Why Autumn walking in Britain is simply fantastic
There’s something glorious about walking in Britain during the autumn months. Here’s our pick of the reasons why it pays to don your walking boots after summer has gone.
Peace returns
In September you can almost sense the sigh of relief in some hotspots as peace descends after the holidaymakers have left and the ice cream vans have trundled away.
Take Lulworth cove and Durdle Door in Dorset – the coastal path between these two popular landmarks is said to be one of the busiest in summer and yet by late September it becomes far quieter. On a still day in November you can even have beaches virtually to yourself and enjoy the rich pickings of fossils along this stretch of Jurassic coastline.
There’s also less jostling as you walk through the old parts of Whitby or the fishing villages of Staithes and Robin Hood’s Bay making it easier to appreciate the heritage along this stretch of the North York Moors coastline. If it’s blustery, then it’s quite a sight looking at the power of sea as it thunders towards shore.
The colour show
By late autumn the countryside is having one last blast with the trees trying to outdo each by donning their show colours. With the canopies turning red, gold, orange and every other shade in between, there is nowhere finer than finding a woodland route to simply gawp at the display and enjoy a bit of leaf scuffing.
The New Forest has to be up there in the must-do places during this time with a plentiful network of trails to be explored that take in the autumnal colours including the Bolderwood Arboretum.
Tackle a higher peak before winter descends
Grab the opportunity to bag a few of the loftier peaks before winter weather reduces the chances of hiking in upland areas.
How about tackling Pen y Fan, the highest peak in South Wales during a weekend in the Brecon Beacons or Kinder Scout, the loftiest point in the Peak District.
Autumn’s stillness or bluster
It matters not whether it’s a calm day with the sun’s rays gently cutting through the mist or a wild one as a lively wind plays havoc with the leaves, there’s something really energising about a good old autumn walk.
For instance in the Lake District you could be admiring the mirror images of the surrounding hills that appear on the beautifully still surface of Derwent water one day while the next you might be scuffing through the leaves along the shores of Ullswater as they’re whipped into action during a blustery day.
Alternatively atmospheric brooding skies make it easier to imagine ancient times when you’re passing an Iron Age hill fort or Neolithic settlement in a remote spot in the Land of Legends that is Snowdonia.
Do something different
Before we all hibernate and hunker down for winter, autumn is a great time for a weekend away that involves doing something different.
So with that in mind our pick would include heading to the North York Moors National Park in October for the re-enactment of the World War ll victory celebrations where you get to combine some lovely walks with a ride on the steam train and enjoy the revelry.
Alternatively it could be that after months spent gaining confidence in hill walking you’re now keen to learn how to do more of the navigation yourself which would make one of our weekends in the Lake District a perfect fit.