Hello autumn!

The first of September is officially the meteorological start of autumn here in the UK. And the countryside is already changing. The mornings are already noticeably cooler with dew clinging to swaying grasses and sculptural seed heads.

View of a harvested farmer's field covered in stubble with a footpath to the right and a lone tree in the distance.
View through long yellow grass with a flower in the foreground. The colours are muted and autumnal.

Despite the subtle drop in temperature, the days remain warm and long – making for perfect hiking conditions. In the fields, summer crops have been harvested, leaving behind swathes of golden stubble, waiting to be ploughed for winter crops.

Birds gathered on and flying around a telephone wire against a blue sky with white clouds.
Close up of a field where the crops have been harvested and stubble stalks have been left behind.

Overhead, swifts, swallows and house martins gather on wires, preparing for their long migration south. And hedgerows are bursting with fruits and berries, providing vital food supplies for wild birds and animals.

Close up of red berries in a hedge with water droplets hanging off the berries, in the distance is a field of yellow stubble where wheat has been harvested.
A person is walking through long yellow grass in a field beneath a moody sky.

It’s a wonderful time of year to be out in the countryside – the start of the mellow, misty days of autumn.

If you’d like to hike into the English autumn in 2027 with Foot Trails, simply send us an email. We’d love to hear from you.

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