Pat Coulter enjoys a profusion of autumn colour at this Cotswolds arboretum.
WOULD you believe that we have royalty living on our doorstep? Well, admittedly, for one night only!
We’re waking up at the Hare and Hounds Hotel near Tetbury, just down the road from King Charles and Queen Camilla’s desirable country estate at Highgrove.
Of course, my Cavalier King Charles spaniel Poppy is well-situated to a right royal lifestyle! Befitting her lineage, madam is treated to her own platter of scrambled eggs at the super dog-friendly hotel.
Both well fuelled for an adventurous day out, our “overnighter” ensures an early arrival at Westonbirt Arboretum.
It’s England’s National Arboretum no less. We are eagerly anticipating being wowed by the promise of unsurpassed autumnal colour.
Just a couple of minutes in the car and we’re already there to beat the crowds. Thousands of “leaf peepers” come here daily during the arboretum’s peak season.
Not to worry, though. With 600 acres to explore there’s plenty of space for all.
I reckon I’ll be getting my 10,000 steps today and more. Thankfully, I’ve opted for sensible trainers. Not so much a sprint as a marathon.
Poppy gets to snooze off her brekky in the car, as I’m heading off into the Old Arboretum, out of bounds for doggies, but adjacent Silk Wood welcomes off-lead canine capers, so she’ll be joining me later.
Early morning mist is shrouding the trees in a ghostly, ethereal mantel. Fortunately, the forecast bodes well for a blue-sky day once the autumnal nip in the air warms up.
It’s a friendly welcome from Alan O’Connor, one of the many knowledgeable volunteer guides who give freely of their time, sharing their enthusiasm for the arboretum’s arboreal awesomeness.
The twice-daily free guided walks are a perfect introduction for the first-time visitor.
Being a self-confessed tree-hugger, there’s going to be a whole lot of loving with 15,000 trees and an astonishing 2,500 different species to get up close and personal with.
Alan explains that touch is second nature to some of Westonbirt’s guides who are either blind or partially sighted.
The Sensing Nature walks are for both visually impaired and sighted visitors. These unique walks encourage the use of our other valuable senses of touch, smell and sound for a much more rewarding and heightened sensory experience that sight alone cannot give.
Alan’s fellow guide, Mark Austen, explains that the way he engages with trees is now completely different since losing his sight.
“Before I lost my sight. I just looked at a
