First Camplng Trip of 2026 (Part 2) - Winchcombe & Belas Knapp

 Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it - Michelangelo

On another gorgeous sunny morning, we had a leisurely breakfast while listening to the bird song: 13 bird species either heard or seen (Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Chiffchaff, Collared Dove, Dunnock, Great Tit, Jackdaw, Magpie, Robin, Willow Warbler, Wood Pigeon, Wren). After a fairly active day yesterday, we took things a little easier today.

First port of call was Winchcombe where we were hoping to have some lunch. We had a look round the Parish Church (St Peter's) but couldn't find anywhere to eat that we fancied. So it was a trip to the local Co-op for sandwiches etc and a picnic at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (Winchcombe Station). We've travelled on this line before and thoroughly recommend it; unfortunately, timings did not suit our schedule today so we needed an alternative destination.

The alternative was Belas Knap Long Barrow, not far from Winchcombe. Parking is limited to a small lay-by on a minor road. Cross the road and follow the path up to Belas Knap through Humblebee Wood. It is uphill from the lay-by to Belas Knap (Old English: 'bel' = beacon & 'cnaepp' = hilltop) with the first part through the woods being the steepest. After emerging from the woods, follow the path along the side of the wood before turning right up the gentle slope. If you look back you will see the woods you have just come through and Winchcombe in the distance (Photo 1)

Photo 1: Looking back towards Winchcombe from the Path up to the Long Barrow (April 2026)

The warm sunshine was perfect for us and the butterflies ...

Photo 2: Red Admiral Butterfly on the Path up to Belas Knap (29th April 2026)

After about 20 minutes walk (1 kilometre) you should arrive at Belas Knap. This Neolithic chambered long barrow (burial chamber) is about 5000 years old. The site was excavatedon three occasions: 1863-1865, 1928-1931, 1963. Romano-British pottery was found inside indicating a long period of use. In total, the skeletons/bones of 38 individuals (adult and children) have been discovered. Belas Knap is recognized as one of the best examples of a Cotswold-Severn chambered cairn.

Figure 1: Schematic of Belas Knap Long Barrow (h/t English Hereitage)

Photo 3: Mary at the False Portal (see Figure 1)

Photo 4: South Chamber Entrance (see Figure 1)

Photo 5: NE Chamber Entrance (see Figure 1)

Photo 6: Inside NE Chamber Entrance (see Figure 1)

Photo 7: Peacock Butterfly at Belas Knap Long Barrow (late April 2026)

On our return to the car, we passed once more through Humblebee Wood. There was quite a strong breeze and the swaying trees were crackling as they banged and bumped into each other. I tried to record the sound on the video below but it doesn't do justice to the atmospheric crackling as the trees crashed into each other. It is said Tolkien visited this wood and Belas Knap - did it inspire him to invent Ents and Hobbit houses?

Video 1: Swaying Crackling Beech Trees in Humblebee Wood

First Camping Trip of 2026 (Part 1) - Sudeley Castle

 Two beheadings out of six wives is too many - Henry VIII

It was late April and the weather forecast was good: warm, sunny days and not too cold at night. Time for our first camping trip of the season? Where to go? We didn't want to travel too far (maybe one to one & half hours maximum) and it would be nice to visit somewhere new. I suggested the Camping & Caravanning Club site at Winchcombe (41 miles, 1 hour by car) which we've used a number of times and highly recommend.

Photo 1: Sunset over Winchcombe Camping & Caravanning Site (29th April)

Nearby is Sudeley Castle (4 miles, 10 minutes) in the historic town of Winchcombe. For some reason we have never visited before despite often being nearby; so this seemed like a good opportunity.

On the way, we stopped off at the Malverns to view the bluebells that cover the western down slopes of the Malvern Hills (Photo 2) ...

Photo 2: Bluebells on the Western Slopes of the Malverns

... then onto the campsite with a stop-off at Morrisons in Tewkesbury for supplies. After setting up camp we relaxed for a couple of hours. After dinner,we made use of a gorgeous evening to do a circular walk to The Royal Oak at Gretton for a pint before returning back to camp (about 7 miles). No problems sleeping that night!

