs some people took a much closer look than I dared.  So I was not the only one confused.  However, all became clear on reading a tiny little sign attached to the fence.  They were not real – but an alternative scare crow.  It seems live crows will not risk visiting a lawn covered in dead crows.  Probably wise!

Dead Crow? – Bishops Palace, Wells, Somerset, UK. ID JB_9025