Usually when I despatch a scarf into the postal system, last week it was Musselburgh, I go to my nearest Post Office, but as we are in the middle of autumn, I thought I’d walk a bit further along a more scenic route. I chose the Post Office the other side of the Old Cemetery taking my camera with me to capture some autumnal colours as I strolled through.
I have to admit I was disappointed and a little surprised. There have been plenty of trees dropping their leaves around Ipswich, but a panorama of blazing colour in the Old Cemetery it was not.
Some of the trees were turning, but there were many more still pretty green as you can see from my photographs.
I expect all the recent rain and the lack of any overnight frost has delayed the colour changes.
One or two of the large horse chestnuts and the odd plane tree were at the light golden stage. I had expected the Pride of India/Golden Rain (Koelreuteria paniculata) trees to have been transformed into fiery oranges, but they were still entirely green.
Back in September when I walked through the Katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) was at its full orange-tipped yellow stage, but that moment has gone and it now stands in its dormant winter nakedness.
Perhaps this autumn will be one of those years where the leaves change colour almost at the point of dropping, and we will blink and miss it.
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Agnes Ashe 
Despite the lack of colour that is still a beautiful walk.
The wildlife certainly appreciate it too.
Yes, it’s a funny old year. In many ways.
It certainly is.
That is an amazing cemetery Agnes. So much history and so many personal stories are engraved in old headstones. I am always saddened to see the decaying effects of a disused cemetery. It is pleasing to see the care taken for the grounds at least. Like our old, (but not the age of yours) cemeteries, I see significant trees watch over the tombs.
It is our local council who maintains the Old Cemetery and I think they do a good job trying to balance the interests of the wildlife, the humans and the many dogs who are taken there for their walks.
The first time I experienced a snowfall was October in Grindelwald Switzerland. When the snow melted the next day, the trees emerged still holding their autumn leaves! I love a cemetery walk, and that one looks particularly atmospheric.
Yes, snow on leaves is okay up to the point where the weight can become too much for a weakened branch – always tricky in a public space.
The Old Cemetery is most definitely atmospheric. I think it’s the considered layout across a small valley plus the addition over the last 160 years of a variety of fine specimen trees. There are some beautiful old yews trees which I notice I haven’t really captured this time in my photos. I have only used their dark, spiky boughs to frame a couple of shots. Overall, it is a beguiling urban space and well kept by our local council.
Good to hear it is well kept. When I visited undercliffe cemetery in Bradford many parts were terribly overgrown, which was heartbreaking given that this would have been a showpiece in Victorian England.
I think Bradford has struggled following the collapse of its textiles industry, but I see they have lots of regeneration schemes these days. I expect you noticed them on your visits. I am surprised they have not kept the cemetery in good condition as part of the celebrations of their Victorian heritage.
For some reason it is / was privately owned. It may have something to do with how it originally came into being.
The first Victorian cemeteries in England were on the outskirts of London and were all private concerns following an act of Parliament when London churchyards became full. The graveyards were literally overflowing in some cases with heavy rains bringing coffins, often laid on top of two or three coffins beneath, rising to the surface in the mud. This fact has stuck in my mind since I heard it at a lecture given at the Art Workers’ Guild back in 2003!