Autumn is officially here! There’s a chill in the air, and leaves are turning dazzling shades of yellow, orange and red before falling to make a colourful natural carpet on the ground. It’s that time of year where we dig out our knitted hats and wooly gloves to enjoy getting out for an Autumnal walk while the sun shines low in the sky.
We love visiting National Trust properties all across the UK for days out in beautiful settings, exploring historic houses and walking the paths across sprawling country estates. We’ve written extensively about our favourite National Trust places to visit, from the best properties to see at Christmas time, to our top NT places in the South East. During Autumn each year, we make special visits to properties where the changing colours are most dramatic, for gorgeous views across golden woodlands. As the change of season is in full swing, here are our top choices for an Autumnal National Trust walk!
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Fountains Abbey
The first time we visited Fountains Abbey we both immediately declared it one of our favourite NT properties to date! We’ve now re-visited multiple times over the years and it’s easy to spend all day here. It’s a vast place with multiple purpose-built viewpoints over the Abbey ruins and gardens, as well as stunning architecture in the Temple of Fame and Octagon Tower and of course the Abbey itself!
It’s easy to see how this place became a World Heritage Site. A pristine riverside path runs parallel to the water, snaking its way from the Abbey to the High Ride path and aptly named Surprise View – a natural window through the trees provides a picturesque view of the Abbey from afar.
From here you can visit the deer park which is home to Fallow, Sika and Red deer, or simply carry on along the shady tree-lined woodland path, watching the countless squirrels darting amongst fallen conkers. We find this winding path perfect for a peaceful Autumnal walk – crunching through the plethora of orange leaves as you walk, and taking a moment to look up into the trees above as the dappled sunlight warms your face in the chilly October air.
Paths along the Moon Pond below, so named because of its half moon shape, are dotted with benches to simply sit and enjoy the tranquility of your surroundings, while the tree line back towards the Abbey from the Cascade reservoir is home to dozens if not hundreds of pheasants, almost camouflaged in the red-orange leaves.
Throughout October, Fountains Abbey hosts ‘Fountains by Floodlight‘ where you can join the volunteers for a guided twilight tour of the Abbey. With live music playing in the cellarium and a street food market to keep you warm, it’s the perfect way to spend a dusky October evening.
Sheffield Park
We’ve visited Sheffield Park many times over the years but it’s safe to say the best time to visit is Autumn! This is by far the busiest time of year at Sheffield Park, and while pre-booking is not necessary, the car park may close early if it reaches capacity. Be sure to plan your visit in advance and arrive as early as possible to avoid being turned away.
As you enter the Park, passing the large, golden Bitternut hickory by reception, you’ll head down the gently sloping path to the lake. The path forks in multiple places so you can take whichever route you prefer.
Strolling around the lake, there are Oak, Beech and Sweet Chestnut trees showing a full spectrum of colour, as well as the bright red Tupelo ‘Sheffield Park’ trees for which Sheffield Park is well known. In the more shaded areas, vibrant scarlet holly berries punctuated dark green bushes, and equally bold-coloured Fly Agaric mushrooms (think Alice in Wonderland) have spore in abundance and line many of the pathways, seemingly undisturbed by the dozens of ducks, geese and moorhens that inhabit the lake.
Dogs are welcome here on lead, so you can snap cute photos of your four-legged friends surrounded by the orange and yellow trees. Note that dogs are not permitted in the Park on Saturday mornings before 1pm, but are welcome at any other time.
Many of the tree species were carefully chosen to create the most spectacular Autumn display. The Autumn planting here has even received a Grade I listing! Check the weather before you book – while the National Trust maintain their pathways well to best allow accessibility for all, it’s worth choosing a bright day as the Autumn colours reflect in the water, providing the perfect souvenir snapshot from your visit.
Knole Park
In our hometown of Sevenoaks, Kent, Knole Park is another wonderful place to visit in Autumn. October marks the arrival of rutting season within the Park’s resident fallow deer herd, and you can book onto a Deer Rut Walk with the estate’s Park and Deer Keeper to learn more about the behaviour of the herd at this time, with hot drinks included to keep you warm!
Knole Park also have character trails for children to enjoy at this time of year, from patterned Gruffalo statues to Snowman sculptures – each designed by a different artist. We love to head up to Knole for these trails, trying to spot all of them before heading inside to the cafe to warm up over a cup of tea.
Aside from these seasonal events, the estate itself is so large that it makes the perfect place for an Autumnal stroll – pick up a hot drink at the cafe and enjoy a leisurely walk through the Autumn scenery along the Park’s many criss-crossing pathways. For those arriving by car, you must pre-book to visit Knole Park. Dogs are welcome throughout the Park but must be kept on lead due to the presence of deer throughout.
Stourhead
We’ve visited Stourhead, in Wiltshire, more than once and it’s different each time. This landscape garden is home to many varying species of trees, including Japanese Acers, North American Maples, and Oaks, which all begin to change colour at different times in the season.
While that makes it difficult to pick the ‘perfec time’ to visit Stourhead, it means that whatever time of year you go there will always be something to see! The National Trust have purposely designed a planting scheme which allows the colours to flow through the landscape over a two month period in autumn so you won’t miss those rusty autumnal shades.
On our most recent visit with our friend and lifestyle blogger Jenna Fifi, we took our dogs for a stroll around the lake and visited the various monuments. Our pups all had a great time toddling through the Grotto, around the leaf-covered paths and over the bridge by the Pantheon marking the halfway point. After a long walk for little legs the seven of us relaxed with a cup of tea under shelter in the courtyard cafe, as September rain pitter-pattered on the parasol above us.
During Autumn there are seasonal events at Stourhead like broomstick racing and games held in the Stableyard to entertain kids after a long walk. For avid photographers, Stourhead hosts seasonal opening hours where you can book to visit the gardens from 7.30am, 2 hours before they open to the general public. Enjoy a calm and tranquil walk in nature, with uninterrupted views to capture the gardens at a golden hour.
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