The Perfect Tree

There’s a tree I see maybe twice a year in Ilmington in the Cotswolds. To my mind it has a certain symmetry that I find visually most appealing. It’s in the centre of the village opposite The Howard Arms. (We were there on our honeymoon last week, but we didn’t tell them!) https://howardarms.com There’s a certain majesty about it no matter the time of year, but in the autumn it has a special beauty surrounded by an abundance of perfectly formed, shiny conkers .

The Cotswold ritual usually involves trips to Broadway, Chipping Campden and Stow on the Wold for afternoon tea, coffee whatever depending on the time of day. Maybe a quick trip to Warwick or a drive down the Fosse Way. There’s a certain comfort in visiting familiar places and with these visits it’s the horse chestnut tree that signals the start of the holiday. There’s always a feeling of reassurance that all is right with the world if the tree is still there to welcome us.