It’s the first day of October, the morning started cool and crisp, but the day warmed the moment the sun appeared. The hedgerows are full of colour, providing food for humans and animals alike, and yellowing leaves blow off the trees with every gust of wind, leaving a blanket of leaf litter in its wake.
Autumn is such a beautiful time of year, with each day highlighting the slow but steady transition from summer to winter. It’s the beauty of autumn that got us thinking about the distinctive novelties of each season, so to give our visitors a better insight into life at Hatterrall, we thought we’d share a little about what brings us joy each month, and the characteristics of the seasons of the year.
JANUARY –
January at Hatterrall is characterised by dramatic snow-filled winterly days, and dark dusky nights, perfect for a spot of stargazing, from the comforts of the hot tub. With the new moon in January signifying a new chapter to life, there is no better time to head outside and admire the beauty of the starlit sky!
Following a snow blizzard, the morning sun comes up to reveal Hatterrall Hill, in all its beauty, standing strong, adorned in a thick layer of snow! For this reason, early morning sunrise walks in January are our favourite. Enjoy the tranquility in the air as the birds come alive and search for food, and the sun rises, warming the ground as it does. Hear your boots crunch through the icy layer on top of the cool snow, as you pace across the ridge, working up a sweat to keep warm, before returning home for a warm mug of hot chocolate and a full English!
FEBRUARY –
A harsh winter can see snow on the ground through to spring, but February often brings warmer sunshine, leading to quick thaws, transforming the valley from a white out to a wet greening land in a matter of hours. Snowdrops rise up through the decaying leaf matter, one of the first signs of life in the garden after a long winter, suddenly appearing en masse, as if overnight! We recommend taking a walk into the wilds on Hatterrall Hill to see the snowdrops, or heading to one of our nearby National Trusts and exploring the winterly gardens surrounding some of the county’s most beautiful houses!
MARCH –
Spring is well on its way come March, as the garden continues to come to life with bright daffodils popping up in gardens, hedgerows and verges. The countryside begins to awaken once more, with the bleating of newly-born lambs a sure sign of the warmer weather to come! The skies come alive, with husky pink clouds, and boldly singing birds. March is a lovely time to get the binoculars out and look out for the first signs of nature reappearing, from hungry hedgehogs emerging from their winter hibernation, to butterflies beginning to enjoy the early spring sunshine, there’s often plenty to look out for!
APRIL –
Easter time is upon us, and with it, new life and new beginnings. The main change we see here at Hatterrall, is not in the sights, but in the sounds and smells, most notably, the presence of one of our most loyal visitors, all the way from Central Africa, the cuckoo! After our loyal cuckoo arrives back in the UK, it often nestles itself under the base of Hatterrall Hill, its home for the next few months, whilst it searches for its mate, calling out its distinctive ‘koo-kooo’ call. If you visit Hatterrall at April time, be sure to wake early and listen out for the cuckoo from the comfort of your bed, or head up the hill and you’ll be sure to hear the distinctive song. What’s more, there’s an old wives tale that the place where you first hear the cuckoo call each year is where you’ll be all year round, so we suggest listening out for it when enjoying an early morning walk, before you get caught out hearing it whilst hanging out the washing!
It’s not just the distinctive bird songs that characterise April, but the smells too, any countryside lover will be well-versed in the unmistakable smell of wild garlic, which is profound by late March, before the plants come into blossom in mid-April. Look out for the bright green leaves as you smell the strong garlicky scent when out walking in woodlands, and bring some leaves back to make the most delicious fresh pesto if you wish.
MAY –
The hill begins to gradually green over the month of May, with new fronds of bracken unfurling day by day. As cattle across the valley are let out onto the grass covered fields once more, the meadows come alive with wildflowers. It’s not just the colour green that brightens up the countryside in May however, as the moment the bluebells flower, fields become covered in swathes of bluebell flowers, resembling thick purple blankets. Head up to the base of Hatterrall Hill, to see vast patches of bluebell-covered woods and don’t forget to pack your camera to capture this short but sightly season in all its glory!
JUNE –
The advent of June brings summer life into full force. The beginning of June marks the start of our local festival, Hay Literary Festival, renowned worldwide for being one of the biggest and best literary festivals of the year! With authors, poets, writers, artists, politicians and comedians ascending on the little border town of Hay-on-Wye, its the perfect time to pop along and visit to a talk, show, stall, cafe, or shop, to enjoy the hustle and bustle of the Hay Festival.
