Westonbirt Arboretum

We have suddenly found ourselves in the middle of autumn and running out of free weekends to make the most of the autumn colours. One of the best places to enjoy the season is Westonbirt Arboretum in Gloucestershire. It is perhaps the most important and widely known arboretum in the United Kingdom and luckily for us only a short 45 minute drive away. The Arboretum was established in 1829 by Robert Stayner Holford and is now managed by the Forestry Commission. It comprises some 18000 trees and shrubs over an area of about 600 acres and is home to a wide variety of rare plants. Such facts are all good and well but meant little to an eight and a four year old who did not think much of their parent's idea of spending a morning looking at trees!

With the press touting an 'indian summer' and temperatures in the early 20s we felt that we were in for a real treat. Luckily for us we looked out the window before deciding suitable attire and so were in pants (trousers) and coats rather than shorts. Not sure what happened to the weather but the skies were low and grey and the breeze more than a little brisk - indian summer my #@!#.

Westonbirt at least did not disappoint. We arrived early (as usual with the Robbs) and were surprised with how much area they had dedicated to parking that day - must be expecting the autumn crowds. We cheated on entry using a neighbour's year pass and so avoided the whopping £22 pound entry fee. (Yes, I did feel some Catholic guilt but it quickly passed when I could still afford to buy a coffee) We took a little while trying to work out the tourist map as they had taken some great liberties with directions and there was little signage but we eventually worked out how to get to the oldest sections of the woodlands.

Whilst still not convinced, the kids were willing to give the place a chance

Abbey quickly began collecting autumn leaves of all shapes and sizes as we made our way along the trail.

Not to be outdone, Zac added to our bounty

One of the most beautiful aspects of the Arboretum were the hidden dens, ramshackle houses and fallen logs for the kids to explore. Once they realised there was an element of adventure to the place Zac and Abbey quickly got into the action and their imaginations ran wild. Abbey was no longer collecting acorns, they were fairy hats and Zac of course found quite a number of suitable swords and hide outs along the way.

Taking time out to play in the leaves

An 'old' wooden hut that the kids could build using the shingles lying around

The woods themselves were simply beautiful with plenty of colours on display. The trail was also quite flat making the way very easy going.

Zac in front of the 'sombre yew' - its springy wood was made into archery bows. It is also the tree of the grave and the poisonous tree of Macbeth. Its longevity and ability to renew itself also made it a symbol of immortality - a sacred tree.

Having fun in some of the activity areas along the trail

With a woolemi pine

I told Nathan I could just imagine Mr Darcy in this setting (while Nathan was willing to stand in and play the part, he simply refused the long coat and the dive into the pond!)

Putting my foot in it!

Peek a boo

As well as the woodland trails, the Arboretum boasts a fantastic children's playground filled with interactive activities for the kids so naturally we spent some time here.

Once we had had our fill of autumn colours and Abbey's back pack was full of leaves and the like it was time for nourishment. Today we had booked ahead at the Potting Shed pub, the winner of the best new dining country pub. It was well worth the trip and we had a lovely lunch before driving home. We spent the remainder of the afternoon doing leaf rubs and making autumn pictures. I guess, in the end, both kids did enjoy their day out looking at trees!

The Potting Shed Pub