Hopes are high that the annual show of bluebells in the field between Old Hollow and the West Malvern Playing Fields may soon be restored to its former glory, which has been much reduced in recent years by bracken encroachment and sheep grazing. The Parish Council has rented the field from the Trustees of the Madresfield Estate for three years and plans to manage it so as to encourage the bluebells, which at their best were one of the marvels of the area. A new fence has been erected this week to prevent sheep from the adjoining fields to the north getting into the bluebell field.

Many residents have expressed their concern at seeing sheep grazing the field at bluebell flowering time, and the poor show of bluebells in the past few years compared with what it used to be. We are delighted that the parish is now in position to try and restore the situation. We are grateful to the Madresfield Estate for agreeing to let it to the parish for only a nominal rent, and for restoring the fence so sheep can now be kept out at critical times of year.

However, people should not necessarily expect immediate results this spring. There has already been some sheep grazing this year, and much of the bluebell area is pretty well swamped with dead bracken. But the bluebells are still there, and we will be seeking advice on ways to discourage the bracken without damaging the bluebells.

Hopefully we will see a steady improvement over the next three years.