Batsford Arboretum Autumn Colours
Posted: 2010-11-03
A few days ago I posted an article about Westonbirt Arboretum and its lovely display of autumn colours. Well, last Saturday dawned with sunny skies, prompting my neighbour and fellow photography enthusiast to drag me off to photograph the colours at Batsford Arboretum, near Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire. Not that I needed much convincing, mind you, for I had visited Batsford before.
This visit reminded me once more what an enjoyable place Batsford is to visit. The arboretum is located beside a beautiful historic manor house (sadly not open to the public) and an extremely popular garden centre (very much open to the public!).
Batsford bills itself as the nation's favourite arboretum. I'm not sure what that is based on, but I can tell you from personal experience its a lovely place to wander about, especially in autumn, when the colours are simply wonderful. Batsford isn't as large as Westonbirt, nor, thankfully, is it anywhere near as busy.
Though the parking area was jammed when we arrived, there seemed plenty of space to wander about and enjoy the colours without treading on other people's toes. Perhaps because the visitor numbers weren't as heavy as Westonbirt, it wasn't anywhere close to as muddy underfoot, and it was easy to get about in comfort.
One other thing that sets Batsford apart from Westonbirt is that the gardens feature Oriental areas, with red Oriental footbridges and streams trickling down into pools, very much in the style of ornamental Japanese or Chinese gardens.
All in all, we had a great day, and for a reasonable price. Well worth a visit at any time of year, but especially in autumn or in spring to catch the early blossoms.
Resources:
Batsford - official website (seems to be having trouble at the moment, hopefully they'll have it sorted shortly)
Batsford - our article
A few of our photos from previous visits
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