Autumn In The UK

Autumn is my favourite time of the year. We slowly come out of the long, warm, sunny days of summer and turn to the crisp, fresh mornings and dark afternoons of the autumn.

Traditionally, temperatures start to drop across the nation and by mid-September, you often need to dress up warmly with coat, hat, scarf, gloves and boots (or even wellies for those wet occasions). Although the ground can be muddy and soggy, the leaves look absolutely gorgeous; a mix of reds, browns, yellows and oranges. The last splash of colour before the leaves fall for winter. Conkers fall from horse chestnut trees in their spiky green shells for conker competitors to eagerly search for the perfect conker and become champion of the year.

So much of the UK landscape is pure nature, with numerous parks, mountains and gardens. The National Trust, in particular, maintains beautiful areas across the country, which are perfect for autumnal walks. And you’ll come across many creatures at this time of the year too; deer leaping across the fields, red squirrels bouncing around from tree to tree, pheasants displaying a range of colourful feathers, hedgehogs curling up in preparation for hibernation and dormice, running to safety from the harvest of fields.

There are many foods that come into season during autumn. The most notable is the pumpkin, a symbol of Halloween. The climate in the UK is optimal for pumpkins and you can often go pumpkin-picking at local farms. You’ll also find apples and pears, berry bushes, butternut squash, leeks, onions, potatoes. It’s the time of year to start cooking heavy autumn meals like toad in the hole, casserole, stew and soup.

The season is full of celebration too, starting with Oktoberfest celebrations and Halloween, going through Bonfire Night and Remembrance Sunday, ending with the Christmas light switch-on and markets to transition into winter.

Despite autumn being a beautiful season in nature, the clocks do fall back at the of October, leading to shorter, darker days and pitch black by the time you’ve finished work. It’s perfect to stay in and watch one of the many bingeable British TV series, such as Strictly Come Dancing, The Great British Bake Off or I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.

So, if you ever get the chance to visit the UK in autumn and you’re not afraid to wrap up warm, come visit in this gorgeous season and see how us Brits live at this time of the year.