As the leaves turn, the temperature drops and the sunlight shifts, this is one of the best times to get outdoors and enjoy everything the countryside has to offer. From cider tastings in ancient orchards to misty woodland walks, sunrise photography workshops and alfresco feasts under canopies of fiery foliage, we’ve rounded up 22 of the best (grown-up) days out around the country. Want to make a weekend of it? Some include cosy cottages and luxury spa stays.
At the heart of Gibside’s Georgian gardens, The Avenue is a fabulous sight in autumn, lined with 200-year-old oaks, maples and beeches that glow in rusty oranges and golden hues. Spot colourful waxcaps on woodland walks (including the scarlet, ballerina and amethyst), bright berries, as well as birds such as siskins, chiffchaffs, nuthatches and treecreepers. Take in sweeping views at Snipes Dene or the riverside, where the colours can be seen at their finest in the late afternoon golden light. For a hearty pub lunch, head to the Woodmans Arms (a ten-minute drive from Gibside’s gardens) for its excellent homemade pies (thewoodmansarms.com).
Details Open daily 10am-5pm, entry £17
Mount Stewart, Newtownards, County Down
The north side of the house at Mount Stewart, County Down
NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/JAMES DOBSON
Home to a fabulous array of trees from around the world, Mount Stewart’s collection includes Japanese maples, American sweetgums and red maples, creating a rich tapestry of reds and oranges. Wildlife hides in the gardens, allowing visitors to spot red squirrels, pine martens and a variety of birds, while there are a further ten miles of walking trails through woodlands and farmland beyond the estate. On October 25 there will be a special autumn art workshop held outside in the gardens (weather permitting), focusing on intricate drawings of plants and flowers, and including a tour of the grounds from Mount Stewart’s assistant head gardener (11am-3.30pm; £45).
Details Open daily 10am-5pm, entry from £12
Cliveden, Taplow, Buckinghamshire 
The Japanese Water Garden at Cliveden
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Cliveden’s Japanese-style Water Garden comes alive in autumn, with acers turning brilliant shades and the paperbark tree revealing its chestnut-brown peeling bark. The recently restored fountains sparkle in October’s golden sunlight, while the Long Garden has been newly planted with more than 6,500 perennials, offering colourful displays through the season. Set within the grounds on the banks of the Thames, Cliveden New Cottage has latticed windows, a log-burning fire and a patio where you can watch boats passing by on the river (from £604 for two nights). Or, of course, you could splash out on a stay at the luxurious Cliveden House Hotel and Spa, overlooking the garden’s fabulous formal lawns (double rooms from £445, clivedenhouse.co.uk).
Details Open daily 9.30am-5.30pm, entry £21
Sheffield Park and Garden, Uckfield, East Sussex
Autumn colour at Sheffield Park and Garden, East Sussex
NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/LAURENCE PERRY
Created over several centuries of landscape design, including influences from Capability Brown and Humphry Repton, these world-famous gardens are known for their autumn displays. Four lakes across the grounds create particularly dazzling views, reflecting the fiery reds and oranges of Japanese maples. The gardens will be running Early Autumn Colour Mornings, when visitors can enjoy the garden in peaceful morning light (8am-9am on October 15 and 22, and November 5, £15 per person) as well as autumn photography and foraging workshops on various dates in October.
Details Open daily 9am-5pm, entry £18
Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden, Ripon, North Yorkshire
This Unesco world heritage site offers dramatic autumn views, with reflective pools and tree-lined avenues glowing in shades of red, yellow and brown. Top viewing spots include looking across the Water Garden from the Octagon Tower and Tent Hill, the reveal of the abbey from Anne Boleyn’s Seat at the Surprise View, as well as from the deer park, where lime trees stretch toward Ripon Cathedral. A number of cottages are dotted across the Fountains estate — the newest, The Boot Room, is a little bolt hole for two, set within the deer park, once used by the estate gamekeepers (from £329 for two nights). A ten-minute drive from the cottage takes you to Ripon town centre, while the windswept wilds and walking trails of the Yorkshire Dales are just under an hour away.
