Bluebells at Houghall Woods, Durham

Looking for the best place to spot flowering bluebells in Durham? Look no further than the stunning Houghall Woods just outside Durham’s city centre.

Houghall Woods is very well-known to Durham locals not just for beautiful scenic walks a stones throw from the city but for the incredible display for flowering bluebells each spring. We have been visiting Houghall Woods for a number of years now throughout the year but always make a special visit in springtime to see carpets of pale violet bluebells under the trees. Half of all bluebells in the world are right here in the UK but we all have personal favourite locations local to us and, for me at least, that is Houghall Woods. Certainly one of the most prettiest places in County Durham to see bluebells, if not the North East!

If you haven’t heard of Houghall Woods before, don’t worry, I’m sure that you’ll be inspired to visit on your next trip to Durham. Houghall Woods is technically famous for a very different reason thanks to an eagle eyed walker who allegedly spotted Dominic Cummings taking in the beauty of the woods during the Covid-19 lockdown! Who can blame him when the bluebells look this good? Right?

BLUEBELLS AT HOUGHALL WOODS

WHERE TO FIND HOUGHALL WOODS?

You can find Houghall Woods just a few miles south of Durham’s city centre between the Botanic Gardens and Durham University’s sports centre. That might sound like an odd place to find such beautiful woodland but, once you arrive in the woods, it will feel a world away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

We always park at the main car park for free just behind Amaani at the Pumphouse (a great Indian restaurant) and walk south along the bank of the River Wear, past Houghall Stables before reaching Houghall Woods. I’ve added a map below to show the location of Houghall Woods but Google will be your friend or reach out and I’ll give you more information!

HOW TO USE THE MAP | Click the icon in the top left to show the list of all locations. Click on the top right corner of the map to open a larger version in a new tab. The star allows you to save directly to your own Google Maps.

WALKS AT HOUGHALL WOODS

There are numerous walks around the south of Durham that take in Houghall Woods but we have generally followed a circular route of around 1.5 miles – past the stables, following the path clockwise before cutting south through a field to re-join the road next to the River Wear. For those with a little more appetite for walking, there’s a great 2.8 mile route here or you can map out a route yourself up to Low Burnhall Woods (one of my favourite places for an early morning dog walk in Durham) or along part of the Camino Inglés, the English section of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage.

WHEN DO BLUEBELLS FLOWER AT HOUGHALL WOODS?

Bluebells generally flower, according to the Woodland Trust (I haven’t suddenly become a flower expert), from late March to early May but it can vary from year to year. Apparently, if spring is mild (it feels like it always is!), then the bluebells will flower earlier. So, there’s never going to be a perfect time for me to say exactly when the bluebells will flower at Houghall Woods unfortunately. If you’re resident in the North-East or Durham, keep an eye on social media as you’ll often see photos of bluebells suddenly popping up out of nowhere meaning that the spectacle must have started or will be imminent. Of course, if you’re local, you could just enjoy walks regularly, especially if you have a dog who will no doubt love it at Houghall Woods, and you’ll be the first to know when they’ve flowered.

I’d also probably warn that I’ve noticed everything seems to be delayed by a few weeks or so here in the cold North-East of England. For example, back in 2021, the bluebells didn’t flower until late May!

Hopefully that’s given you all the inspiration you need to visit Houghall Woods this spring to see the beautiful bluebells in flower! If you know of any other, perhaps even better, locations to spot bluebells in the North-East or further afield, let me know in the comments below.

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