Dazzling autumn displays in Wales

All around Wales our countryside and gardens are being transformed by the magnificent burnished colours of autumn. Here's our pick of some of the best places to see nature's very own harvest festival unfolding.

Reflections of autumn trees on the lake at the Far End, Bodnant Garden

Bodnant Garden, Conwy 

This historic 80 acre garden is home to hundreds of native and exotic trees which light up with leaf colour, berry and fruit in autumn. Pick up a Champion Tree leaflet for a self-led trail or join a guided autumn colour walk, with towering conifers from America and broad leaved acers and cherries from Asia. Enjoy rose terraces, herbaceous beds and shrub borders bursting with colour too.

Walk among giant trees
Autumn walks through Dyffryn Gardens

Dyffryn Gardens, Vale of Glamorgan 

The Edwardian gardens at Dyffryn were designed by Thomas Mawson for coal magnate John Cory. A series of garden rooms, brimming with autumn coloured beds and borders, are set in a landscape of pleasure grounds with wide lawns punctuated by water features and statuary. A special feature in autumn is the arboretum which is home to several Champion Trees.

Explore the arboretum
Take a stroll through Chirk Castle's breathtaking autumn landscape

Chirk Castle, Wrexham 

Set in the Welsh borderlands, this medieval castle commands expansive views over Cheshire and Shropshire plains. Stroll through lawns of clipped topiary and down the Long Border, filled with warm coloured shrubs, to reach the ha-ha where you can stand and take in the vista of autumn countryside. There are also trails to explore in the wooded parkland.

Commanding views
Father and daughter play in the leaves

Tredegar House, Newport 

If you fancy escaping city life for a little while with an autumn stomp through leaves, the parkland at Tredegar House offers more than 90 acres. It is a surviving fragment of an old estate and an oasis at the heart of a post-industrial landscape, a haven for locals and visitors alike. Enjoy the spectacle of autumn leaf colour in the woods and birdlife on the lakeside.

Green oasis turns gold
A picture of a girl clasping autumn leaves

Colby Woodland Garden, Pembrokeshire 

Colby’s wooded grounds are a haven for nature and the perfect spot to wander, enjoying the sights and sounds of autumn. Spot mushrooms on the forest floor, squirrels hunting for nuts and birds preparing for winter. The display of leaf colour comes with an added bonus – sea views. From the summer house you can see Carmarthen Bay and Worm’s Head on a clear day.

Hunt for harvest delights
Corn Du and Pen-y-Fan, Brecon Beacons, Powys

Brecon Beacons 

What better place to enjoy the autumn landscape than from the wild, open hilltops of the Brecon Beacons? There are many great walks to provide you with unforgettable views. If you're up for the trek, from Fan y Big you'll get the most stunning panoramas. Or why not explore the ancient woodlands of the Upper Tarell Valley, full of wildlife waiting to be discovered.

Views which can't be topped
Oxbow lakes and River Tywi, Dinefwr Park, Carmarthenshire

Dinefwr Park, Carmarthenshire 

Autumn explodes into a riot of colour at Dinefwr. Take your pick of special trails for a stroll through the Capability Brown designed landscape, exploring the medieval deer park. You’ll see veteran trees displaying an impressive crown of gold, red and orange leaves and of course the resident Fallow Deer and White Park Cattle.

Stroll through a painting
Two women walking between Erddig's autumnal golden pleached lime trees

Erddig, Wrexham 

Autumn is the time to admire the skilfully trained espalier fruit trees which cloak the walled gardens of the country house at Erddig - not to mention the impressive pleached lime avenue as it turns to gold. The surrounding grounds are home to stately old trees, many home-grown and others from foreign lands introduced in the 1800s when the park was landscaped.

Landscape full of treasures
Fruits and vegetables grown in the walled garden are on sale in the Llanerchaeron shop

Llanerchaeron, Ceredigion 

Where better to immerse yourself in nature than at a site of special scientific interest? Set in the wooded Aeron Valley, the Llanerchaeron estate includes Georgian Villa, gardens and working farm which have been producing fruit and vegetables for over 200 years. Experience harvest time up close in the gardens and wander woods as they turn to ochre and bronze.

The fruits of nature
Autumnal colour at Plas Newydd, Anglesey

Plas Newydd, Anglesey 

The Italianate garden offers a burst of hot colour right into autumn with late flowering herbaceous plants such as dahlias, cannas and rudbekias. In the 169 acres of wooded parkland discover an Australasian arboretum, where the dark canopy of Chilean beeches contrasts with the airy and aromatic eucalyptus. Look out for the Plas Newydd red squirrels too, who’ll be busy hunting for nuts at this time of year.

Colours of the world
Autumn colour on the terraces below Powis Castle, Powys, Wales

Powis Castle and Gardens, Welshpool 

Powis is famous for its lavish terraced gardens, dating from the 1600s. Carved out of a sandstone hillside, the herbaceous beds and shrub borders provide a spectacular display in autumn, set against the dramatic backdrop of great undulating yew hedges. From these heights you can survey the glowing autumn panorama of countryside for miles around.

Spectacular autumn vistas
Visitors at Ty Mawr Wybrnant, Conwy, Wales.

Ty Mawr y Wybrnant, Conwy Valley 

Let the glories of nature unfold as you stroll through a little slice of the Conwy Valley. A special trail takes you through the natural and social history of this Welsh upland valley, through rolling autumn countryside and past historic old buildings. At its centre is Ty Mawr Wybrnant, the birthplace of Bishop William Morgan, who translated the Bible into Welsh.

Snapshot of valley history