The autumn colours have been magnificent this year, despite a few very wet and windy days that threatened to strip the leaves before they reached their full glory.
Down in the sheltered valley of Hope Bagot that houses the ancient church of St. John the Baptist, it has been positively warm when the sun has come out, giving a touch of Indian summer to match the glowing golden leaves.
We have a number of large country houses in the area, and these add to the scene; owners of perhaps 200 years ago planted many exotic trees in their private collections, or set out avenues of beech trees. Beech trees would not grow naturally in Shropshire (certainly not in straight lines!) but they are one of our most beautiful and graceful native species, turning a spectacular bright gold before the leaves fall. Of course, on still days it is doubly magical to see the autumnal foliage reflected in the mirror-like surface of lakes. There is not a great deal of natural standing water in this part of the world, but ornamental lakes were dug at a lot of stately homes, and some of these (like Berrington Hall and Croft Castle) are open to visitors. More recently, many farmers have diversified into creating fishing lakes on their land, so the angler with a camera can always get some pictures in autumn that will be of interest to their non-fishing friends!
