As the Trees Change - Batsford Arboretum

It had been a while since I’d headed off on a mini adventure. With the end of summer also came the end of weekly trips to explore pretty places. Something about the autumn season had sent me into hibernation mode and there had been a distinct lack of going out to places. But that’s ok. There are seasons for a reason and sometimes it’s good to just let yourself slow down and recoup especially after a long, busy summer.

The changing of the leaves into a blaze of colour had come late where I live. Autumn had in fact been very kind to us and there had been plenty more balmy days full of warmth and sunshine with just the few odd days of rain here and there. So when the change did finally come I was eager to go somewhere to see it in all of its glory and where better than an arboretum? 

I’ve been to Batsford Arboretum a good number of times now and tend to prefer it over Westonbirt Arboretum which is always so busy at this time of year. Batsford has a certain charm about it and its location only adds to its appeal. Nestled into the Cotswolds just a stone’s throw from Stow-on-the-Wold and Moreton-in-Marsh it’s in a prime spot.

The Arboretum itself is utterly charming. There is a superb collection of trees placed along meandering pathways and just to top it off there’s a spectacular looking manor house at its centre. The whole place is encompassed in stunning vistas at each of its edges.

Sadly, with the high winds the few days previously many of the leaves had been blown to the ground so the show wasn’t quite as grand as I was hoping but there was still a fantastic array of colour to behold. The weather was quite pleasant and as little snippets of sunshine made it’s way through the canopies we were blessed with that magical golden light that only Autumn brings. 

We wandered slowly through the trees, savouring the sights around us and enjoying the peacefulness of this place. I hadn’t realised just how much I’d been missing getting out and taking photos and I needed this trip. It reinvigorated my spirit with a fresh injection of inspiration and good old fashioned time spent in nature and lungfuls of fresh air.

Walking on High - The Quantock Hills

Every August I take a week off around my birthday and generally head down to Somerset to spend some time with my family. It often works out well that my family work different shifts and times because there is always usually someone around to drag off an adventure with me. But on this particular Monday it ended up being just me and the pup in the morning so I decided to start my holiday week with a walk up high on the Quantock Hills.

It had rained, I mean really rained the night before so the ground was soggy underfoot and air was steamy and humid. I wasn’t entirely such, having seen the looming black clouds in the distance that I was going to make it through this foray and come out dry the other side but that didn’t deter me. I love summer rain. I think it’s the warmth of it. I just don’t seem to mind going back soggy-footed when it’s warm out.

The colours of the landscape up there were already looking very autumnal. Lots of sandy yellows in the adjoining hay fields and scorched bracken along with the berries and bright pops of heather and gorse flowers made for a lovely combination.

I had passed a family deeply immersed in the bracken picking blackberries, the kids triumphant in their efforts and as I looked closely I saw that there was a mass of berries everywhere around me. Obviously I could help but pick a few to nibble on as I passed through and let me tell you, these berries tasted goooooood! Eating blackberries can be a bit of a gamble as they often are a bit tasteless and watery but not these little pretties. These were flavour packed and yummy. Perhaps the downpour from the night before had helped plump them up, who knows. 

I was hoping to catch a glimpse of the wild Quantock Ponies but alas they evaded me on this occasion. Probably for the best seeing how beagle chops if every so inquisitive (and vocal!)

There was something utterly delightful about knowing that whilst most of the world is enveloped in their busy Monday morning that instead I was enjoying a spot of solitude and peace away from all the mayhem going on in the town below. It certainly was a good way to begin my week.

 

A Field of Flowers - The Real Flower Petal Confetti Company

The heat and I aren’t really friends. With my Casper-like complexion and body that has trouble regulating it’s temperature, at times it makes hot temperatures a bit of a struggle. So when the forecast for this particular day with 32oC it very almost put me off of this trip that I’d been planning for months. However, I am really, really glad that it didn’t!

I had first stumbled upon a photo of the Real Flower Petal Confetti Company (phew that’s a mouthful!) on Instagram towards the end of last year and let me say that once you click on their hashtag you find yourself lost in a world of pretty floral pictures filled with delicate flowers. I think that I’d only been scrolling for about 20 seconds before I decided I had to visit! 

The confetti field is only open for a couple of weeks each year during the summer so I had been patiently waiting for that time to come. Somehow when it did arrive it was a particularly busy time so we ended up planning our trip for the very last day that it was open. As I was already feeling somewhat apprehensive about being out in the heat, we’d decided to go in the early morning when it was cooler. By chance I’d spotted a post on their website warning visitors about long queues and delays so even though it didn’t open until 10am we arrived at 9.20am. Boy am I glad that we did as there was already quite a lengthy queue. I must admit that I was starting to struggle standing there in the baking hot sun for 40 minutes but ten o’clock rolled around, the gates were opened and in we went! 

