Hands up, this is another one that's not quite a park, but similar characteristics so I think I can get away with it!
We've recently become members of Westonbirt Arboretum, as we meet friends there fairly regularly for a dog walk. As part of a reciprocal arrangement we also get entry to a number of other gardens around the UK, one of these is Batsford Arboretum. As we had a free weekend, we decided to pay a visit. If you're not a member, it costs around £8 for adults and £4 for children. You'll find full details on the Batsford website.
Batsford Arboretum is in the heart of the Cotswolds, about half an hour from Stratford-upon-Avon and forty minutes from Cheltenham. It has a wide variety of plants from around the world, with a leaning towards species from the Far East. It is planted so there should be something of interest, whatever the season. We visited in mid April but unfortunately were just a little too early to catch the bluebells. I'm a bit of a bluebell obsessive!
Dogs are permitted throughout the site, including the cafe and main building, as long as they're on a short lead, and it's a great place to take them for a walk around. The exercise meant that Barney was happy to settle down whilst we had a cup of tea after our walk.
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| I do love a primrose |
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| No bluebells, but at least there were plenty of forget-me-nots |
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| A few more... |
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| Barney looking fairly desperately in need of a haircut! |
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| The flowering cherries were beautiful |
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| As were the magnolias |
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| The house is privately owned and not open to visitors |
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| There are a number of streams around the arboretum, Barney likes to dunk his beard in each one |
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| A solitary bluebell, putting in an early appearance |
If you've visited Batsford, I'd love to hear what it's like at other times of the year. I love Autumn colours, so I'll no doubt be back around then.
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