Try not to mourn the end of summer. Autumn heralds bright skies, bracing walks and bursts of colour across Britain’s woodlands, forests, parks, gardens and arboretums. Lace up your walking boots and prepare to experience dazzling and varied autumn displays at these top sites across Britain.

Head to Westonbirt near Tetbury in Gloucestershire for a breathtaking autumn colour display. With more than 15,000 trees, including a world-class collection of maples, the seasonal kaleidoscope is second to none. Japanese maples greet autumn with dazzling scarlets, oranges and yellows. Follow the 984-foot-long (300m) treetop walkway for a spectacular bird’s-eye view and a peek into the leafy canopy.

A highlight of Windsor Great Park, the beautiful Savill Garden is sown with rare plants from all over the globe. The series of interconnecting gardens and woodland areas includes the Autumn Wood, close to the striking Savill Building visitor centre with its undulating timber roof. Assorted maple, beech, oak and chestnut trees glow in red, gold and russet hues. Autumn is also the time to witness the deer rutting.

Hailed as ‘Big Country’, Perthshire in central Scotland is a safe bet for an impressive autumn display. Set within Tay Forest Park, not far from Pitlochry, Faskally Wood meets the banks of serene Loch Dunmore. Easy trails lead you along the water’s edge and into the woods, where oak, aspen, alder, birch and poplar put on a fiery seasonal show. They also provide the backdrop for a sound and light spectacle, The Enchanted Forest, held here every October.  

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Some of Britain’s oldest and largest conifers, thriving at Bedgebury National Pinetum, provide a deep green backdrop for the forest’s turning leaves and bright berries. Highlights of the 1,200-strong tree and shrub collection include the dawn redwood, swamp cypress and golden larch. Look out for the ornamental sweet gums with their star-shaped leaves, which turn orange, red and purple – sometimes all on a single tree.

Visit the New Forest's ancient residents, including oaks of up to 800 years old and beeches of around 400 years old. Conifers, sweet chestnuts and even giant sequoia add to the mix. The burnished reds, oranges and yellows stand out beautifully against the sweeps of open heath and moorland. The Forest’s unique Pannage pigs are also fans of autumn – you may spot them searching for fallen acorns.

The family-run estate of Thorp Perrow stretches over 100 acres, featuring ancient woodland, birds of prey and a wooden adventure playground nestled among the trees. Popular all year round, the arboretum comes into its own in autumn thanks to its huge array of trees and shrubs, including five national collections – ash, lime, laburnum, walnut and cotinus, whose purple leaves flush deep red as autumn draws in.

You'll find this quintessential autumn scene in northwest Wales. Once summer recedes, the Virginia creeper that blankets a quaint 15th-century cottage and former courthouse turns its customary deep, smouldering red. The cottage, in the market town of Llanrwst, is made all the more picturesque thanks to the neighbouring Inigo Jones-designed three-arch bridge and surrounding woodland. 

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Take a round-the-world trip on a wander through Biddulph Grange Garden. With its Egyptian sphinx, Italianate and China Gardens, and exotic plants from all corners of the earth, Biddulph Grange is a glorious sight at any time of year. Come autumn, the famous golden larch – the oldest surviving in Britain – is gleaming gold and the maples are resplendent in vivid reds and oranges.

You’ll encounter remarkable woodland sculptures on your way through Grizedale Forest, found between Coniston Water and Windermere in the Lake District. The red and gold foliage of the forest’s oak, elder, lark and beech trees provide a dramatic setting for an ensemble of both permanent and temporary artworks made from natural materials. If you make it to the summit of Carron Crag, you’ll be rewarded with a vibrant forest panorama.

Lying on the slopes of a tributary valley of the River Brede in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Brede High Woods is a great place for a peaceful autumn stroll. Crisp leaves and acorns crunch underfoot and a golden orange canopy hangs overhead. Seasonal colour is provided by the ancient and secondary woodland, including birch, oak, hornbeam and sweet chestnut, contrasting with evergreen conifers.

From the Jacobean Hall and the inviting walled garden with its working dovecote, to the less cultivated ancient woodland, Felbrigg wears its charms lightly. Take a bracing walk around the grounds and into the Great Wood. Oak, sweet chestnut, hawthorn and ash will line your path. Most striking of all are the towering beech trees standing along Felbrigg’s Victory Walk. Originally planted to be seen from above by RAF airmen, in their golden autumn livery they’re certainly unmissable.

Winding its way along the border between Wales and England, the River Wye carves out one picture-perfect scene after another. In the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the river reflects a stunning autumn display. The riverside 12th-century Cistercian Tintern Abbey is more beautiful than ever when set against the surrounding wooded hillsides, flushed coppery red and orange in autumn.

Trails through Burnham Beeches’ rambling woods, heath and pasture are open to walkers and cyclists, or you could visit on horseback. There has been woodland on this site since the last Ice Age and the centuries-old practice of pollarding (cutting branches just above head height to stimulate growth) is still carried out. The result is a flourishing space, rich in wildlife, fungi and plants, with the namesake beeches impressive in their autumn yellows and ambers.

Renowned for its bluebells, National Trust-run Emmetts Gardens near Sevenoaks is also well worth seeking out for its outstanding autumn colours (and fragrances). The hillside Edwardian estate boasts bright red berries and fungi, glinting red and gold Japanese maples and even a sweet-smelling katsura tree. This ‘burnt toffee tree’ in the South Garden releases a delicious, scorched sugar scent in early autumn.

