While your answer to how to enjoy autumn in the UK will be largely a personal choice, we’ve collected some suggestions on how you can amplify your free time this year. From taking food hampers to the forest or attending a harvest festival, we have a wide range of exciting ideas for you.
Do British people use fall or autumn?
Fall is largely an American term. In the UK, we prefer to use autumn. It’s the more formal option. However, the even older term for fall and autumn is harvest. According to Dictionary.com; “It comes from the Old English word hærfest, of Germanic origin, perhaps with an underlying, ancient sense of “picking, plucking” (as in, picking fruits to harvest them).”
What is autumn like in the UK?
Autumn in the UK is largely mild. It runs from September to November. The colours of the leaves on many trees will change from green to orange, yellow, red and brown. The wind will pick up a soft chill and you’ll see seasonal foods like root and deep green veg, game birds and lamb on the menu again. As the days get shorter and the nights get colder, you may see some storms come in from the Atlantic bringing wet weather. However, it’s often dry and cool.
Where is the best autumn in the UK?
According to Countryfile, the best places to see the changing leaves in autumn are:
- Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire, England
- King Alfred’s Tower walk in Stourhead, Wiltshire, England
- Cardinham Woods, Cornwall, England
- Grizedale Forest, Lake District, England
- Bodenham Arboretum, Worcestershire, England
- Hope Valley, Derbyshire, England
- Trent and Mersey Canal, Staffordshire, England
- Grand Union Canal, Hertfordshire, England
- Tintern Abbey, Monmouthshire, England
- Thorp Perrow Arboretum, North Yorkshire, England
- Westonbirt National Arboretum, Gloucestershire, England
- Knightwood Oak Trail, New Forest, England
- Leeds and Liverpool Canal, North Yorkshire, England
- Kennet and Avon Canal, Wiltshire, England
- Pocklington Canal, Yorkshire, England
- Dove Crag in the Simonside Hills, Northumberland National Park, England
- Birks of Aberfeldy, Perthshire, Scotland
- Glen Affric, Highlands, Scotland
- Loch Katrine, Stirlingshire, Scotland
- Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal, Powys, Wales
- Llangollen Canal, Denbighshire, Wales
- St Mary’s Vale, Monmouthshire, Wales
- Stackpole, Pembrokeshire, Wales
- Glenariff Forest, County Down, Northern Ireland
- The Argory, County Armagh, Northern Ireland
- Tollymore Forest, County Down, Northern Ireland
How to enjoy autumn in the UK?
There’s no right way to enjoy autumn in the UK. We love the idea of taking The Grande to the New Forest and renting a cosy cabin with a hot tub. But going to nearly any park or national trust building will allow you to see the colours. If you want some family fun, pick up a pumpkin, carve it up and display it on your doorstep for your neighbours to admire. Or, score yourself a 2-for-1 to fright night at Thorpe Park or Scarefest at Alton Towers. Book a winery tour and sip some reds with your colleagues or visit a fall festival with your special someone. Stake out the black friday deals for a head start on your Christmas shopping or take a gentle stroll down the high street with a PSL in hand and be on the lookout for the perfect fall candle.
There’s no real wrong way to do autumn in the UK. Just get out there and get stuck in!
