England Autumn Road Trip 🍂🚗🧣
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Discover some of the most scenic and colourful autumn destinations across England — from forests to golden valleys and grand estates.
England Autumn Road Trip Itinerary Summary
📍 New Forest (Tall Trees Trail) 🌳
📍 Stourhead 🍁
📍 Castle Combe 🏘️
📍 Westonbirt, The National Arboretum 🍂
📍 Chatsworth House 🍃
📍 Castleton ⛰️
📍 Chester 🐿️
📍 York 🏰
📍 Dalby Forest (Bridestones) 🌲
📍 Cragside, Northumberland 🍄
📍 Grasmere 🌾
📍 Ribblehead Viaduct 🌉
Total Distance: 🚗 Approx. 750 miles
📸 Photos & Info are located further down. Keep scrolling to see all these places. ⬇️
This autumn road trip is filled with forest trails, scenic drives, and cosy towns — ideal for crisp walks, leaf spotting and seasonal photo stops. 🍃📸🧤
Get the FREE England Autumn Road Trip Map!
🚗 Need a car for this road trip?
If you don’t have your own car, I’d really recommend renting one — it gives you the flexibility to stop at each waterfall and explore at your own pace.
I usually use DiscoverCars to compare prices and find the best deals across different rental companies.
👉 It’s really easy to use:
- Compare multiple providers in one place
- Cheaper than booking direct
- Free cancellation on most options
- Their 3rd party insurance is a lot cheaper
- They have a great customer service for claims (though I hope you won’t have to use it!
Additional Information & Highlights
📍 New Forest National Park
📍 Stourhead
📍 Castle Combe
The most famous village in the Cotswolds.
🗺️ Things To Do:
– Walk down to Water Lane (best photo spot in the village)
– Discover Dower House (A Dr. Dolittle Filming Location)
– Have a stroll in the village
– Visit St. Andrew’s Church
– Check Out the Market Cross and the Old Water Pump
– Walk Along the Bybrook River
🅿️ Parking: There is a large carpark at the top of the village (pay and display). From there it takes 5 to 10 minutes to walk down to the village.
📍 Westonbirt Arboretum
📍Chatsworth House
One of England’s most beautiful stately homes, Chatsworth is set in a beautiful parkland by the River Derwent.
🗺️ Things To Do:
– Visit the House
– Stroll through the formal gardens and water features
– Visit the farmyard and playground (great for kids)
– Walk scenic trails around the estate
🎅 Christmas: Christmas at Chatsworth is a magical experience. There is a light trail and loads of beautiful decorations. It’s on from November to beginning of January but tickets sell out fast.
🎟️ Tickets: You can book online here. Make sure to book in advance if you are visiting during Peak Season or at Christmastime.
📍 Castleton
📍 Chester
📍 York
📍 Dalby Forest (Bridestones)
📍 Cragside
📍Grasmere
An absolutely stunning village, once home to William Wordsworth, and where you can find the world famous The Grasmere Gingerbread.
🗺️ Things To Do:
– Get gingerbread from the The Grasmere Gingerbread Shop
– Go to Wordsworth Daffodil Garden
– Visit Dove Cottage and The Wordsworth Museum
– Go to St. Oswald’s Church
– Visit Allan Bank
🅿️ Parking: Stock Lane Car Park (pay and display) is very convenient but it can be very busy in summer or on a sunny day.
📍 Ribblehead Viaduct 🚂
Located over the border between Cumbria and North Yorkshire, the Ribblehead Viaduct has 24 arches and is the most impressive landmark on the Settle-Carlisle railway.
🚆How to get there: One of the best way to get there is obviously with the train. Stop at the Ribblehead station.
🅿️Parking: You can find parking spots on the side of the road just past the pub.
🍺Pub: The Station Inn is a place to stop at for a drink or some food. They have a beer garden with views over the viaduct which is particularly nice in summer.
🥾From the road, it only takes 10 minutes to get to the viaduct (½ mile). It’s a dirt path though so make sure you have appropriate sh