Not far from Loch Ness, Glen Affric has a magic all of its own. It features the largest tract of ancient Caledonian pinewood in Scotland – the trees would once have covered most of the Highlands. The dark green pines are offset by vivid colours come autumn: rowan trees’ crimson berries and foliage and the soft yellows of silver birches.

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The Arboretum at Alrewas in Staffordshire is a living tribute to Britain’s military dead, with 30,000 trees from around the world and a multitude of memorials, including one to the Women's Royal Naval Service (or Wrens, pictured). While the arboretum is still relatively young, there is plenty to see across the 150-acre site, from familiar horse chestnuts to prized dawn redwoods. The Autumn Festival celebrates the site and the season. The pottery town of Stoke-on-Trent, less than an hour away, makes a great stop too. 

The largest lowland pine forest in Britain, Thetford Forest also contains the quiet Lynford Arboretum. With its dry conditions – this is one of the driest places in the UK – the arboretum provides a refuge for more than 200 species, including ancient oaks, sequoias and some rare conifers. Take a stroll or jump on a bike to enjoy spectacular ruby and gold autumn shades.

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Pick a grand backdrop for your leaf-peeping. The 17th-century Belton House looks radiant in the autumn sunshine. Inside the mansion there are rich collections of silverware, ceramics and portraiture to explore. Outside, the rolling 1,300 acres encompass formal gardens, pleasure grounds and a boating lake, not to mention around 300 fallow deer. The spectrum of autumn colours runs from the bright yellow lime trees to the crimson of creepers.

Sunny days, snowfall, spring flowers – there’s little that fails to enhance the Cotswolds' prettiness. Add autumn to that list. Tawny, ochre and russet shades complement the honey tones of Cotswold stone. Any town or village will do, but charming Winchcombe also lays claim to Sudeley Castle and Gardens.

The tranquil landscape of Studley Royal Water Garden sits on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales, surrounding the atmospheric ruins of Fountains Abbey. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the imaginatively designed garden features glassy pools which provide mirrors for the turning leaves. Eye-catchers include the fiery yellows and reds of Japanese maple, lime, birch and sweet chestnut, to name but a few.

Holme Fen is all that remains of Whittlesea Mere, a three-mile (5km) wide lake drained in the mid-19th century to make way for farmland. This isolated vestige of fen habitat lies nine feet (3m) below sea level, the lowest land point in Great Britain. As well as great birdlife and teeming fungi, the spot is home to the country’s finest silver birch woodland. In autumn, the pale birch trunks are crowned with an orange haze.

Hergest Croft Gardens offers a splendid two-for-one view: a fantastic display of autumn hues within sight of the Black Mountains. Colours range from deep reds and plums to gleaming golds and yellows throughout the azalea garden, maple grove and park wood. The collection in excess of 5,000 rare trees and shrubs includes 100 ‘champion trees’ – part of a national register listing exceptional examples growing in Britain and Ireland.

Seemingly blessed by Mother Nature, the parkland and gardens of Blenheim Palace, northwest of Oxford, are actually the work of master landscaper Capability Brown. Autumn highlights include golden copper beeches set against glossy evergreens, yellow field maple and a collection of ancient oaks, some dating back to the 12th century.

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Far removed from the splendour of Blenheim Palace and other stately homes, the National Trust's Calke Abbey has an atmospheric, dilapidated appeal all of its own. The surrounding 600 acres of ancient parkland is designated a National Nature Reserve. There you’ll find sweeps of autumn reds, oranges and yellows, some of the oldest trees in Europe – including the 1,200-year-old oak, the Old Man of Calke – and possibly a glimpse of red or fallow deer.

A few miles from Bodmin, Cardinham Woods is criss-crossed with walking and cycling paths, including the Bodmin Beast trail. No nasty surprises await, just adventures deep in the mixed woodland, up close to the array of autumn colours. Oak, rowan, willow and alder show off their seasonal finery.

It’s hard to believe this is west Scotland. The region’s mild, damp climate has helped give rise to Crinan Wood, a temperate rainforest rich in wildlife species and diverse lichens and ferns. Tree life is varied too, with oak and birch joined by alder, ash, elm, willow and hazel. All this adds up to sensational autumn scenes.

One of Britain’s most famous gardens, and celebrated worldwide, Sissinghurst needs no introduction. Autumn may not be the most obvious time to visit this National Trust property but you’ll be rewarded with seasonal abundance. There are plump pumpkins in the kitchen garden, fruit trees weighed down with pears and crab apples, and the rustling auburn leaves of the majestic lakeside oaks. Across the garden and wider estate, the autumnal palette is breathtaking.

Restored in the past few years, private garden Compton Acres boasts plenty of water features – trickling streams, cascades and pools – topped off by views of the English Channel, around one mile (1.6km) away. The gardens are also proud hosts of more than 3,000 plant species, some unique to the county, and a wonderful canopy of mature trees overlooking the elegant Italian and serene Japanese gardens. Reds of maples stand out among the customary autumnal golds and yellows.

Head to the coast for a different type of seasonal display. Dinas Island (a peninsula off the Pembrokeshire coast) is famed for its birdlife and the superb views it offers, both inland and out to sea. As autumn descends, the windswept slopes are tinted yellow and brown as the bracken dies down. At the same time, dusky pink and purple herald the return of common heather, accompanied by bright yellow gorse flowers.

The autumn displays at Stourhead in Wiltshire are no secret. Swathed in seasonal shades, the world-famous gardens look magnificent. Brilliant red maples kick things off, followed by their Japanese cousins, hornbeams and chestnuts, and later yellow tulip trees and rusty orange oaks and beeches. Join one of the daily guided walks to see the best of the show and make several visits if you can, to witness the gradual seasonal transition in all its glory.

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