The next day was a little overcast, though still warm, so ideal for visiting Sudeley Castle & Gardens. The admission price was £21 each (over 60s) which seemed reasonable for a privately-owned estate. After paying to go in, it is a short walk passed a ruined chapel before the main building comes into view (Photo 3) ...

Photo 3: First Glimpse of Sudeley Castle (28th April)

Sudeley Castle origins date back to 1443 when the 1st Baron Sudeley (Ralph Boteler, Lord High Treasurer of England) started the building process on the site of a 12th Century fortified manor house. In 1469, it was confiscated by King Edward IV (Lancastrian Ralph Boteler had picked the wrong side in the War of the Roses!). During the Tudor period (1485 - 1603), it changed hands many times before, in 1547, it was given to Thomas Seymour, brother of Jane Seymour (3rd wife of Henry VIII) and husband of Katherine Parr (the surviving 6th and final wife of Henry VIII).

Photo 4: Wives of Henry VIII, Sudeley Castle (April 2026)

Unfortunately for Thomas, he literally lost his head in 1549 and Katherine's brother (Willian Parr) inherited Sudeley Castle. Katherine only lived at Sudeley Castle for 3 months before dying from puerperal fever just 6 days after giving birth to her daughter, Mary. Despite this brief stay, Sudeley Castle pays a huge homage to Katherine Parr.

During the English Civil War (1642 - 1651), Sudeley Castle once again picked the wrong side (Royalists) and the castle was 'slighted' (i.e. part demolished and left as a ruin) in 1649 after falling to Parliamentary forces. After nearly 200 years as a romantic ruin, the estate was bought in 1837 by John and William Dent, wealthy glove makers from Worcester. They rebuilt/extended the castle and the family continue to live there.

There is plenty to see in the numerous & varied gardens surrounding the Castle.  Here are a few photos ...

Photo 5: Knot Garden, Sudeley Castle (April 2026)

Photo 6: St Mary's Church, Sudeley Castle (April 2026)

Photo 7: Sudeley Castle, Ruins and Victorian Rebuild (April 2026)

Photo 8: Topiary at Sudeley Castle & Gardens (April 2026)

Photo 9: St Mary's Church centre), Sudeley Castle (left)

Photo 10: Sudeley Castle & Gardens (April 2026)

Photo 11: St Mary's Church, Sudeley Castle (April 2026)

Photo 12: Multi-coloured Tulip Display, Sudeley Castle (April 2026)

Photo 13: Topiary, Sudeley Castle (April 2026)

Photo 14: Elephant Sculpture, Sudeley Castle (April 2026)

Photo 15: Fighting Stags, Sudeley Castle (April 2026)

Photo 16: Topiary, Sudeley Castle & Gardens (April 2026)

We spent about 6 hours touring parts of the castle and the extensive gardens including a couple of breaks for lunch and afternoon drinks (choice of cakes, savouries was a bit disappointing). The gardens were delightful and the displays in the castle were informative. Mary was enthused by the many textile and embroidery displays. Overall, good value for money. As we drove away, the car park was almost empty; perhaps the average stay is a little less than the six hours we spent at Sudeley Castle & Gardens! 

View from the Rear Window - April 2026

Tact is the art of making guests feel at home when that's really where you wish they were - George Bergman 

April 2026 was warm, sunny and dry; in other words, very similar to the previous month, March. There was an unsettled period in the middle of the month when most of the rain fell but otherwise it was very pleasant. The fourth named storm of the season (Dave) occurred early in the month (4th/5th) and impacted Northern Ireland and Scotland; we didn't notice it in Herefordshire.

This month's garden photos were taken on the 4th, 19th and 26th of the month to show the rapid changes during springtime. Early in the month of April (Photo 1) we see the new season leaves appearing. The white cherry blossom is out; both on our neighbour's ornamental tree (peeking above the roof line in the top right of the picture) and on our eating cherry (left of centre). Meanwhile, the tulips bring a splash of vibrant colour to the flower beds. There is plenty of activity on the patio as I'm busy cleaning and sterilising plant pots, ready for the new growing season.

