Bluebell Sunday will return for the first time since the start of the pandemic this Saturday (May 15) at Okehampton Castle, to celebrate the coming of spring.

The event will run from 10am to 5pm during which time there will be free entry to the castle. English Heritage, which runs the historic site, will offer guided tours, music and the chance to get involved in medieval-themed events throughout the day.

Lucia Yonge, Site Manager at English Heritage comments: “We’re really pleased to welcome back Bluebell Sunday to Okehampton Castle - it is a really busy, fun, community day with a wonderful atmosphere. The bluebells are already looking beautiful, I really hope lots of people can come and enjoy them on this special day.”

Okehampton Castle is particularly famous for its bluebells which bloom throughout the nearby woodland each spring. The event has been a popular attraction since 1917 when local benefactor Sydney Simmons gifted the castle to the Okehampton Castle Trust for the inhabitants and visitors of the town to enjoy in future years.

Okehampton Castle was once the largest castle in Devon. It was built soon after the Norman Conquest in 1066 as a motte and bailey castle with a stone keep but fell into ruins when the last owner fell foul of Henry VIII in 1539.