2021 May – Days Out

It was Annie’s birthday early in May and as a surprise for her we had a day at Farleigh Hungerford Castle (English Heritage) where, lo and behold, James, Hannah, Lucy, Jonathon and Jess were also visiting with their children. Grandchildren (and adults) had a super time exploring the castle ruins and having a picnic. Annie thoroughly enjoyed her day out!

A couple of days later we visited Badbury Clump near Faringdon and enjoyed a gentle stroll through the woods admiring the bluebells.

Turning through 180 degrees, we were greeted by a yellow field of Rape.
.
.
A day later we spent a very pleasant hour or so walking around the walled gardens and then the grounds of Buscot Park (National Trust). The weather was iffy but it didn’t rain!
.
.

We ended the week by visiting Westonbirt Arboretum. We had to have pre-booked tickets with a twenty minute arrival slot. The arboretum opened at 9am and our slot started at 10am. We were surprised to find that the car park was already incredibly busy. On the first part of the walk we encountered a large number of dogs although they all seemed well controlled by their owners. The second part of the walk, through the “old arboretum” was a lot more pleasant as dogs were not allowed. The rhododendrons were over their best but still provided a colourful backdrop.