Photo 1: Back Garden on 4th April 2026

By the middle of the month (Photo 2), everything is looking verdant; the tulips have gone but we have the bold purple colour of the acer (centre, foreground) and the appearance of wisteria flowers in the distance.

Photo 2: Back Garden on 19th April 2026 

The final garden photo was taken towards the end of the month (26th April) when the wisteria was full of blossom (Photo 3). Just to the left of the wisteria, is the purple-leaved crab apple tree which has recovered well from a drastic pruning after it appeared to be dying a year or two ago. Unfortunately, the Photinia bush at the end of the garden has somewhat mysteriously died.

Photo 3: Back Garden on 26th April 2026

Daily garden photos for April 2026 are collated in Video 1 ...

Video 1: Daily Photos of the Rear Garden (April 2026)

Table 1 summarises some weather stats for our garden location collected by our Davis Weather Station. No frosts although it did get close on one occasion in the middle of the month. Precipitation was low with more than half the monthly rainfall falling within a single 24 hour period (11th/12th).

Table 1: Summary Weather Statistics for April 2026
Weather Parameter	Value	Dates
Average Monthly Temperature	11 oC
Maximum Monthly Temperature	26 oC	8th & 30th
Minimum Monthly Temperature	0 oC	13th
Number of Air Frost Days	0
Number of Hot Days (> 25 oC)	3
Monthly Precipitation	24.0 mm
Greatest 24 h Precipitation	14.0 mm	11th - 12th
Number of Dry Days	20
Monthly Sunshine Hours (estimated)	179
Highest Wind Speed	48 km/h	11th
Heating Degree Days	220.9
Cooling Degree Days	9.4

Daily min/max temperatures for April 2026 are plotted in Figure 1 (click to see a larger image). No frosty night although the overnight temperature dripped to 0 ℃ on the 13th; so a good month for gardeners! Daytime maxima ranged from 12 - 26 ℃ in what turned out to be a pleasantly warm and not too hot month.

Figure 1: Daily Min/Max Temperatures (April 2026)

Daily rainfall and solar radiation (W/m²) - a proxy for sunshine hours - are shown in Figure 2. What little rain there was in April was confined to the middle of the month. The last 10 to 12 days of the month were dry and sunny.

Figure 2: Daily Rainfall & Sunshine (April 2026)

We now have 7 years of Hereford city weather data for the month of April covering the years 2020 - 2026. This information is summarised in Figure 3 and Figure 4. Although weather is still highly variable in April, there is a general trend towards warmer conditions (2020 is an outlier perhaps due, in part, to the Covid pandemic shutdown reducing air traffic by 90%). Certainly, the last three months of April (2024 - 2026) have been frost-free.

Figure 3: Time Series (2020 - 2026) of April Temperature Data (Hereford City)

Figure 4 shows rainfall is generally low in Hereford during the month of April but also highly variable. It does mean some additional irrigation is needed most years as the gardener/farmer starts sowing/planting out during April (the first, generally, frost-free month). Low rainfall usually goes hand-in-hand with more dry days and higher levels of sunshine; except for the usual suspect, 2020, which was abundant in both rain and sunshine.

Figure 4: Time Series (2020 - 2026) of April Rain, Sun & Wind Data (Hereford City)

The following three figures are taken from the UK Met Office's monthly report for April 2026. The headline for this report read 'April showers in short supply, but sunshine plentiful for many'. This was certainly true for Hereford city (i.e. my back garden). April saw the fourth named storm (Dave) of the current season (4th/5th April); it passed largely unnoticed in Hereford with perhaps a stiff breeze and a drop of rain. As Figure 5 indicates, most of the UK was warmer than normal and this included Herefordshire. Our local long-term weather station at Credenhill reports a mean daily temperature for April of 9 ℃; 2 ℃ lower than the monthly average recorded by my back garden Davis Weather Station (Table 1). According to Figure 5, the Met Office data suggests somewhere between 9.5 ℃ and 10.5 ℃; so not far from my own data.

