Spring Blossom and Easter Travel: Short Windows, Busy Weekends

Why the windows are so short

Almost everything worth travelling for in spring lasts a fortnight. Magnolias in the Cornish gardens, orchard blossom in Kent, bluebells in ancient woodland, the cherry avenues in city parks: each has a peak measured in days rather than weeks, and each shifts by up to a fortnight between years depending on the winter. That argues for deciding late. A trip fixed in January to a specific weekend in April is a gamble. Keeping the date loose until a fortnight out, then committing when the season declares itself, produces a far better hit rate.

Where the blossom is

Kent's fruit country between Maidstone, Faversham and Canterbury is the largest concentration of orchard blossom in England, with cherry and pear ahead of apple. The Vale of Evesham in Worcestershire has its own blossom trail. Both are best seen from the road, since the orchards are working farmland. For ornamental cherry, the avenues at Alnwick's orchard in Northumberland, and the plantings in several London parks, give a concentrated display. Blackthorn in the hedgerows comes earlier and turns entire lane systems white without anyone planning it.

• Kent orchards, generally in the second half of April
• Vale of Evesham plum and apple blossom, slightly earlier
• Bluebell woods, late April into the first half of May
• Blackthorn in hedgerows, well ahead of anything cultivated

Easter and the reopening season

A large number of English heritage properties close over winter and reopen around Easter, which makes the holiday weekend the start of the touring year. It also means the first weekend is unusually busy at properties that have been shut for months. Because Easter moves between late March and late April, the relationship between the holiday and the blossom changes every year. Some years the two coincide; other years the reopening happens in bare landscape. Neither is a problem, but it is worth knowing which you are getting.

Bank holiday traffic

Good Friday and Easter Monday produce two of the heaviest leisure traffic days in the British calendar, concentrated on the routes to the West Country, the Lakes and the coast. Friday morning outbound and Monday afternoon inbound are the pinch points. Travelling on the Saturday or Sunday between them, or starting notably early on the peak days, avoids most of it. School holidays either side extend the pressure for a fortnight in many regions.

Spring weather and what to pack for

British spring weather is the least predictable of the year. A single day can move from frost to warm sun to hail, and the difference between a sheltered valley and an exposed ridge is considerable. Clocks going forward in late March adds an hour of useful evening light, which extends what a day can hold. Ground conditions are often still wet from winter, so garden paths, showground parking and estate tracks are softer than they look. Sensible footwear does more for a spring day out than an extra layer.

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