My Traveling Joys: daytrip from London

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Monday, December 21, 2020

Day Trip from London: Late Autumn at RHS Wisley

12/21/2020 01:05:00 PM by JoyNo comments

Day Trip from London

Just a sampling of the late autumn colors at RHS Garden Wisley.

I always find something interesting to see in the English gardens – no matter what the season.

By the first week in December, I was finally able to book a weekend time slot to visit RHS Garden Wisley, a 240-acre botanical garden located southwest of London in Surrey. It wasn’t raining for once, so we decided to bike part of the way to the gardens and organized another day trip from London.

I’ve visited the gardens a couple of times, but hubby had never been. Normally, we would have planned our day so we could do something outdoorsy and then have a pub lunch, but alas, all pubs were closed because of new Covid-19 restrictions.

Even during a late English autumn, you’ll still find plenty to enjoy at RHS Wisley. Upon entering, there’s also a sign indicating which areas look interesting or have something currently blooming. I took a photo of the sign as well as the map so we could plan our afternoon.

Throughout the gardens, you’ll find several water features that are perfect for autumnal reflections. You may even spot the large koi in the pod or the grey herons that sometimes roost in the trees.

You’ll also find pretty berries such as the bright orange sea buckthorn as well as the peculiar purple berries on the “Imperial Pearl” (callicarpa bodinieri).

The Mixed Borders by the Glasshouse provides something of interest in every season – currently seedheads of perennials, some fennel-like plants and tall, golden grasses.

Surprisingly, the Rose Garden was looking exceptionally lovely even during the first weekend in December. I was surprised to see so many roses still blooming that we wondered if Wisley had a strange microclimate or if even hot water was pumped underground around the roses.

Check out the interesting purple color of the Rosa Rhapsody in Blue “Frantasia.”

Special Sculptures at RHS Wisley

Also, you can’t miss the four larger-than-life sculptures – called The Four Seasons by contemporary American sculptor and filmmaker Philip Haas. The figures are 3-D interpretations of paintings by 16th-century Italian artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo and re-imagine the four seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter in human form. The exhibition has been extended through May 2021, so you should have time to see it.

What’s your favorite season in England?

How to Reach RHS Wisley

Honestly, you need a car or a bike to easily reach Wisley. By public transport, you could take a train from Clapham Junction to West Byfleet and then walk 3.5 miles to the gardens. Our best option was to take the train to Weybridge and then cycle about 6.5 miles, one way, on fairly quiet country roads. Maybe next time, we’ll try cycling the entire 50-mile roundtrip to the gardens.

Christmas tree in front of the Glasshouse, which was unfortunately closed
due to Covid-19 restrictions.

A strange plant that looks like fennel, but doesn't smell like it.

Day Trip from London: Escaping to Wakehurst Gardens

12/08/2020 07:44:00 AM by Joy1 comment

Day Trip from London

This year, cycling has become one of my ways to escape from the real world. Just me and my bike on the road or a muddy trail.

The day after the U.S. 2020 election on the 4^th of November, I needed an escape. At that point, I was devasted. Honestly, I was pissed off at America and couldn’t believe the election results. I had to get out of our flat, out of London and away from the news.

My escape plan was to take my bike on the train partway and then ride out in the English countryside. I was able to book a timeslot to Wakehurst – a beautiful botanical garden consisting of 500 acres set in the heart of West Sussex. The gardens were donated to the National Trust in 1963 and then leased to the Royal Botanic Gardens, part of Kew Gardens, starting in 1965. With our Kew membership, I was able to enter the gardens for free.

The weather that day was perfect with a slight autumnal chill in the air, but bright blue skies. Getting out of the city and escaping to nature was the exact antidote I needed at the time.

I avoided getting too close to the 16th-century mansion on site because there were too many people gathered around there. Instead, I wandered through the garden paths and into the woodlands.

The gardens were filled with brilliant shades of red and gold. Maple trees were at their peak. Even some camellias and rhododendrons were already blooming since we had experienced a mild autumn.

Westwood Valley at Wakehurst

The Westwood Valley is supposed to represent the landscape of the eastern Himalaya below the tree-line, with semi-evergreen forests of rhododendrons, limes, magnolias, maples, alders, oaks, birches and pine trees. The valley has a large pond as well as a wetlands area.

After walking around nature for two hours by myself, I was able to feel more peaceful. However, I was able to take my anger out again later when I had to ride up some steep inclines by an area aptly called Turner Hill.

So, how are you coping with this crazy year?

Day Trip from London: Visiting Darwin’s Home

11/30/2020 05:11:00 PM by JoyNo comments

Day Trip from London

With the rolling green hills in the Kent countryside, it’s difficult to imagine a more perfect place for naturalist Charles Darwin to have called home.

Autumnal colors in the Kent countryside surrounding Darwin's Home and gardens.

A couple weekends ago, we cycled out to Darwin’s former home, a Georgian manor 15 miles south of London, for 40 years—from 1842 to 1882. Since it was raining in the morning, we cheated a bit and took the train to the town of Orpington and then cycled the 14km roundtrip which includes a steep hill leading up to the house.

Our day out revolved around using our English Heritage membership to gain entry to Charles Darwin’s Home for free, a stroll around the gardens and a pub lunch in the nearby village of Downe.

Darwin was a leading figure in the world of biology and his whose contributions to the science of evolution transformed the way in which we all look at the natural world – well, most of us, I suppose. His home, also known as Down House, was the birthplace of “On the Origin of Species” – which caused quite a stir when the book was published in 1859. You can even see Darwin’s chair where he sat in his study while writing his famous book.

Today’s Down House, owned by the English Heritage, serves as a small museum and homage to the Darwin family and his prolific career as a biologist and naturalist. Darwin and his wife, Emma, lived here with their 10 children. The house was a family home as well as place for Darwin to read, research and explore the natural world.

Our educational visit opened up my eyes to how thorough Darwin was in his studies and theories. Plus, the grounds are lovely to walk around, especially in the autumn.