Details Open daily 10am-4.30pm, entry £21
• Seven of the UK’s cosiest days out this autumn
Stourhead, near Mere, Wiltshire
The Palladian Bridge in Stourhead Gardens, Wiltshire
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Often likened to scenes from New England, Stourhead’s landscape garden is bursting into colour with flame-red cypresses, golden tulip trees and pink-red dogwoods. Follow weekly updates on foliage changes on the National Trust’s social media and join a special First Light photography session to capture the trees’ golden hour at sunrise (7.30am-9am on October 21, 24, 28 and 31; £10 per person). In a secluded spot at the entrance to the gardens, you’ll find Church Lawn cottage, with views over to the village church and original features such as wooden floors and an open fire (nationaltrust.org.uk; from £494 for two nights) — another option if you want to have the garden on your doorstep at first light.
Details Open daily 9am-4.30pm, entry £22
Inverewe Garden, Wester Ross, Scottish Highlands
Inverewe Garden, Scottish Highlands
NATIONAL TRUST FOR SCOTLAND
This remote Highland garden on the Atlantic coast was originally designed for heritage produce — fruit, vegetables, cut flowers and ornamental plants — still grown here today, from Shetland Black potatoes to curled Scotch kale. Wildlife spotters should look out for Scotland’s big five — red squirrels, red deer, otters, seals and golden eagles — while trees including maples, cherries, mountain ash and Sargent’s rowans put on a fabulous show throughout October along Jubilee Walk, in shades of orange, pink and dark red, with clusters of bright red berries.
Details Open daily 9.30am-4.30pm, entry £15
• A brilliant year for British apples
Six orchard toursPriorwood Garden, Melrose, Scottish Borders
Priorwood Garden, Scottish Borders
With views across to Melrose Abbey, this orchard may have been part of the kitchen garden for the monks. Over 70 varieties of apples are still grown here, as well as plums, peaches, mulberries and pears. Once you’ve worked up an appetite with a stroll through the gardens, stop off for lunch at the Provender Restaurant and Bar (provendermelrose.com) around the corner — serving dishes such as Orkney king scallop and brown shrimp gratin (£7.50) followed by pan-seared pigeon breast with peas à la Française, girolles and blackberry jus (£24).
Details Open daily 10am-5pm, entry free (nts.org.uk)
Broome Farm, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire 
Broome Farm, Herefordshire
Visitors to family-run Broome Farm, home to the Ross-on-Wye Cider & Perry Company, can follow self-led 3-mile and 1.5-mile routes through the historic apple and pear orchards, or join a guided tour, with tasting stops en route (£20pp; minimum group size of four). Stay overnight in the on-site B&B, or, new for this year, in one of two wooden cabins with views across the orchard and down across the Peterstow Valley basin, where the Wellsbrook stream runs (three nights’ self-catering from £330). The family’s pub, the Yew Tree, is just five minutes down the road, which serves excellent wood-fired pizzas.
Details rosscider.com
The Newt, near Bruton, Somerset
An apple extravaganza at the Newt, Somerset
Head down to the orchards surrounding chic hotel the Newt on October 18-19 for a two-day celebration of all things apple, from juice pressing to “cyder tastings”, as well as tractor tours through the orchards to learn about the history of Somerset cider-making. Food is a highlight here: expect a fabulous menu of estate meats and vegetables cooked over an open fire, accompanied by live music. Should you wish to treat yourself to an overnight stay in one of the hotel’s luxe rooms, B&B doubles start from £785. (NB: membership is required for all tours and events, and members can bring up to six guests a day on a day pass; £18 each.)
