Top 5 places in UK for Autumn Photography

Arguably the UK's best season. You have to admit, we do it pretty well. With more leaves than you can shake a stick at (often causing more leaves) there's a whole host of great places to soak up the Autumn colours. Here's just a few of our favourites:

New Forest

The New forest just can’t keep off our lists at the moment, and with good reason. Few places showcase Autumn any better than the secluded woodlands of Hampshire. One place to make sure you get to is Bramshaw village in the north of the forest, the spiritual home of the ‘Pannage Pigs’. Every Autumn, you have the rare opportunity to see the domestic pigs let loose in the New Forest to clear the area of acorns and other seeds that are poisonous to the indigenous wild ponies. This ancient practice has been happening since the 11th century, and it’s now the only place in the UK where you can still see it. The fact that they’re domesticated will make sure you get an excellent up-close and personal view of them, so don’t miss this opportunity!

Forest of Dean

The often forgotten about Forest of Dean is definitely a must-see for Autumn photographers. Tucked away on the border of England and Wales and following the course of the river Wye, this designated area of outstanding natural beauty, has plenty to offer an eager nature-buff. The very definition of peace originated here, unlike some of our other picks, it’s likely that you may not spot another person walking through this region. One of the prettiest areas is around Dymock Woods, home to dozens of different walks and hikes that take you through a variety of different landscapes. For the more robust walkers out there, there’s an 18 mile hike around Dymock called ‘Poet’s Path’. The route specifically takes you past places of interest, associated with famous poets of the area, for any keen literary folk who have a decent pair of hiking boots, this is a must.

Westonbirt Arboretum

Home to our National Arboretum. Whilst this may not be what we think of as the “wildy-wildy-wild”, you’ll certainly feel like it in this vast expanse of forests and quaint orchards. The must-see attraction here is the impressive redwood forest. The dauntingly tall trees will look even more red amongst all the leaf litter that Autumn brings, you’ll be able to take some excellent photos looking upward to the very tops of the oldest known species of tree in the world.

Kew Gardens

A gem of a spot in West London is home to a stunning array of both British and Tropical flora. Heading here in Autumn not only assures you’ll miss the majority of the crowds and will be able to take some brilliant photos. For a different take on things head to the Japanese Garden where you’ll feel a sense of peace and clam amid the hustle and bustle of the Chiswick streets.

The treetop-walkway is another must for visitors, but not for those with potential height issues! A stroll through the orange and brown canopies and you’ll be singing the opening line to “California Dreamin’” over and over again it’ll drive you insane (in a good way).

Stourhead Gardens

Wiltshire is such an underrated county on the national scale of beauty. But with not one, but three national parks and a dozen national trust locations throughout, you really should be heading here over Autumn, specifically to Stourhead Gardens. One of the many pearls in the Wiltshire undergrowth is the 1,072 hectare estate, featuring a huge Palladian Mansion, the village of Stourton and of course its iconic lake and temple. Wandering around the woods and grassland will give you no end of opportunities to create ‘leaf-angels’ and take the cheesiest family autumn photo in amongst the colours possible.

Wherever you find yourself taking photos, make sure you've got all your equipment covered. Head to our camera insurance page, and take a look at what we can do for you.