Figure 5: UK Mean Temperature Anomalies (April 2026)

Rainfall in England and Wales during April was low, especially in eastern England (Figure 6). Credenhill, just 4 miles outside Hereford, reports a typical April rainfall of 50.21 mm. Hence the 24 mm recorded in my back garden represents about 50% of the expected rainfall - in good agreement with Figure 6. Rainfall in Northern Ireland and Scotland was close to normal; boosted by heavy rainfall from Storm Dave on top of an essentially dry month for the whole of the UK.

Figure 6: Relative UK Rainfall (April 2026)

UK sunshine levels (Figure 7) were generally about 150% the expected levels for April. Table 1 infers sunshine levels in our backgarden (Table 1) were only 115% of the normal levels for the Midlands. Maybe I need to check the calibration of my solar radiation detector again.

Figure 7: Relative UK Sunshine Hours (April 2026)

Jobs in the Garden

• Sowing seeds (tomato, cucumber, squash, celery, celeriac, bell peppers, aubergines)
• Composting
• General tidying

Flora & Fauna in the Garden

• Blackbird (x2)
• Blue Tit (x1)
• Collared Dove (x3)
• Dunnock (x1)
• Great Tit (x2)
• House Sparrow (x6)
• Jackdaw (x2)
• Lesser Black-backed Gull (x3)
• Robin (x1)
• Starling (x2)
• Wood Pigeon (x2)
• Wren (x1)
• Peacock Butterfly
• Holly Blue Butterfly

Photo 4: Peacock Butterfly in the Kitchen Garden (3rd April)

Photo 5: Holly Blue Butterfly in the Main Garden (6th April)

And, finally, some photos of the garden ...

Photo 6: Sweet Cherry in Bloom (2nd April)

Photo 7: Tulips (2nd April)

Photo 8: Tulips around the Acer Tree (4th April)

Photo 9: Saxifrage (4th April)

Photo 10: Tulip (7th April)

Photo 11: Tulip (Tiny Timo), 7th April

Photo 12: Bluebells in the Mini-Wood (8th April)

Photo 13: Osteospemum (22nd April)

Photo 14: Wisteria (24th April)

How Much Hotter is it Now?

 I cannot choose one hundred best books because I have written only five - Oscar Wilde

Climate Monitor is a new app just launched by Reuters, the British news agency The app provides a snapshot of how much hotter or colder today will be for your location (e.g. Hereford, UK) compared with the normal (or expected) temperature for today. The normal daily high temperature is calculated from the 1961-1990 ERA5 reanalysis dataset. For people of a certain age (i.e. me), this is a highly relevant comparison as the 1961-1990 period covers my childhood and early adult years. And we all like to compare & contrast our current situation with how we fondly remember our childhood!

Figure 1 is a screen dump from Climate Monitor for Hereford on the 9th July 2026. It shows today's predicted daily maximum temperature (31 ℃) is 11.4 ℃ above the normal daily maximum for the 9-10th July (based on the 1961-1990 climatic period). This is a huge difference (20 ℉) albeit supercharged by the the current heatwave affecting the UK.

Figure 1: Climate Monitor Screen Dump for Hereford on 9th July 2026

As I am writing this blog post at 11 o'clock in the morning, the temperature outside is already 28 ℃ and rising. Today's maximum temperature, based on yesterday's hourly data, should occur around 4-5 pm with an estimate of 34-35 ℃; that is 14-15 ℃ above normal!!

There is more information presented by in the freely available Climate Monitor app. For example, the 'How This Year Compares' inset in Figure 1 graphically represents how the monthly average temperatures in 2026 have deviated from the 1961-1990 norm. For Hereford, apart from January (0.6 ℃ higher), all the other months have been 2.9 ℃ to 3.6 ℃ higher than normal. There is a very strong possibility that 2026 will be a new record hottest year for Hereford.

Table 1 (also from Climate Monitor) summarises the Continental mean for high temperatures (and their anomalies) on July 9th 2026. All continents are warming but Europe is warming fastest. Interestingly, the  North American continent is one of the slowest warming continents. Does this explain why climate denial (i.e. the refusal to accept the scientific consensus that human-caused global warming/climate change is a fact) is more prevalent in the USA? Things are never as simple as that but it may be a factor along with electing a narcissistic senile bully with a low IQ.

Table 1: Continental Averages for Maximum Daily Temperature (9th July 2026)