Where to find the best autumn colour

Just over a week ago we were enjoying thirty-degree temperatures in Sardinia – even hotter in Venice the week prior. Our return to the UK seemed to be marked by the arrival of autumn. Gone are the maxi dresses, sandals and sunnies, replaced with long sleeved tops, trousers and boots. Even the favourite leather has made an appearance. While we acclimatise ourselves to these cooler temperatures, I can’t help get a little excited. You see autumn is one of my favourite seasons and I relish capturing those red, orange and gold hues.

We’re truly spoiled in the Surrey Hills when it comes to places to go. We have a choice of around twenty National Trust sites to choose from including Hatchlands Park, Claremont Landscaped Garden and Polesden Lacey with even more further afield. One of my favourite places to visit in the autumn is Winkworth Arboretum where there are woodland, wetlands and meadows to explore. Rowe’s Flashe Lake and the historic boathouse are one of the best places to lose yourself but if you don’t fancy the wander down (and the subsequent walk back up), you can admire the colour from the edge of the Magnolia Wood and the top of the Azalea Steps. Winkworth is somewhere you can visit all year round but it really is breathtaking in the autumn. The colours continually change, thanks to the clever planting, with the Sweetgum, tulip and maple trees simply magnificent.

The Cotswolds are high on our weekend break list and if we make it one autumn, Westonbirt Arboretum would certainly be on the must-see list. Created in the 19th century, the 600-acre site has a world-class arboretum with over 2,500 species of trees with maples at their peak in October. Westonbirt is divided into three main areas including the Old Arboretum, Silk Wood and Downs grassland. Also part of the UK National Arboreta is Bedgebury National Pinetum at Bedgebury in Kent. It has a stunning collection of coniferous and broadleaf trees alongside 2,000 acres of forest.

Kent is home to Scotney Castle – a medieval ruin with jubilant colours from the sweetgum by the boathouse and yellow vines on the bowling green lawn. While the exotic garden at Emmetts is famous for its autumn colours which include a Winged Spindle (red flowery plant to you and I!), Japanese Maple and colourful berries. At Knole Park, as well as the colour, there are chestnuts and toadstools to be discovered with deer ruts to be watched from afar. A wander through the crunchy leaves at Ightham Mote would also be on the list where you’ll find the Katsura toffee apple tree which smells of burnt sugar.

The Vyne, a former Tudor palace, has ancient woodland where beeches and oaks entwine with chestnuts. The yellow and red leaves of the native cherry and whitebeam tree creating a patchwork carpet to walk through. In the wilderness of the New Forest, colours and shapes can be found with fungi in abundance. If you’re lucky you might spot some of the wild horses as we did on our last visit. In late autumn Hinton Ampner’s parkland is littered with yellow with red maples to be found too. Described as a living work of art, Stourhead Gardens in Wiltshire has a famous landscaped garden which comes alive in autumn. There are a lake, temples and follies with a planting scheme that allows for 8 weeks of colour! Finally, there’s Richmond Park which has protected status as an important habitat for wildlife and is a National Nature Reserve, London’s largest Site of Special Scientific Interest and a European Special Area of Conservation. With ancient trees, wide open spaces, grasslands and deer herds, it’s even more beautiful in the autumn.

Of course, if you can’t wait until October there’s always Loch Lomond, The Trossachs National Park and the Isle of Lewis where autumn comes this month. Wherever you go, make sure you capture the colour and share your photos with the #UKExplore community on Instagram. You could win yourself a National Trust Day Pass.