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Reading the Wood Before You Walk It

Ancient woodland is not simply old trees. In Britain, it usually means land that has been continuously wooded since at least 1600. That continuity shows in the ground flora, the shape of the trees, and the banks and ditches that once marked boundaries. On a spring walk, the first thing to do is slow down. Look at the woodland floor before you look up. A wood rich in bluebells, wood anemones, dog's mercury, wild garlic and yellow archangel is likely to be ancient. These plants spread slowly and rarely colonise new sites. If you see them, you are walking through a fragment of an older landscape. Note the coppice stools, the multi-stemmed trees, and the old pollards. They are living archaeology, and spring is when they are easiest to read.

Bluebells and the Folklore of the Spring Floor

Bluebells are the signature of an English spring wood. Their folklore is deep and contradictory. Some say the bells ring to summon fairies; others warn that bringing bluebells indoors brings bad luck, or that a carpet of bluebells is enchanted and should not be crossed. The practical truth is simpler: bluebells are easily damaged. Their leaves take years to recover from trampling, and a crushed plant may not flower again for a long time. Stick to paths, even when the blue is tempting you off. Native bluebells droop to one side, have narrow leaves, and carry a sweet scent. Spanish bluebells stand upright, are paler, and have little scent. Hybrids are common. Do not pick any of them. A photograph lasts longer and leaves the wood intact.

Wood Anemones and Other Early Risers

Wood anemones open in sunshine and close in rain or evening, which is why they are also called windflowers. Folklore says fairies shelter inside them, and that picking them invites bad weather. They spread very slowly, often less than a metre or two a century, so a broad patch is a sign of an old, undisturbed wood. Look too for wood sorrel, dog's mercury, lesser celandine, and wild garlic. Wild garlic is the forager's favourite, but it has a dangerous lookalike in young lords-and-ladies leaves. The test is simple: crush a leaf. Wild garlic smells strongly of garlic; lords-and-ladies does not. If you are not certain, leave it. Spring is a time for observation first, and harvesting second.

Old Coppice Stools and the Signs of Continuity

Coppicing is one of the oldest forms of woodland management. Trees such as hazel, ash, oak and sweet chestnut are cut near the ground on a rotation, and they send up new shoots from the stump. That stump becomes a stool, and a stool can live for centuries. In spring, the fresh shoots are vivid and straight, and the old stool is a mass of moss, lichen and rot holes. You may also find pollards, trees cut above head height, often on old boundaries. Hedgerow folklore is full of such markers: a laid hedge, a coppiced stem, a boundary oak. These features are not just scenery. They are evidence of generations of country living, and they deserve a wide berth rather than a boot on the edge.

Foraging with Care in Spring

Foraging is part of seasonal country living, but it comes with rules and responsibilities. In England and Wales, picking common wild plants for personal use is generally allowed, but uprooting plants, picking protected species, or foraging in a nature reserve without permission is not. Take only what you will use, from abundant patches, and never strip a site. Spring offers plenty without touching the rare and the slow.

• Wild garlic — pick one leaf from each plant before the flowers open. Leave the bulb and the rest of the colony to seed and spread.
• Nettles — take the top four leaves of young plants for soup, tea or spanakopita. Wear gloves and leave the roots alone.
• Wood sorrel — a few lemony leaves for salads. It is slow to recover, so take only a pinch from a large patch.
• Elder — in hedgerows, the flowers come later in spring. Use them for cordial, but avoid the bark, roots and leaves.

Wash everything well. Avoid roadsides and places where dogs are walked. Be certain of your identification. If in doubt, leave it out. The best foragers are the ones who leave the wood as rich as they found it.

Treading Lightly and Leaving the Wood Better

Ancient woodland is fragile, and spring is its most vulnerable season. Stay on the path, even when it is muddy. Keep dogs close and out of the flower beds. Do not pick, dig or trample. Take litter home, including fruit peel, which can take years to break down and can harm wildlife. Clean mud and seeds from your boots before you visit another wood, to avoid spreading plant diseases such as Phytophthora. Follow the Countryside Code: close gates, keep to public rights of way, and leave no trace. Enjoy the bluebells, the anemones and the old coppice stools. Then leave them for the next walker, and for the next century.