Details thenewtinsomerset.com
• The 20 most glorious autumn walks in Britain
Acorn Bank, near Penrith, Cumbria
Apples at Acorn Bank, Cumbria
NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/ANNAPURNA MELLOR
Wander through Acorn Bank’s beautiful traditional orchards, sample freshly picked fruit from the estate’s 175 apple varieties (including Keswick Codlin, Howgate Wonder and Pitmaston Pineapple) every weekend until the harvest ends on November 1. You can also join a guided tour of the orchards on October 12 or October 19 and buy hand-picked heritage apples in the courtyard to take home (available every day). Beyond the orchard there are wonderful gardens to explore, with lily ponds, vibrant herbaceous borders, walled gardens and a medicinal herb garden.
Details Open daily 10.30am-5pm, entry £10 (nationaltrust.org.uk)
Ardress House, Portadown, Co Armagh
Set in the middle of orchard country in Northern Ireland, 17th-century Ardress House is surrounded by terraced gardens, apple orchards and an ornate rose garden. Visit on October 12 when the estate is hosting Apple Sunday, including talks about the history and varieties of apples grown in Co Armagh, plus the chance to pick and press apples yourself and taste local cider. There will also be blacksmith demonstrations, live music and a craft market.
Details Open Saturday and Sunday 11am-5pm, entry £8.50 (nationaltrust.org.uk)
Clumber Park, near Worksop, Nottinghamshire
The Ornamental Bridge at Clumber Park, Notts
NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/STEVE BRADLEY
Visit Clumber Park’s orchards on October 17 or 18 to join the annual Apple Celebration weekend, when there will be apple pressing and tastings (over 70 varieties are grown here), talks from experts on pruning and grafting, plus guided tours of the gardens and orchards. For after-hours access to Clumber Park’s 3,800-acre estate, book a stay in Carburton Lodge South, an 18th-century cosy cottage sleeping two on the edge of the estate, with its own log-burning stove (one night’s self-catering from £260). From here you could also explore the majestic Sherwood Forest and see the Major Oak in all its splendour, just a 20-minute drive away.
Details Open daily 10am-4pm, entry £6 (nationaltrust.org.uk)
Five glorious woodlandsBorrowdale Woods, near Keswick, Cumbria
Autumn in Borrowdale, Cumbria
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The woodlands that cloak these hills are surviving fragments of an enormous ancient forest that once stretched from Scotland all the way down the west coast of England and Wales. Mainly oak, they are home to red squirrels, deer and various birds of prey, and have a number of walking trails to follow. Book a table at the Yew Tree, a popular little pub nearby, backed by mountain views. Traditional dishes might include a weekly changing shortcrust pie served with buttery mash, confit carrot, seasonal greens and red wine gravy (£22), or Honister IPA battered haddock with chunky chips, mushy peas and grilled lemon (£19.50, theyewtree1628.com).
Details nationaltrust.org.uk
Pendarves Woods, near Camborne, Cornwall
This ancient woodland of oak, beech and birch trees is dotted throughout with streams and ponds, home to otters and kingfishers. Take a walk here in autumn, when the leaves above you are every shade of gold and bronze, and look out for a variety of fungi on the woodland floor. For lunch, stop off at the nearby farm shop, deli and restaurant Trevaskis Farm — dishes on the menu include Greek baked feta in filo with Trevaskis Farm honey drizzle, followed by South Devon beef featherblade served with crispy potatoes, cavolo nero and red wine jus (£25.95 for three courses; trevaskisfarm.co.uk). You can also pick your own blackberries, raspberries and runner beans to take home.
Details cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk
Felbrigg woods, near Cromer, Norfolk
Beech trees in Felbrigg woods, Norfolk
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Follow paths through the oak, sweet chestnut, hawthorn and sycamore woods that surround 17th-century Felbrigg Hall, and you’ll find two beautiful avenues of beech trees, a tranquil lake and a historic 14th-century church. A tea room here serves soups, sandwiches and afternoon teas, or you could head to the coast for lunch, just a ten-minute drive away. Fino in Cromer is a small bistro just a few minutes’ walk from the sea with an excellent, short menu of dishes, such as crispy crab fritters with lime (£13) followed by house-made gnocchi with rainbow chard, spinach, crème fraîche and parmesan espuma (£17; finocromer.co.uk).
