Celebrate the colours of Autumn on a day out or a mini break — from Kent to Amsterdam in fairy tale forests or along romantic canals
The one advantage to our soggy summers is that we are promised a more dazzling display of autumn colour and these are the top spots to see the magic home and abroad
THERE is one advantage to our soggy summer – we are promised a longer, more dazzling display of autumn colour.
After a dry spring, trees needed rain to produce sugar, which creates the red, yellow and orange leaves, says Forestry Commission England.
They have teamed up with mental health charity Mind to launch a Feel Good Autumn campaign to
encourage people to spend time in forests.
So where are the best places to go leaf peeping? TRISHA HARBORD brings you Top 10 spots at home and abroad . . .
Wye Valley
AS an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Wye Valley is hard to beat – and the best way to experience the area on the border of England and Wales, is to walk.
Celtic Trails runs an easy to moderate 136-mile walk over six to 16 days starting in Chepstow and ending in Hereford, Hay-on-Wye or Rhyd y Benwch.
It takes you through limestone gorges, along riverside trails and forest tracks and up to vantage points with amazing views.
There’s also a chance to visit the ruins of Tintern Abbey, built in 1131, and stay in book town Hay.
GO: A six-night Wye Valley walking break this month or October costs from £485, including B&B in farmhouses and inns, luggage transfers and route planning. See .
New England
AMERICANS came up with the term leaf-peeping and New England is the place to see a kaleidoscope of colour.
Billions of leaves in The Fall are just starting to change from green to orange, red, yellow and gold in Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire.
And you don’t have to go far to see the fabulous foliage at Sebasco Harbor Resort, Maine.
Set in 450 acres of woodland where you can hike to Merritt Mountain and Robinson’s Rock or see the leaf display dazzling in the sunshine from a kayak on the ocean which fringes the resort.
GO: Four nights’ room only at the 4V Sebasco Harbor Resort including Virgin Atlantic flights from Heathrow to Boston on October 4 and car hire, from £784 per person. See .
Kent
HAVE an adventure in the treetops on the UK’s longest and highest canopy walkway.
The new 350-metre trail is 20 metres above the ground at Groombridge Place, near Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
You will be getting as close as it gets to the autumnal golden leaves of oak, beech and chestnut trees which make up the ancient forest.
It’s a great day out for families as there are also rope swings, zip wires, a maze, a pirate ship Crusoe’s World and various animals and birds.
Nearby Hever Castle & Gardens also has guided tours of its Autumn Colour Trail, see hever castle.co.uk
GO: Groombridge Place entry adult £12.95, child 3-12 £9.95. From Oct 1, off-peak, £9.95 and £7.45.
Lake District
THE Forestry Commission’s Feel Good Autumn campaign lists Grizedale Forest as a top leaf-peeping spot.
Between Coniston and Windermere lakes, the beech, maple and oak trees provide a backdrop of stunning colour.
There are lots of marked trails for cyclists, who can choose a gentle ride along bridleways or an adrenalin rush down thrilling mountain routes.
Swing through the trees on zip wires at Go Ape! and look out for the 40 sculptures littered through the forest.
Staff at the visitor centre will help plan your day. See forestry. gov.uk/grizedale.
GO: Double room, with breakfast, at Grizedale Lodge, a former hunting lodge near Hawks-head, from £99 a night. See.
Highlands
THERE’S no better way of experiencing the great outdoors than setting up camp – with a bit of luxury.
Stay in a cool-looking Geodesic Dome at Loch Tay Lodges, with breathtaking views of the Ben Lawers mountain range.
The loch is surrounded by trees and is perfect for hiking or cycling, or getting in a canoe for a paddle on the loch. The domes, which sleep four, have a wood-burning stove, bean bags and lanterns.
You need to bring bedding, towels and crockery. The site, between Aber- feldy and Killin, also has a TV and games room and a restaurant.
GO: A dome sleeping up to two adults and two children costs from £75pp a night, minimum two-night stay. Lodges, wigwams and tents also available. See
London
THERE are new exhibitions and a giant hanging artwork of 375,000 flowers at Kew Gardens from October 7.
Learn how to become an expert tree-spotter with guided walks at the weekends in October.
The walks are held every day during school half-term (October 21-29) and families can discover the science behind why some leaves change colour during autumn.
See the gardens from the Kew Explorer train or from the 200m-long Treetop Walkway, 18 metres above the woodland floor.
GO: Adults £14, child 4-16 £2.50, under 4s free. Tube to Kew Gardens station. See
Northumberland
RED Squirrel Awareness Week starts on Saturday so why not try to spot one while admiring the colourful trees.
Family-friendly Landal Kielder Waterside, in the middle of Kielder Water & Forest Park, is home to half of England’s native red squirrels – and has a special viewing hut from which to watch them.
The award-winning resort has cycle and walking trails as well as the largest man-made lake in northern Europe, with a 26-mile shoreline.
There’s also a gym and children’s adventure play-ground. And to keep the tree theme going, you’ll stay in a wooden lodge.
GO: Four nights’ self-catering in a lodge with hot tub this autumn costs from £439 per person, based on four sharing. See
Champagne
ENJOY the vineyards of champagne when the grapes are picked, the weather is comfortably cooler and golds, browns and reds carpet the hillsides – and all less than three hours’ drive from France’s northern ports.
Stay in the champagne capital of Reims to discover the stunning Unesco Cathedral and explore nearby Epernay and Hautvillers where small producers and some of the world’s best champagne houses cultivate their vines.
GO: Three nights at the 4H Holiday Inn Reims from £202 per person. See . Return ferry Dover to Calais, two adults and car from £59. See .
Cornwall
GET lost in the Lost Gardens of Heligan as it bursts into vibrant orange and red hues.
Winding paths take you through more than 200 acres of trees and plants from all over the world.
The Jungle, with giant banana plantations and bamboo, is a highlight. Have fun, if you dare, wobbling along the 100ft rope bridge stretching across the jungle floor. It’s not as easy as it looks.
The gardens, near St Austell, have a harvest celebration of crafts, cookery and garden demos September 23 to October 8.
GO: Adult £14.50, child £6.50, under 5s free (). B&B at nearby The Vean at Caerhays Castle from £90 per person a night ().
Amsterdam
IF going deep into a forest isn’t for you, take a city leaf-peeping break.
With 400,000 trees binding its canal banks together, Amsterdam is one of the greenest cities in Europe.
So in autumn, more than a fifth of the Netherlands’ capital is bathed in orange and red foliage.
And as there are more bikes than people, it is eco-friendly too.
Hire a bike and ride along protected paths or in the many green spaces including Vondelpark and Rembrandtpark or take a boat trip along the tree-lined canals.
Amsterdam is buzzing between October 18 and 22, when the city hosts an electronic music event with more than 2,000 DJs and artists playing in clubs and bars.
GO: Two nights’ room-only at the four-star NH Amsterdam Museum Quarter Hotel, from London Southend on October 18 from £228 per person or from Manchester, including B&B at the hotel, from £232. See .
