‘Tis the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness – the perfect time of the year for leisurely autumnal walks, soak up the amazing changing colours of our woodlands and forests, or visit a seasonal fair.
Here are just some of our suggestions for hitching up the caravan and making the most of this splendid, final burst of colour before resigning ourselves to the sombre greys of wintertime;
Sheffield Park, East Sussex
- the crisp chill in the air sharpens the azure blue skies that shape the background to a vivid palette of colours that light up the fiery display of the National Trust’s extensive parkland at Sheffield Park;
North York Moors National Park
- if you prefer your nature on a broader and altogether more rugged canvas, the North York Moors National Park in autumn is ideal for a weekend – or longer – break. Pull on your hiking boots and get a taste of England at its most naturally wild;
The Isles of Scilly
- but Autumn can also be a whole lot more relaxing and calming, suggests Country Living, if you venture just offshore to the gently exotic Scilly Isles – they’re rarely on many visitors’ itineraries and this time of year the walking on any of these unspoilt islands will offer chances to see the seal pups basking on the glorious beaches or spot the migrating flocks of birds;
Autumn Show & International Horse Trials
- September sees the Autumn Show & International Horse Trials organised by the South of England Agricultural Society at their showground in Ardingly, West Sussex – it’s an extravaganza of displays, countryside sports, and “have a go” activities to tempt you into participating;
Ludlow Food Festival
- why not round off a visit to the beautiful Welsh Marches by dropping into one of the best-known festivals in the foodie calendar – the Ludlow Food Festival is also held in September when some 180 vendors and exhibitors show off all manner of hot and cold local produce, against the majestic backdrop of Ludlow Castle;
Three counties harvest festival
- Autumn is the time for harvest festivals, of course, and the Malvern Autumn Show at the Three Counties Showground claims to be the biggest of them all – “ginormous” is the description adopted by the organisers of this outpouring of regional food and drink, gardening tips and lectures by celebrity gardeners;
Pick up a pumpkin
- the children will be the first to remind you that autumn also spells Halloween – and at Cannon Hall Farm, just 5 miles west of Barnsley in West Yorkshire, your all-day ticket to this working farm – with its Highland cattle, alpaca, and pygmy goats – includes a free pumpkin for every child in a special autumn pumpkin festival;
Cosy at Chatsworth
- Autumn is a time when you might just want to get cosy – and where better to do that than the grand and luxurious country mansion that is Chatsworth House in Derbyshire’s Peak District, where you can snuggle down in one of the estate’s snug cottages.
The British countryside enters one of its most colourful and exuberant times of the year in the autumn. There are plenty of things likely to encourage you to get out and about – yet you’ll look all the more forward to settling down before the fire and afternoon tea once you’re done. Hitch up your caravan and discover just how an autumnal break will be so worthwhile.