Sheffield Park
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 Colourful tree The weather during most of the autumn had really been very disappointing but I came to the conclusion if I didn’t get out looking for some of those fabulous autumn colours even if the weather wasn’t ideal they would all be gone till next year. I did a Google search looking for autumnal colour in our local area and the first hit was the National Trust site which listed several places I could go some not too far away from where we live in Kent. One place on the list Winkworth Arboretum I in fact visited last autumn which was a wonderful place so much so I returned again in the spring too but I fancied going somewhere else this time.
One other place on the list that looked like a really interesting place to visit was Sheffield Park in East Sussex. It’s an informal landscape garden that was laid out in the 18th century by 'Capability' Brown and then further developed in the early years of the 20th century. Now the website also warned of problems at the location in that so many people visit the place in the autumn that roads leading there were getting clogged up with so much traffic and the car parks were full to overflowing. A quick phone call to the property confirmed that this situation was now over and that the peak of the visitors was really the last week of October.
So I knew the best of the autumn colours were now over and as we’d had some really wild weather the day before I wasn’t too hopeful there would be many leaves left on the ornamental trees but I’m certainly glad I made the journey there. The bad weather of the previous day was mostly over although all through my journey on the motorways I could still feel the strength of the wind on the car. But today the forecast was good and for a few days to come too. Indeed the sun was shining and the sky was a lovely deep blue you so often get in the autumn.
I arrived at the property around the middle of the day and felt like some lunch but soon noticed that no picnics were allowed in the park itself. Guess if every visitor decided to enjoy a picnic in the grounds it could get rather busy. I didn’t fancy the picnic tables by the entrance so I simply went back to the car and ate it there, out of the unpleasant wind.
Lunch over I considered whether to leave the tripod in the car but soon decided I would regret that I was right too as in the end a lot of the pictures were taken using it especially towards the end of the day . I really enjoyed my walk around the different areas of the garden and even though just like I expected the majority of the trees planted specifically for autumn colour had lost their leaves the fresh leaves on the ground were colourful in there own way. I had wandered around the gardens and I’d seen just about everything but something said to me I should go for another look at the main ornamental Lakes before I went back to the car and oh am I glad I did. The sun was going down fast but with it that magical light that only happens at certain times of the day was there.
 Lovely reflections  More lovely reflections
Along with the fast disappearing light though came a sense of calm all over the garden. The wind that had still been quite keen all during the afternoon was dropping too and the reflections across all the Lakes appeared. I was chuffed to bits with some of the pictures I took in the last half hour of my visit and only made my way to the exit because the garden shut at 4pm.
So Sheffield Park is definitely worth a visit not just in Autumn but I would imagine at other times of the year too and I’ve a hunch I’ll be returning again someday.
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Hi Jill