When the Summer Woodland provides a sense of calm and Beauty along with Art. Finding serenity of the Woodlands at Shipley Country Park.

Summer is one of those seasons that has  a certain charm to it, for it is a season in which the landscape seems that little bit more alive and lush, but there is also another location in the summer which can also offer a lot of joy and opportunities to capture, and that of course happens to be within the woodlands - yes throughout the year woodlands have a habit of being curated and crafted by nature, in the Winter they seem bare, come the Spring life starts to emerge and the lush foliage of greens and layers within the woodlands also change, from carpets of colour to beautiful greenery, in the Summer they come alive with greenery before of course the theatrical colours of Autumn start to appear, before they head off into a deep sleep again for the Winter. 

And it was on Thursday the 18th of June 2026, that I was back at Shipley Country Park, a parkland that has a varied and changing landscape, rolling hills, vistas, views, wildflower meadows and of course some small but perfectly formed areas of woodland that are managed but also not over managed, which means they have a little bit more of a natural feel to them, and this time around walking around the woodlands of Shipley Hill/Horsepool Hill, at Shipley Country Park, what did I come across? Well the magical sense of Woodland Calm, Beauty and Arts, along with serenity and of course the soundtrack of birdsong which made things that little bit more special, for artworks is what you find within a woodland in the summer, and below are the photos that I had managed to capture this time around. 

"Gentle and Soothing, Shades and Light."

"The Square of Summer and Green as it Glows."

"Following the Road through Summer."

"Warm Summer Light, Bathing."

"A Giant Grows, Sculpture Glows."

"The Giant in The Growth of Green."

"Within the Gallery of Summer Woodland."

"The Sculpture and The Summer in Portrait."

"Seeking Sculpture, as the Afternoon Light it Shines."

"Framed is the Shades of Summer Woodland and Beauty."

"Summer Solitude."

"The Magical Theatre of Summer Woodland."

"The Woodland Summer Stage."

"Seeking the Foliage, Arts and Lights."

"Summer Light and Giants of Woodland Calm."

"The Summer Theatre of Woodland Glow."

"The other Woodland World."

"Summer as the Rhododendron Light Shines."

"A Wall of Green and Faded Colour Clings On."

Artworks and Beauty of a Rainforest, but in Derbyshire?

Derbyshire most certainly is a county that has something of a "varied and rich kind of landscape." Which of course has the delightful agricultural and rolling gentle landscapes of hills, to the dramatic limestone dales of The Derbyshire Dales which form the White Peak, all the way through to the wild and windswept moorlands of The Dark Peak, and its various Gritstone edges and peaks. But Derbyshire is also home to something else, and that something else happens to be, 

"One of the only Temperate Rainforests in England. Which is called Padley Gorge, a magical area that throughout the seasons has a certain something different to it, for it is in the Spring and Summer when it is at its most lush, and within the Autumn, it comes alive with a glorious and theatrical colour, which is most certainly worth capturing."

But it was on Saturday the 16th of May 2026 - that I had a visit to a Woodland that I have not visited in quite a while, that woodland happens to be located right next to the village of Shipley, a hidden village situated between Ilkeston and Heanor, that just so happens to be right on the border with Shipley Country Park. However though this section of Woodland, no matter when I have visited in the past always seems to be full of artworks, sculpture and changes just waiting to be captured, in the Autumn it glows with the theatrical colours that nature paints, and whilst I had not visited this section of woodland for quite a while, well here I was - and of course what had also happened? Well it had rained, which made things that little bit more special, for this time around I took a brief and short walk around this delightful section of woodland, and I came across the Artworks and Beauty, of a woodland that really did look akin, after the rainfall to that of a rainforest, and below are the photos that I had managed to capture. But as I came away, I had the following question in the mind,

"For is this small section of delightful and untamed woodland where nature creates and curates the artworks of the trees, the lush greens and the beautiful colours of Autumn when they arrive, for is this perhaps a Temperate Rainforest? For it has the quality for it to be perhaps. But at the end of the day, even if it is a small section of Temperate Rainforest, it really is something else to behold."

"The Trunks and the Frame."

"Lush, Green and Life with Serenity."

"The Woodland Heart Dances."

"Rainforest Dreaming."

"Light and Green, A Rainforest Dance."

"Colour and Glow. Where the Rhododendron's Grow."

