Why not take advantage of the clement weather at the moment and enjoy show of the country’s great woodland areas as they burst into amazing colours of gold and red. Why not try out one of over one thousand areas owned by the Woodland Trust, as they are all free to visit and are great for kids of all ages. They offer a wonderful opportunity to experience nature changing, and get some healthy walking done at the same time, whatever the pace you are setting.

The woods are situated all over the country and here are some of the best, but you are sure to find one near you

Blackbush Shaw and Twenty Acre Shaw in Cudham, Greater London, are two areas well worth visiting. Blackbush has a mixture of ancient woodland, old coppiced trees and grassland while  Twenty Acre Shaw is mainly ancient woodland. Both areas are close to Downe House, which was once home to the scientist Charles Darwin, so no monkeying around.

On the edge of Grewelthorpe in North Yorkshire you will find Hackfall, which is set in a 350ft gorge. The area is one that has seen a lot of improvement since it was taken over by the Woodland Trust, following over half a century of neglect. The footpaths have been restored and the habitats have been successfully restored.

In God’s own county Cheshire, no bias from me at all, you can experience four woods for the price of one by visiting Lumb Brook Valley near Warrington. Actually it is a collection of interconnected but distinctive woodland sites. The Fords Rough contains an area of ancient woodland while, in the valley, you will discover a diverse range of shrubs and flowers. The Dingle is a large wooded valley offering a variety of broadleaves and conifers, with well used footpath meandering through sparse ground vegetation. By contrast, Long Wood has many maturing oaks with dense layers of rhododendron beneath.

As an alternative why not consider the Wentwood, located in Llanfair Discoed near Newport. This forms part of the largest area of ancient woodland in Wales and the history of the wood itself dates back over a 1000 years when it was the hunting preserve of Chepstow Castle. The area is a haven for wildlife including dormice, lizards deer and birds including the elusive nightjar.

So plenty of choice and I haven’t starched the surface of what is available, so grab the family kit them out properly, why not treat yourself to a pair of the new Hawkshead Walker II Trousers that have just arrived, and enjoy the wonderful autumnal scenes that the UK countryside has to offer.