Inspiration

Our favourite places to stay for autumn colour

Sawday's Expert

5 min read

When summer ends, the real holiday season begins. The same great places are less crowded, less expensive to visit, and glad to have the custom outside of peak times. With the simple precaution of taking a waterproof as well as the sunscreen, you can enjoy beaches, gardens and sites of historical interest in peace and at your leisure. Here are some of our favourite spots for a trip in the next few months.

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Outdoor activities

Powys

With the Dyfi forest taking on its autumn colours and the rivers and waterfalls swelling to a roar as the rainfall increases, a trip to the Welsh valleys is even more misty and magical than normal. If you fancy staying dry, then visit Powis Castle and browse the collection of antiques and art, nipping out to explore the gardens if the sun’s out, resting happily in the café if it’s not.

Stay at: The Royston, a stylish B&B with breathtaking views from the bedrooms and homegrown food at breakfast.

Oxfordshire

Now that the summer crowds have dispersed, you can explore Blenheim Palace and Chastleton House, regarded by many as the finest Jacobean house in Britain, with a bit more space and time to appreciate the art and architecture. Or drop in to Batsford Arboretum and the gardens at Hidcote for a bit of natural beauty before heading over to the Hook Norton Brewery for a warming pint of real ale.

Stay at: The King’s Head Inn, a classic pub, on a village green with wonky stone walls and low doorways of thick wooden beams

Somerset

Is it a cliché to link Somerset and cider? Yes, perhaps. But is it still the best place to go to sample a drop or two? Definitely. At Burrow Hill Cider, there are still a couple of Cider Bus Weekends to go. In these popular events, the Burrow Hill team drive their brightly painted double-decker cider bar into the orchard and accompany the drinks with food from a guest chef. A fine way to see out the summer.

Stay at: Holm, a restaurant that matches the standard of its food with exquisite comfort in the bedrooms upstairs

Skye

Travelling out of season is the best way to see Skye. It means less-crowded trails and easier driving on the narrow roads, as well as giving you a slightly higher chance of booking into the Michelin-starred and wonderful Loch Bay, although you should still get in as early as you can. Also, the night drawing in means great stargazing in skies that rank a two on the Bortle scale, second only to parts of the world where it’s a lot less fun to be.

Stay at: Mint Croft, a turf-roofed bolthole on a northern spur of the island, overlooking waters where orcas and dolphins are occasionally spotted

Yorkshire

As menus ripen and redden with autumnal flavour, where better to taste it all than Malton, the food capital of the north? The struggling market town was reinvented, with breathtaking success, as a showcase for the region’s artisans, growers, producers and chefs. Visit on market days to see it all laid out, or visit at any time and explore the delis, pubs and eateries, hitting the North York Moors afterwards to walk it all off.

Stay at: The Little Abode, a B&B where breakfast is delivered to your door in the garden bolthole and there’s a firepit for sitting up late at night

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Christopher Wilson-Elmes

Sawday's Expert

Chris is our in-house copywriter, with a flair for turning rough notes and travel tales into enticing articles. Raised in a tiny Wiltshire village, he was desperate to travel and has backpacked all over the world. Closer to home, he finds himself happiest in the most remote and rural places he can find, preferably with a host of animals to speak to, some waves to be smashed about in and the promise of a good pint somewhere in his future.

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