Take a stroll in the woods to see the magnificent autumn leaf colours.

Firery yellow, orange and reds of woodland trees.

The Japanese have a word for this: Momijigari - meaning leaf-hunting or forest bathing.

As we head into autumn the amount of daylight reduces and the outside temperature starts to fall, the shrubs and trees prepare to shed their leaves. The green pigment in leaves is called chlorophyll, it’s what a plant uses to convert sunlight into food. It takes quite a bit of energy to create chlorophyll, so before casting the leaves off the plant breaks down the chlorophyll molecules and reabsorbs them from the leaves, leaving behind the yellow, orange and red pigments (carotenoids and anthocyanins) in the leaf structure.

In the UK we are fortunate to never be too far from a lovely show of autumn colour, whilst there will be plenty of beautiful walks locally. I’ve listed below a few outstanding examples of autumn leaf colour display.

Before travelling to one of these destinations, please check their website for closing times. In autumn and winter they often close at dusk also check availability as some sites may restrict numbers, because they are carrying out forest maintenance, have an overwhelming number of visitors wanting to see the autumn colours, particularly at the weekend and some of the smaller sites don't have the capacity for large groups.

Scotland

Dawyck Botanic Gardens 

A 65-acre botanic garden in the Scottish Borders is home to a stunning plant collection, including snowdrops, bluebells, rhododendrons, azaleas, and one of Scotland's most impressive tree collections, containing some of Britain's oldest and tallest trees.

Open from the beginning of February until the end of November.
March - October 10am - 5pm
February and November 10am - 4pm

North East

Allen Banks and Staward Gorge  Twitter Facebook

A Victorian garden and ancient woodland of birch, larch, and sessile oak, located in the valley of the River Allen.

Open all year round.

North West

Tatton Park  Twitter Facebook Instagram

The Tatton Park estate covers over 1,000 acres of parkland, 50 acres of gardens, an 18th-century mansion, a historic working farm, a Victorian garden and one of the most highly regarded Japanese gardens in Europe.

A YouTube video of "Autumn at Tatton Park" is available here: Click here

Northern Ireland

Crom  Facebook

The estate covers over 2,000 acres of parkland, old castle ruins and ancient woodland around Lough Erne.

From the end of September, whilst the grounds and parkland are open to the public, the Little Orchard Tearoom and Visitor Centre may not be open, particularly on weekdays. From November the Little Orchard Tearoom and Visitor Centre are closed for winter, opening again at the weekend from the beginning of March and during the week later in the spring. However, the grounds are still open from 10:00 until 16:00

Ash, oak and ancient yew trees.

Midlands

Old Court Nurseries & The Picton Garden 

Old Court Nurseries and The Picton Garden is home to the Plant Heritage National Collection of Autumn-flowering asters, with over 400 varieties of asters. This makes it one of the largest collections in the UK. The asters are at their best in autumn, when visitors can also enjoy a magnificent display of acers as their leaves change colours to fiery reds, yellows, and oranges.

Open from the beginning of February until late October.
1 February to 31 March: Thurs - Sat 11am - 4pm
1 April to 31 July: Wed - Sat 11am - 5pm
1-31 August: Wed - Sun 11am - 5pm
1 September - 20 October: Daily 11am - 5pm

Wenlock Edge  Facebook

Seven miles of ancient woodland, walks and views.

Arley Arboretum & Gardens  Twitter Facebook Instagram

In 2017 BBC Countryfile voted it as "one of the best placed in Britain to see the autumn colours".

East

Felbrigg Hall, Gardens & Estate  Facebook Instagram

Specimen trees and open woodland.

Nov. 2021 - House and walled gardens are only open at the weekends.

South

Claremont Landscape Garden  Twitter Facebook Instagram

Winter closing time: last entry 3:30 close at 4pm

South East

Hatfield Forest  Twitter Facebook

Dating from the middle ages. Used as a royal hunting forest.

Scotney Castle  Twitter Facebook

Sweet chestnuts that are coppiced to harvest the timber.

South West

Horner Wood  Facebook

Largest unenclosed oak woodland. Home to 15 of Britain's 16 native bat species.

Open all year round

Crackington Haven & Dizzard Forest 

The sessile oak trees don't grow very tall as over many years they have been lashed by strong winds and winter storms.

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