The Colours of Autumn
A Season of Colour and Renewal
As summer fades, our natural burial grounds take on a different kind of beauty. Autumn arrives quietly, painting the hedgerows and woodland edges with deep reds, purples, and golds. It is a season of fruitfulness, when plants and trees share their harvest with birds, animals, and anyone walking slowly enough to notice.
Blackberries in the Hedges
In September, brambles weave along the hedges, their berries ripening from green to a deep, glossy black. They are a favourite with blackbirds and thrushes, who leave behind little purple stains on the grass. For visitors, they are a gentle reminder that the seasons are turning.
Rowan and Hawthorn
The rowan trees stand bright with clusters of scarlet berries. Folklore has long linked rowan with protection, and in autumn they provide food for visiting fieldfares and redwings. Hawthorn branches also glow with haws, small red fruits that sustain wildlife well into the colder months. A walk at this time of year will often be accompanied by the chatter of birds feasting on these autumn treasures.
Rosehips and Sloe
Along sunny paths, wild roses leave behind their jewel-like hips, rich in vitamin C and beloved by birds. Further into the thickets, sloes appear, dusky purple fruits that add a sharp note to the hedgerows, often touched by the first frosts. These splashes of colour make autumn walks a sensory experience: the bright hips, the cool air, the crunch of leaves underfoot.
Crab Apples and Acorns
Among the trees, crab apples fall, feeding small mammals and deer. Oaks drop their acorns, a feast for jays and squirrels, who carry them away and help new trees grow for the future. These signs of renewal are easy to spot on a slow, reflective walk through woodland.
A Season of Abundance
Each of these fruits and berries is part of the cycle of life at our burial grounds, nourishing birds, spreading seed, and sustaining the web of life that surrounds us. For visitors, they offer quiet moments of recognition: the changing of the season, the resilience of nature, and the comfort of knowing that life continues in many forms.
Autumn is a particularly special time to visit our burial grounds. The air is cooler, the colours are rich, and the landscape feels alive with change. Whether you come for a moment of remembrance, or simply to walk and notice the details of the season, the grounds are here as a place of peace, connection, and reflection.