"As the Arts of a Rainforest Glow."

"Sanctuary in the Woodland Cathedral."

"The Rainforest Light, A Glow so Bright."

"Height and Colour down Low."

"A City of Trees, Buildings clad in Green."

"The Rainforest Wall."

"A Bridge in Woodland Light."

"Fallen into the Serenity of Sanctuary."

"Following the pathway to Middle Earth."

"The Bridge of Fallen. And the Rhododendron Kingdom."

"Rhododendron Sanctuary. Chaos or Layers?"

"A Frame."

"The Rhododendron City."

"The Fallen Highway, Nature Flows."

"Colours Glow, Lush Green and Vibrant Symphony."

"Sculpture, Arts, Woodland and Rainforest Gallery."

"The Light, And a Rainforest Scene, afternoon Light and Shine."

"A Wall of Art, a Wall of Layers and Colours."

"The Bridge, and Woodland Glow."

"Woodland and Rainforest Mystery."

As April 2026 bid a magical "Spring Farewell" of Colour, Arts and a Delightful Light.

"April 2026, might have been and gone. But it really for me at least has been one of the most spectacular months of 2026 and one of the most beautiful months of Spring that I have within my mind. Looking back at previous photos that I have taken during Spring, yes they have been beautiful and colourful, but Spring of 2026 and April of 2026 - well it really has been something else, sheer bliss and opulence in which nature really has created and curated beautiful works of art within the landscape."

And it was on April the 30th 2026, that under a delightful Blue Sky, with a delightful warmth that I was visiting a location that I had visited a couple of years ago before, a location situated between Crich and Matlock, called Lea Gardens, a unique and beautiful gardens that is designed in the Himalayan Garden style that contains some 300+ varieties of Rhododendron's and Azalea's, and well needless to say that it is nothing short of artwork, the art of colour and nature combining to create a visual feast for the eyes, and below are the photographs that I managed to capture.

"The Garden, The Pathway, The Portrait in Delightful Colour does Glow."

"The Pathway to Art."

"The Portrait of Layers."

"Spring and Vibrant Layers."

"As Artwork Grows."

"Pinks and Purple."

"Walls of Colour, Arts of Spring."

"Rhododendron City, Towering Over Me."

"Under Green and Woodland Light, April Delights."

"Dappled and Shades, where the Rhododendron's Glow."

"The Shining Light under Woodland Green."

"A Pathway through the Arts of Colour."

"Pink and Red Devine."

"Beneath the Rhododendron Kingdom."

"When Green and Vibrant Purple Glow."

"Purple Forms."

"The Rainbow of Spring, Under Seeping Blue."

"Rhodo and Azalea Wall."

"Within the Portrait of Art and Spring."

"Spring and Colour Delights."

"Colour, Woodland Glow."

"Within a Frame, Lea Gardens."

"Floral Arts of the Garden, Shine."

"Staring into Colour."

"A Painting Under Blue."

Having had a delightful lunch at Lea Gardens and of course visit it was time to head to Peak Village, this time for a short and brief visit, Peak Village is a Shopping outlet that is smaller than many other bigger shopping outlets, and it is located between Matlock and Bakewell in the village of Rowsley - but come the Spring and Summer, well the various planters within the shopping outlet, they are works of art as well, and I just had to capture those as well. 

"Ferns, Light and Shadows."

"Retro Colour, Tulips Glow."

"Silk White Tulips and Green Layers."

But after a short and brief stop off at Peak Village, it was then time to head down the A6, this time to the town of Belper with its delightful River Gardens, and of course imposing old Mill that stands proud above the skyline of the town, and it was here in which the late afternoon/early evening light was just magical, again delightful, and this was the last location and visit for the day. But hold on April 2026, you really were a magical month of delightful opulent colours and light, arts as well created and crafted by nature and these are the final photos that I managed to capture, for April 2026 to me at least is one that will be in my memory for the longest time - as for me at least it seemed to be the most beautiful Spring months that I can remember, especially compared to previous years, for there really was something else about the colours of April 2026, but what are your thoughts? Do let me know. 

"Spring and the afternoon Bandstand Glow."

"Mill and Gardens, the Early Evening Glow."

"Spring and River Garden Reflecting."

"A Portrait of a River Gardens Spring."

"Spring Time Evening Art it Glows."