 
We’d been able to catch glimpses of the flowers from where we had parked and queued but once we were inside…well…it was one stunningly, beautiful site! Row after row after row of pretty delphiniums and cornflowers in every shade of pink and purple imaginable all bundled up together in a sea of spectacularness! The field was already swarming with people so notions of getting a person-free shot were definitely out of the window. That didn’t matter though because the collective joy and excitement of everyone as they explored the field and looked about them with awe created a wonderful atmosphere.

As we shuffled along the pathways I couldn’t help but enjoy the quintessentially English nature of the scene in front of me. Swaths of people dressed in summer dresses and shorts with a fantastic array of sunhats and parasols to help protect our unacquainted bodies from the beating down sun. 

 
We made our way through the pastel rainbow enjoying how every few rows the colours changed and snapping a fair few photos as we went. At the far end of the field was a viewing platform which we climbed up upon to take in the entirety of the scene - such a brilliant addition to the place.

After much admiring and adulation we made our way to the marquees for a much needed respite from the sun and a little refreshment. It was surprising cool under the white tarpaulin which was hugely welcome. We sat there nattering away and partaking in a spot of people-watching. There were so many mini photoshoots going on. Girls in pretty dresses with ribbons in their hair twirling about were looking ridiculously idyllic in a setting like this. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen so many people with DSLRs snapping away. 

By this point the field was becoming very crowded and that coupled with the heat was starting to make things uncomfortable so we had another quick walk through and then made our way back to the car.

I’m so glad that I didn’t let the heat stop me from going on this trip because it really was a magical place and hell of a sight to behold. If you’re a flower lover like me then a real flower confetti place like this is an absolute must to see. As with so many of the places that I go, this one has landed firmly at the top of my “must visit” list again for next year! However my plan is to go back on a weekday, early in the morning and on a cooler day! 

If you’re thinking of making a visit to the Real Flower Petal Confetti Company here’s some information that you may find useful and a few tips to bear in mind:

Location: Wick, Pershore, Worcestershire WR10 3NZ

Entry cost: £2.50

Links: www.confettidirect.co.uk, instagram.com/realflowerpetalconfetti #realflowerpetalconfetti #confettifields

DO check when it’s open and it’s worth double-checking this just before your visit in case things change. Because of the heatwave and dry temperatures they were no longer selling any confetti for people to buy on site.

If you can, DON’T go on the last day that it’s open as it very quickly gets to the point where really it’s too busy to enjoy.

DO go early in the day to try and beat some of the crowds. As we were leaving, the queue of cars had backed up for miles through the little village of Wick.

If the forecast is hot, DO bring a hat, suncream, umbrella, water etc as apart from the couple of small marquees there is no shelter.

DO wear footwear that you don’t mind getting grubby - it was super dusty underfoot and my white sandals were rather brown and in need of washing afterwards!

DO check out the their hashtags and handles on social media (see below). Have a look before you go to give you a flavour of what you’re in store for and then again after. It’s so fun seeing different perspectives of the same place and trying to spot yourself in other people’s pics. Plus I’ve never seen SO many photos tagged from a place from just one day - there were hundreds!

Flooding at Tirley

We’ve had a lot of rain here in Gloucestershire the last little while. I don’t really mind that much, in fact it feels like for a change that the weather is doing what it should be doing at this time of year, that is, if you believe the old adage, “March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers”. Boy I hope we do have May flowers and plenty of them! I’m actually surprised that we’ve managed to get this far with the amount of water that’s fallen before having any significant flooding.

My drive to work takes me across the Gloucestershire countryside and through a few spots that are susceptible to flooding, Tirley being one of them. There have been many times over the years when I’ve had to take a different route because I’ve driven round a corner and been faced with a river running across my path. So far though, it looks like all of the work they have been doing to clear the ditches etc is working because although the rivers have completely burst their banks and the fields are full the roads have remained open.

I decided on this Friday afternoon to have a little stop on the way home and to take a few snaps of the flooding. I pulled the car over in a lay-by, donned my wellies, climbed over the gate and made my way up the hill to get a better view. I have to say that flooding is awesome. Good old mother nature taking over and making mince-meat of our silly little, small-minded human notions like roads.

It was such a lovely, warm afternoon and luckily, up on the hill it was pretty dry on the ground, so after a little wandering I found a spot near a beautiful, big old oak tree and plonked myself down to take it all in. I ended up sitting there for quite a long time listening to the birds and just doing nothing. There was really no reason to move so I just kept on sitting there and it was glorious. In fact at one point I even indulged in laying back and having a little daydream.

Ironically, despite the masses of water in front of me and the still bare trees and hedgerows, this really felt like Spring. Maybe it was the warmth, maybe it was seeing the first butterflies of the year fluttering about or maybe it was just being somewhere remote in the countryside and being able to sit and enjoy it. Whatever it was, I’m really glad that I took some time just to stop and notice how wonderful it was.