“I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house”
Nathaniel Hawthorne, The American Notebooks
Nathanial Hawthorne makes an excellent point, and one that rings true with me. When the days are gradually becoming shorter and signs of approaching winter are evident in the chill of the air and the turning of the leaves, absorbing as much autumn sunshine as possible is a very good idea.
Tempting though it might be to take to the sofa and hibernate under a blanket until April, our bodies and soul will thank us for pulling on a cosy jumper and a woolen scarf and stepping outside. The changing of the seasons is always theatrical, but perhaps no more so than when summer turns to autumn, and for a few short weeks, leaves on the trees turn from acid green to russet red and golden yellow. Paths become buried under a carpet of burnished foliage and shiny brown conkers litter London’s parks.
London does not drift quietly into Winter, it enters in a resounding blaze of glory. The deckchairs may have been tidied away for another year, but the parks themselves remain vibrant with colour and life. To ignore London’s beauty in autumn would be a grave error indeed.
London is full of gardens and open spaces in which to walk and capture the essence of autumn and bathe in her golden hues. Those weeks from around mid October until early November are the best ones to capture this and there are some wonderful places to do it.
St James Park
St James Park is the oldest of the Royal parks and is at the centre of London’s renowned royal ceremonies. Walk from Buckingham palace, through the park to the blue bridge and enjoy autumnal views across to Horse Guards Parade, Big Ben and the London Eye.
Regents Park
Regents Park is a delight at any time of year. It is filled with blossom in spring and Queen Mary’s rose garden in summer never fails to delight. However, in autumn the avenues of trees are a mass of golden leaves. With benches conveniently positioned beneath them, this is a lovely place to stop and admire the canopy above you.
Osterley Park and House
Owned by the National Trust and just a 32 minute tube ride on the Piccadilly line from Leicester Square is the peace and tranquility of Osterley Park and House. Despite its nearness to central London it does indeed feel a world away. In autumn the trees are full of brass and amber,tones and the warm light against the red brick of the house is beautiful.
Kynance Mews
Kynance in Mews in South Kensington is top of all London instagrammers autumn images. This however, should not stop you from visiting. It is known for the waterfall of russet leaves around the archway entrance to the mews. Houses within the mews are also papered with swathes of red leaves.
Hampstead
Hampstead, both the heath and the village are lovely places to bathe in an autumn glow. Grand houses are shrouded in the rich vegetation of trees and climbers which have stood the test of time. Keat’s house where the author of the celebrated poem ‘To Autumn’ lived and worked is a must. Red berries and auburn leaf frame the entrance to Keat’s elegant former home. A weekend pub lunch after a walk on Hampstead Heath is always on my autumnal list.
Chiswick House and Gardens
This is one of my favourite places to escape to at any time of year. The large gardens are a perfect mixture of wild and woodland combined with more formally presented flower beds. There are lots of tree lined paths to wander through at will. The ochre color palette of autumn can be seen against the backdrop of the elegant white neo palladian house or in the wilderness of the wild gardens.
Greenwich Park, Richmond Park and Holland Park are also not to be missed. Whichever part of London you call home, or wherever your wanderlust leads you, you are never far from a glorious autumnal display.
If you are looking for a book to accompany your autumnal wanderings then I highly recommend Quartet in Autumn by Barbara Pym.
Beautiful photos Angie. Really show the shades of Autumn. xx
Author
Thank you. The autumn colours are so striking aren’t they xx
Yes fabulous photos. I totally agree with getting out in the autumn sunshine but for me it’s the river that fascinates and thrills me!
Author
Thank you so much. The river is really lovely too at this time of year xx