FORGET the snow, this splash of white is a sure sign that spring is on the way.
More than 200,000 snowdrops are in bloom in the grounds of the 14th Century Carthusian ruins, at Mount Grace Priory, near Northallerton, North Yorkshire, heralding warmer times to come.
English Heritage's head custodian, Becky Wright, said: "The plant's flowering is a sure sign that winter is on the wane and that Mother Nature is reawakening at the priory.
"We replanted about 25,000 bulbs a couple of years ago and the result is this year's fantastic display. They will bloom for the next three or four weeks."
The warmer spell has promoted some of the priory's other inhabitants into action - pippistrelle bats have been looking for food in daylight near the monastic fish ponds.
Picture: RICHARD DOUGHT
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