Details nationaltrust.org.uk
Queenswood Arboretum, Leominster, Herefordshire
Queenswood Arboretum, Herefordshire
STEVE ADAMS
In the heart of Herefordshire, this 47-acre arboretum puts on a fabulous autumn display, with walking trails that lead beneath trees that are already turning vibrant shades of red, gold and burgundy. The Autumn Garden is a highlight, featuring Japanese maples, rowans, tupelos and liquidambar trees, as well as the Redwood Grove, which is especially striking in the autumn light. (Autumn tree trails are available at the visitor centre or can be downloaded from the Queenswood website.) Surrounding the arboretum there’s also a further 123 acres of native woodland that tend to remain quiet and peaceful, even on busy days.
Details herefordshirewt.org
Falls of Clyde, Lanark 
Corra Linn, Falls of Clyde, Lanark
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Famous for its spectacular waterfalls, including the 80ft Corra Linn, a beautiful walking trail here follows the banks of the River Clyde through woodlands in their full autumn glory, offering breathtaking views of the falls themselves. Start the signposted walk from the visitor centre at New Lanark, keeping an eye out for kingfishers and otters along the way. A 15-minute drive from here you will find the Carmichael Estate, with a bistro and farm shop selling local cheeses, chutneys, honey and biscuits, as well as venison, beef and lamb from the estate, plus 12 self-catering cottages dotted across the estate (carmichael.co.uk).
Details scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk
Four pumpkin patchesCrockford Bridge Farm, near Weybridge, Surrey
The Pumpkin Festival at Crockford Bridge Farm, Surrey
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From today (October 11) to October 19 (excluding Monday October 13), visitors to the farm can pick their own pumpkins to take home — the family’s recipe for pumpkin pie is available on their website — and enjoy wood-fired pizzas, crispy fried chicken in brioche buns and freshly grilled waffles with ice cream from street food trucks (pumpkin picking open daily, 10am-5pm, £7.50pp; street food, weekends only). On November 9 there will also be a special one-off woodland retreat day (10am-4pm) that will include forest bathing, meditation, a tea ceremony in the woods and a delicious feast created with local produce and presented on a banqueting table inside one of the farm’s cosy barns (£110pp).
Details crockfordbridgefarm.co.uk
Strawberry Fields, Lifton, Devon
Head down to this family-run farm shop and bakery when, every weekend in October (plus weekdays during half-term), there are pick-your-own pumpkin sessions, homemade ice cream, freshly made doughnuts and wood-fired pizzas on offer (£4.95pp). Live music will be playing outside beside a pop-up bar, while lunch in the farm shop’s restaurant includes local cheeseboards, freshly baked bread (made daily), and dishes created using produce from the estate. Evening pumpkin-picking sessions will also run on October 17, 18, 24 and 25, with added fire shows and marshmallow toasting over a bonfire (£11.95pp).
Details strawberryfieldslifton.co.uk
Sunnyfields Farm, Totton, Hampshire
Pumpkins at Sunnyfields Farm, Hampshire
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The same family have run this farm for 35 years, growing a vast range of different produce and running their own butchery — their excellent farm shop is worth a visit. Throughout October visitors can pick their own pumpkins, follow trails across the farm past colourful pumpkin displays, and, if you visit later in the day, listen to live music from 6.30pm and follow an illuminated trail around the site (open daily 9.30am-7.30pm; £6.50pp). Homemade soups, burgers, quiches and pastries are available in the restaurant, as well as delicious cakes and cream teas (open from 8.30am-7pm).
Details sunnyfields.co.uk
Bates Farm, Warrington, Cheshire
While the pumpkins are in season Bates Farm has opened a food court with local food trucks selling wood-fired pizzas, freshly made crêpes, cakes and coffees. Out on the farm there are thousands of pumpkins to choose between in a range of sizes and colours, with picking sessions available on weekends until Sunday October 26 and also from October 27-29 (£15 per car).
Details batesfarm.co.uk
For more information and to find gardens and orchards near you, visit nationaltrust.org.uk
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