Westonbirt National Arboretum is a beautiful parkland found in Gloucester, UK. Probably the most famous Arboretum in the UK. The park dates back to Victorian times when it was the parkland of the Westonbirt Estate. Today it is managed by the Forestry commission and welcomes visitors from all over the globe to see its magnificent trees, most well known for its amazing colours in the Autumn season. The Park is vast and once there you really want to see everything, one area leads into another and soon you are lost in the beauty of it all.
I first visited Westonbirt in Autumn 2020 to see the much acclaimed Acers in full colour and I was not disappointed. The park was in full autumn splendour , the Acers large and so varied in colour, it was like walking into a chocolate box picture.
Other winter shades caught my eye, the beautiful reds of the berries wet from the Autumn showers and the amazing hydrangeas in full bloom.
Of course, being Autumn mushrooms were easily spotted under the trees and in the grass and I managed to capture a few of my favourites.
I visited again this spring and was greeted with a completely different picture. Instead of the bold colours, the incredible trees in full leaf and the rain drops glistening from every berry. I found a more subtle beauty, many of the trees naked of their leaves leaving their old and intricate trunk and limbs on show. A wealth of pretty pastel blossoms, magnificent magnolia trees with their flowers proudly highlighted against the blue skies. In the undergrowth tiny flowers such as the speedwell, hiding there waiting to be discovered.
I would highly recommend a visit to Westonbirt, just for a day out or as I did to photograph the wonderful trees and flowers there. I look forward to visiting in Summer and Winter to capture the full year in pictures.