Nature gains momentum and festival-like energy in the month of June too, with waterfalls running well once more, buttercups brightening up fields, and curlew chicks clutching onto new life. June is a lovely month to enjoy the cool calm waters of Herefordshire, whether it be canoeing along the River Wye, trying out a spot of paddle boarding, or dipping your toes in the river running alongside the farm.
JULY –
Hello July… as the weather turns even warmer and sunnier, the scent of freshly mown hay fills the air. Early summer mornings in July are the perfect time to head out for a bike ride, admiring the beauty of the deep-green bracken covered hills, listen out for the hum of tractors working, cutting the grass to feed the livestock for another year. Nearby fields of sunflowers are a great show come July, with many opening to the public enabling you to ‘pick your own’ – a fun day out amongst the beauty of nature!
It’s not just the sunflowers in full bloom in July either, as lavender, foxgloves and elderflower flowers all put on a great display in July! Don’t forget to see what you can find in the hedgerows when out walking in July – freshly harvested elderflower heads can be easily turned into the most delicious cordials in a matter of hours!
AUGUST –
The countryside is synonymously bright and bare come August, with fields scored by the summer sun, and some of the best bounty of the season brightening up gardens and hedgerows. Tomatoes, sweetcorn, lavender and blackberries are all ready to be harvested in autumn, which can be turned into delicious home-cooked produce, from lemon and lavender cake to fresh tomato soup, there’s plenty of cooking ingredients right on the doorstep at autumn time.
August is of a wonderful month weather-wise as the summer rain storms become even lighter in autumn, making it the perfect time of year to explore the local area, head out for walks, or simply sunbathe from the comfort of the garden.
SEPTEMBER –
Apples adorn the orchards in the month of September, with branches clutching on for dear life at the weight of the juicy bright red and green fruits nesting on them. Be sure to end your walk by grabbing a tasty treat from the apple trees at the bottom of the driveway to enjoy on the last leg of your journey home! Local agricultural shows are often hosted in September too, with a different local village hosting its annual show every other weekend, so there is always something to see, do, or visit in September!
OCTOBER –
October is a wild month at Hatterrall, with the wind speed picking up and storms coming in, there is also the contrast of warm late-summer sunshine, that turns newly blown leaf matter into a crisp crunchy blanket on the woodland floor. With many wonderful woods nearby, there is no better time than to visit in the autumn, and enjoy the colourful leaves, just moments before they fall off the trees – we recommend Queenswood Country Park and the Forest of Dean.
As the days begin and end in the dark once more, and cool crisp winds remind us of the winter months to come, October is the final reminder of the colourful spring and summer we have witnessed, and is one of the most beautiful times to head up the hill and enjoy the countryside views in all their glory, embedded in autumnal hues. From deep orange sunrises to milky pink sunsets, in our opinion, there’s no prettier month than October! Have your phone or camera at the ready as you wake, as Hatterrall Hill is often covered in a deep red glow as the sun rises in October, providing the most beautiful backdrop to any autumn morning.
October also sees the celebration of harvest, with parishes across the county giving thanks for the food grown on the land. The harvest is not quite complete for some foodstuffs however, as October is peak wild mushroom and pumpkin picking time! A meander across fields will highlight an abundance of wild mushrooms, whilst a venture to one of our nearby pumpkin patches is a great day out, allowing you to harvest some pumpkins for yourself, making a beautiful front door display in the lead up to Halloween.
NOVEMBER –
As the days shorten and the nights draw in, the starkness of November comes as a shock, so its time to dig out the winter coats, hats, scarves and gloves, ready to wrap up for bonfire night!
November brings the first real opportunity to witness snow-covered hills, with a white sheet often covering the valley around the 22nd of the month, leaving a stark and beautiful landscape in its wake.
Hardy wildlife feed on the berries they can find in the hedgerows and leaf litter, with birds often stripping a holly tree from bright red to deep green in a matter of weeks. November is the perfect time to wrap up warm and head into the woods, to see what wildlife you can see against the stark backdrop of bare trees. It’s also a great time of year to listen out for the beautiful call of our resident owls!
DECEMBER –
As December commences, the hope of a white Christmas begins, with many frantically checking the weather forecast in the build up, becoming excited at the prospect of waking up to a beautifully snowy Christmas morning. The early morning light combined with the quietness following snowfall lends to December being a very still and peaceful month, with nature providing a lovely calmness to contrast the wildness of Christmas festivities! With streams, rivers and waterfalls flowing well in December, it’s a lovely time to enjoy the beauty of the cool waters, lakes and ponds that provide a crucial water source to their resident population of wildlife at this bleak hibernal month.
