Another thing we weren’t short of. Boats. Watching the tide ebb and flow, the wind whipping up waves, the ferryman with his foot passengers, row boats, motor yachts, windsurfers and sailing dinghies was fun.
Perhaps not so much fun for this person who fell foul on a sandbank. We got quite a shock this morning and not just from the look of that sky.
We thoroughly enjoyed our week by the water. So much to look at we were never bored.
One thing we weren’t short of was a dramatic sky.
I did a lot of popping in and out of the terrace doors in the evening to capture the sun setting or the rain clouds. We get some stunning sunsets here in west Cornwall, but I have to get in the car to capture one over water.
A short walk onto the cool, emerald-green grass of the Water Garden feels like stepping into another climate. In stark contrast to the hot, arid Gravel Garden, this area features lush, moisture-loving plants.
It’s a calming space full of large, dramatic foliage and deserving of a visit on a hot day as the temperature by the water is several degrees cooler than the rest of the Gardens.
My visit to this area of the gardens was cut short due to a very heavy rainburst, but fortunately the sun did reappear and I was able to continue my ramble. I have only ever seen these gardens in September. I wonder what they are like at other times of the year. The Woodland for instance is probably best in spring with the bulbs, at this time of year I only saw colchiums (Also call ‘Naked ladies’ as they appear in autumn without leaves) and some patches of cyclamen. Sadly flattened by the rain so no photos.
Sadly this is the end of my series on Beth Chatto’s Gardens, I hope you have enjoyed the visit and I recommend it if you are ever in the Colchester area.
Brightlingsea has a sandy beach called Brightlingsea Beach, which features colourful beach huts and runs along the Western Promenade next to Bateman’s Tower.
I am particularly fond of photographing beach huts and had a walk along the promenade on a very sunny though extremely windy day. The clouds were almost more appealing than the huts.
Behind the row of beach huts is a boating lake which looked a lot more attractive than on our previous visit back in 2016.
The huts along with Bateman’s Tower make a rather nice backdrop when the sun sets behind them.
One thing we weren’t short of was a dramatic sky.
The Scree Garden showcases a large collection of alpines typically found growing naturally on stony, mountainous slopes. The free draining, nutrient poor soil in this area of the garden provides the perfect conditions for alpine plants to thrive.
I didn’t take many photos in this area, it’s probably at its best during spring and early summer.
TRAVEL WORDS 