The light nights may be coming to an end and there's a chill in the air, but autumn is still a great time to visit Northumberland.
With woodland walks, red squirrels to be spotted, and even spooky Hallowe'en events planned, the county has plenty of day trips and weekends away that you can experience now that the crowds of summer have somewhat subsided. And while there are plenty of places where the leaves spectacularly turn from green to red, orange and yellow, one has been named as just that bit better than all the others.
According to The Times, Sidwood and Kielder Water and Forest Park is one of the ultimate autumnal leaf-peeping destinations in the UK. The Sidwood Trail, which leads along the Tarset Burn may not be a household name among Northumberland tourist destinations, but its golden beeches were featured on a collection of stamps celebrating Forestry England's centenary.
Read more: Red squirrel numbers steady with endangered species still found across North East
The Sidwood Trail is reachable on foot from Kielder Water's 26-mile shoreline, though it is a walk of more than two hours. Visitors may prefer to drive between the two sites, as the Sidwood Trail is just a mile long.
The article in The Times read: "So picturesque are Sidwood’s beeches in autumn that their golden leaves recently graced Royal Mail stamps. The one-mile Sidwood Trail follows trickling Tarset Burn into tranquil woodland within the wider Kielder Forest, one of England’s surest bets for sightings of red squirrels, which busily hoard nuts in autumn.
"Thirty minutes’ drive west of Sidwood — just past the comfy Pheasant Inn and its game pies — Kielder Water has Dark Sky Park status, and from hot tubs outside the lakeside lodges at the Landal GreenParks there you’ll see an extravaganza of stars."
To read the "ultimate autumnal leaf-peeping guide to the UK" in the Times, click here.
Where is your favourite place to see autumnal colours in Northumberland? Let us know!
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