Almost the end of the summer here in the UK and Autumn is definitely in the air. So, I went with the grandchildren to Westonbirt Arboretum. The arboretum is so popular that the car park was overflowing, but once inside the woodland is so vast that it didn’t seem crowded at all. The aim of the visit was to go on the Gruffalo trail but we found that a bit disappointing.
However, a new experience for us was the bridge-like structure which takes visitors right up into the canopy of the trees. The bridge is very cleverly built with angled slats on the sides so that even the smallest children or wheelchair users can see the trees every step of the way. At intervals, there are viewpoints like ‘crow’s nests’ with information and pictures of the wildlife you can find. Some of the wildlife was a bit too realistic as there were swarms of bees building hives in some trees!
Up there on the walkway you get a totally different view of, and perspective on the 15,000 trees from all around the world which thrive there.
All around the arboretum there are woodcarvings and buildings created from the trees in the woods. They are magnificent. But the grandchildren’s favourite was in the adventure play area. There was a sea theme with a huge pirate ship, small canoes, sharks and fish, all carved from the wood. The grandchildren loved it and I can’t wait to go back in Autumn when the trees have turned golden and red.
Wooden Walkway and other structures at Westonbirt
Trees are structures just made for climbing up and over, or jumping off!
The Western Red cedar is a spectacular structure
And lastly, a woodcarving
Heavenhappens 
Beautiful pics! Appreciating nature is always refreshing!
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Thank you. Yes nature is so relaxing and restorative, even with 2 active grandchildren in tow x
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Thanks for sharing this walk with us. That’s the wonder of the blogosphere – we go with our friends where it is not possible to go in real life.
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That is so true. I love to see photos from far off lands that otherwise I could not explore. And a few words of explanation bring places to life for the stranger.
I used to love travelling.
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The wood constructions remind me to a tree-hotel at the German-Polish border where I stayed one night this year in January with some snow when it was quite cold during the night, so one night there was really enough.
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I would love to see that hotel in the snow. It sounds magical.
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I have just one photo of the place in my blog with snow showing small wooden tents for accomodation in summer:
https://transmutation.me/2017/02/09/shadows/
More detailed photos also with the treehouses in summer here:
https://www.google.de/search?q=baumhaushotel+nei%C3%9Feaue+fotos&client=firefox-b&dcr=0&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjUttyqtIjWAhVHuBQKHf0zAeIQsAQILA&biw=1366&bih=612
It is interesting especially for children as they work with myths and fairies, so each house as a special name like ‘troll paradise’ or so. This place called “Kulturinsel Einsiedel” at Neisseaue also offers cultural events or you can marry there, etc. They also produce such houses and export them worldwide. Very busy indeed directly at a borderline deep in the forest.
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Oh wow thanks for the information and links.
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Treehouse hotels to be find also in the UK, at least 5 according my information. Glad that you liked all this.
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