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Pictures, Thoughts

May colours at Westonbirt Arboretum

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My first real day out for over a year since the pandemic started, my last big day out before was a trip to Oxford on the day I picked up my new car (which stiil has less than 2,000 miles on the clock) at the end of January 2020. Spurred on by memories of May 2020 where we had some beautiful sunny weather (but couldn’t get out much under lockdown) I had decided to take a week off in May 2021 for some first tentative steps to get out a bit further than the local walks and weekly trip to the supermarket. Of course the weather didn’t really cooperate, although I probably picked the best day for the only real trip I managed to get in:

After not having been for probably more than a decade I decided to visit Westonbirt Arboretum, in the hope of some nice spring colours. A few days before I pre-booked my ticket online, for the time being admission is only with pre-booked tickets so that they can control visitor numbers and make sure it doesn’t get overcrowded, allowing social distancing to keep everyone safe. After an uneventful drive I arrived at 11:00 to some mostly cloudy weather with occasional showers. Luckily the clouds broke up early afternoon, giving me some beautiful sunny intervals to enjoy the colours. My hopes for some beautiful May colours were certainly fulfilled, lots of plants in bloom and a lot of fresh greens (and reds). I took a lot of pictures, here are 10 of my favourites:

  • Picture of three small trees with different leaf colours, green and red
    Three colourful trees
  • Picture of some wet red flowers after a rain shower
    Wet red flowers
  • Picture of a big beautiful tree with big branches behind a field of Bluebells
    Big tree behind Bluebells
  • Picture of a small meadow covered in Bluebells, surrounded by trees
    Bluebells in a sunny meadow
  • Picture of trees in various colours and shades (red, amber, green) over a carpet of Bluebells
    Colourful woods, red, green, amber, blue
  • Picture of trees in various shades of red and green leaves
    Shades of red and green
  • Picture of a pink Rhododendron bush with some green leaves visible
    Green leaves and pink Rhododendron
  • Picture of two red Rhododendron bushes behind a carpet of Bluebells
    Red Rhododendron behind Bluebells
  • Picture of Lime Avenue at Westonbirt Arboretum in the fresh May green on a sunny afternoon
    Lime Avenue at Westonbirt Arboretum in the fresh May green
  • Picture of three tall tree trunks behind some Bluebells
    Three trees behind Bluebells
May colours at Westonbirt Arboretum (click on the pictures for the larger versions)

I spent the whole day until closing time at 17:00 walking around, discovering new views, new trees, new colours, new plants, revisiting places for different light after the sun came out and more. It wasn’t busy most of the time, I think through a combination of the pre-booked tickets and the not very promising weather forecast (with the weather turning out much better than forecasted luckily). Some features (e.g. small parts of the treetop walk) were closed to ensure social distancing, but the vast majority was open. My enjoyment of the arboretum wasn’t diminished at all. The staff was friendly and helpful when I needed them. All in all a great day out, I felt safe pretty much throughout and enjoyed the May colours I had come for.

On my return journey I decided to a small bonus and made a detour to an old haunt of mine, a place I had visited many times when I first arrived in the UK, Avebury. I didn’t stay long, but had a nice time revisiting familiar views.

I arrived back home in the evening very tired, but also very satisfied after a great day out.