September Sunshine

The Season Begins to Turn at Warren Forest. There is a subtle shift happening here at Warren Forest. The bank holiday has passed successfully, the Tour of Britain has sped past us! Soft September sunshine still warms the woodland, the hedgerows are heavy with juicy blackberries and there is plenty of green to remind us that summer hasn’t quite left yet.

But if you slow your step and take a closer look, you’ll notice that the season is beginning to turn. The bushes are bursting with hips and berries, little splashes of colour appearing amongst the leaves. Elderberries hang in heavy clusters of glossy purple-black fruit, while rowan trees are beginning to glow with bright red and orange berries. Hawthorn is carrying its own little harvest of scarlet berries, and the blue-black sloes of the blackthorn are beginning to colour beautifully. Along the hedgerows and field margins, wild roses have left behind their delicate summer flowers, replaced now by bright orange-red rosehips. It feels as though nature is quietly gathering herself for what comes next.

Some leaves have already begun to fall, a little earlier than we might usually expect. After such a hot and dry summer, the trees have certainly felt the strain, letting go of some of their leaves before their time. But we have been so grateful for the rain. The recent showers have brought fresh life back to the woodland floor and, hopefully, given the trees enough nourishment to hold onto their leaves a little longer. This reminds us there is still time. Time for the woodland to put on that glorious autumn show, deep reds, burnished golds and warm russets slowly spreading through the trees as we deepen into the season.

And that is what makes this time of year at Warren Forest so special when we are standing somewhere between seasons. Summer is still here in the warmth of the afternoon and the abundance of the hedgerows, while autumn is quietly making her presence known in the berries, the cooler mornings and the leaves beginning to dance down onto the paths. So, if you’ve been thinking about visiting Warren Forest, there is still plenty of season to enjoy and we look forward to welcoming you!