Autumn travel spectacular

Why bother flying all the way to New England when you can enjoy the wonderful Fall colours in Old England? Several National Trust (nationaltrust.org.uk) gardens are a riot of blazing colours, from parchment yellows to flaming golds, blush pinks to roaring scarlets, plum purples to deep crimsons.

Leaf peepers (as Fall fanatics are known in the US) will be thrilled by the spectacular displays at Calke Abbey in Derbyshire, home to some of the oldest trees in England, Lyme Park in Cheshire, Mount Stewart in County Down, Sheffield Park Garden in East Sussex and, most famously, Stourhead in Wiltshire.

John Keats’ famous poem Ode To Autumn, in which he describes it as the 'season of mists and mellow fruitfulness', was inspired by a walk he took through the gorgeous water meadows besides the River Itchen, just a stroll away from Winchester's magnificent cathedral. Much of the town is unchanged little since Keats' visit in 1819, its medieval buildings still 'mixed up with trees.'

For autumnal cosiness and good food, stay at the historic Wykeham Arms (wykehamarmswinchester.co.uk), the Good Pub Guide's 'town pub of the year'.

The Forestry Commission nurtures a broad range of trees, including scores of deciduous species. Its aptly named leisure 'branch', Forest Holidays (forestholidays.co.uk), offers the most natural of autumnal breaks, staying in wooden cabins on eight sites (in Cornwall, Gloucestershire, North Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Scotland and Hampshire).

Designed with the environment in mind, the cabins, which are available in three styles/price bands and sleep from two to eight, feature floor to ceiling windows, some with private hot tubs and wood-burning stoves. All sites offer lots of on-site activities and you can even pre-order your groceries and have them already unpacked for your arrival.

The owner of the eco-friendly boutique B&B Cottage Lodge (cottagelodge.co.uk), Christina Simons, is gradually incorporating the New Forest within her 16-room property in Brockenhurst by using beds hand-made from salvaged trees. Local tree surgeon and wood sculptor Rob Dyer has crafted much of the furniture, including tables in the Fallen Tree restaurant. The latest addition is a beautiful bed made from a fallen 200-year-old oak recovered from a farm.

Visit Gravetye (gravetyemanor.co.uk), an Elizabethan manor near East Grinstead, West Sussex, in Autumn and you'll enjoy seasonal dishes based on organic produce largely grown within its 1.5-acre walled garden or sourced locally. As chef Rupert Gleadow explains, it's the season for 'many amazing fruits, including blackberries, figs, raspberries, plums, apples and pears, while the variety of squash and brassicas alone could populate a dozen menus'.

Scotland specialist, McKinlay Kidd (seescotlanddifferently.co.uk) has a one-week self-drive itinerary that captures glorious autumnal delights at every turn. It begins in the Cairngorm National Park, with the chance to witness the red deer rut: a spectacular annual event during which stags battle for dominance and the chance to mate. Then it’s over to the Isle of Skye, where Autumn leaves turn every shade of copper and gold, and on to the Trossachs to watch migrating birds and overwintering wildfowl arrive from colder climates.

From £755 in October for stay in a B&B including a ferry to Skye.

Westonbirt (forestry.gov.uk), the 600-acre National Arboretum, boasts Britain’s largest collection of Japanese maples and is the best-known showcase in the Cotswolds for Autumn foliage. But anyone looking for a perfect Fall weekend should also include the bonfire of colours in the Batsford Arboretum (batsarb.co.uk), known as the Cotswolds' secret garden.

In the nearby Forest of Dean there’s an easy-to-follow, 20-mile Royal Forest Route (royalforestofdean.info) around the most magical broadleaf forest in Britain - an inspiration for both Tolkien and JK Rowling. Be sure to include an unforgettable drive along the aptly-named Golden Mile.

Scare the kids by visiting some of the country’s spookiest sites at Halloween, the time when all good ghosts and ghouls apparate into action. Among the scary happenings at English Heritage properties (english-heritage.org.uk) are an evening ghost tour of Audley End, Essex (October 31), a stroll through the wartime tunnels at Dover Castle, Kent (November 2) and a torchlight exploration of Bolsover Castle, Derbyshire (25-26 October), where some of its previous residents will be simply dying to meet you.

On 13 October, the annual World Conker Championships take place at the Shuckburgh Arms near Oundle, Northamptonshire. This classic Autumn spectacle, which first took place in 1965, sees modern-day gladiators from all over the world in combat, armed with just a horse chestnut and 12-inches of string. Anyone can enter (by registering at worldconkerchampionships.com), or just come and enjoy a fun, family day out, with stalls and sideshows, plus a raffle in aid of charities for the visually impaired.

Read more travel advice here and remember to book your next holiday or mini-break through goodhousekeepingtravel.co.uk