It’s a bike day today. After breakfast we are cycling up the road to Batsford Arboretum.

It’s cloudy but dry and about 1.5 miles along the main road and then a mile from the entrance to the carpark. It’s a strange feeling as the road looks like it’s going downhill but it cycles like it’s uphill, especially with the wind in our faces.

For the first time this year we can use our Gardener’s World 2 for 1 card. Result!

So we don’t miss anything and of course get our money’s worth, we literally walk the whole site following a map for 3 hours. It’s lovely with a huge range of trees and shrubs. Not many flowering plants at this time of year, Spring and Autumn are the times to visit for colour but we are not disappointed.  Favourites were the Acer’s, the Wedding cake tree, hydrangeas and the pink lotus water lilies.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

At one point, on the edge of the arboretum you arrive at the village of Batsford, population 90, with its lovely church and graveyard. The Mitford’s have a big connection to the area. The church is open so we have a quick nose around. The graveyard has a mix of old and new headstones literally next to each other which is unusual.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

We end our visit with a wander around the garden centre and a cuppa and a piece of cake. Lime and courgette cake was a miss but the Pina colada was much better.

The cycle home is quick and easy but it’s drizzling hard so for the first time today we put jackets on. It’s late afternoon and raining, raining, raining. We think about walking into Morton but in the end cook tea in the van and enjoy The Blind Side on DVD.