Autumn is probably my favourite time of year to spend time in Gloucestershire.
As the nights begin to arrive earlier and the surrounding countryside begins to change from lush greens to many shades of yellows, oranges, golds, and reds, I naturally find myself becoming calmer, as everything feels a lot more cosier. To me, Autumn is a time of reflection on the Spring and Summer just gone, strengthening bridges with new connections and networks, learning lessons about what went right and what can be improved. Winter for me is then about rest and preparation.
Being surrounded by the outstanding countryside that Gloucestershire & The Cotswolds has to offer home owners here, is very special. It’s true that the UK boasts what feels like endless country lifestyles, but this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) feels like a perfect balance between human interference and nature, and Autumn is a perfect season to enjoy this.
However, with The Cotswolds having such a huge influence over Gloucestershire in the East, in the opposite direction in the West of Gloucestershire (heading towards Wales) you will find The Forest of Dean, a geographical, historical and cultural region, home to many well known movie sets, offering a much more intense seasonal experience …As one would expect from an enormous forest.
You can quite easily stop and walk around some of the many country villages dotted between Stroud, Cirencester, Gloucester and Cheltenham, like Bibury, Chipping Campden and Winchcombe for example, or, you can enjoy a more tailored seasonal experience at one of many gardens and arboretums dedicated to conservation and producing stunning seasonal displays, such as:
Managed by Forestry England, it is not only an incredible location to witness Autumn, but also is perhaps the most important and widely known arboretum in the United Kingdom. Planted in the heyday of Victorian plant hunting in the mid-19th century as part of the Westonbirt House estate, the arboretum forms part of a site which is listed Grade I on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest
Another great location to witness the extreme changes that nature makes throughout autumn is Batsford Arboretum. Dog-friendly, 56-acre gardens with trees and shrubs from around the world, boasting one of the largest private tree and plant collections in the country.
For an insightful an inspiring experience, then Highgrove Gardens, located at Highgrove House (the family residence of the Prince of Wales), are a perfect day out in every season for any keen nature enthusiast or gardener.
Perfect for a gentle stroll whilst wrapped up warm in the crip Auntumn air, is Hidcote Manor Garden, a garden in the United Kingdom, located at the village of Hidcote Bartrim. It is one of the best-known and most influential Arts and Crafts gardens in Britain, with its linked “garden rooms” of hedges, rare trees, shrubs and herbaceous borders.
