Hosts of daffodils

The freedom of retirement is giving me so many wonderful opportunities to tick things off my bucket list. I finally achieved my ambition to visit Farndale in the Spring as, along with a couple of friends who harboured a similar wish, we drove over there to see the famous daffodils. They are our native wild daffodil (Narcissus pseudonarcissus), a petite and delicate flower that grows naturally on river banks and in damp meadows and woodland. No-one really knows why this obscure little dale, nestled in the heart of the North York Moors National Park, should hold such a spectacular carpet of daffodils. It's often said they were originally planted by medieval monks from nearby Rievaulx Abbey but no-one knows for sure. They have multiplied over the centuries, surviving threats from illegal picking, and now there are thousands of blooms along the banks of the River Dove. It's a breathtaking sight that is enjoyed by thousands of visitors every Spring.