As autumn arrives we always realise how much we love this time of year. The sadness of saying goodbye to summer is instantly alleviated by the rich colours of the woodland and welcome smells of woodsmoke and moss.
It’s also the sporting season for those who enjoy country pursuits, and the best time of year to bottle hedgerow wines and liqueurs.
Ready for battle: just before dawn, a fallow deer prepares to ward off other suitors. Britain’s red and sika deer also rut in the autumn
Double the delight: Autumn’s fire reflected in Grasmere in the Lake District
Listen out for the tawny owl’s calls, which are most frequent in the autumn as they establish their territories
Sycamore seeds wheel through the air
A hazel dormouse builds up its fat reserves for hibernation
A magnificent stand of beech trees
Conkers await picking up and schoolboy stringing
Our hedges are filled with fluffy white old man’s beard; the seedheads of Clematis vitalba, ready to be dispersed in the breeze
October's full moon – sometimes known as the Hunter’s Moon – arrives on October 5
11 of the best places in Britain to enjoy Autumn colour
A riot of autumnal splendour has broken out across the country.
Top five autumn recipes
Read our top five most popular autumn recipes using everything from elderberries to mushrooms in our autumn food recipe round
How to make Tarte Tatin and 'Apple Hat' pudding this autumn
Simon Hopkinson suggests two sumptuous apple puddings for autumn: tarte tartin and 'apple hat'.
10 tips on how to forage this autumn
Foraging is more popular then ever – Hetty Chidwick squares up to the squirrels and shares some top tips for
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A 500-year-old cottage in West Sussex that's as beautiful as you could ever hope to see, with a pool ringed by flowers, stables and a croquet lawnJames Fisher was in need of some balm for the soul when he came across Woodshill House.
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From Cornish Gilliflower to Rivers Early Peach: An apple a day keeps Britain’s heritage native fruit from dying out81% of traditional apple orchards have vanished from Britain, but ‘heritage’ apples retain a following, says Jack Watkins, who rounds up nine of the most interesting.
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'A phenomenon that has shaped Britain’s landscapes and wildlife for millennia': A five minute guide to mast yearsThe ground is already littered with acorns and beech nuts, notes Florence Allen, thanks to a phenomenon called mast years, or mast seeding.
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The curious world of the penny bun mushroomBlessed with a vastly superior taste, penny buns are the champions of champignons and the perfect accompaniment to maggots
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White-tailed eagles: From 'the greatest wildlife crime imaginable' to Nature's most wonderful comeback storyDave Sexton and Alice Boyd join the Country Life Podcast.
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Sir Francis Beaufort: The man who measured the wind and set the foundations for the Shipping ForecastNeptune’s realm may never be tamed by Man, but Sir Francis Beaufort ensured seafarers have a way to measure the winds
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Galls: Nature's most beautiful, horrifying and intriguing parasitesA playground for aphids, wasp eggs, and funghi — galls come in all shapes and sizes
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Five years of drought means there's only one conclusion for Britain's farmers: 'Climate change is real and affecting us now'The cumulative effects of the past five years of hot weather are causing chaos for farmers — and there's no signs that it will improve. Jane Wheatley reports.
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The ring ouzel: The mystery behind the common blackbird's feral twinA master of disguise, inexplicably shy and unpredictably wild, the increasingly rare ring ouzel warrants giving any blackbird a second glance.
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The winners and losers of summer 2025, from foragers to fishermen, and turtles to troutBlue skies and rising mercury have been a theme of this summer, but there are always those who thrive and those who struggle in unusual times.
