As autumn takes hold across the North East, the region offers a range of tranquil walks through countryside adorned with seasonal colours. From woodland trails to riverside routes, these ten walks provide plenty of opportunities to enjoy crisp, cosy days.
Woodland and Country Parks
Rising Sun Country Park in Wallsend features a nature reserve with ponds, woodlands, extensive grasslands, and a Countryside Centre. Plessey Woods near Morpeth bursts with colour in autumn, offering open meadows and river walks set within 100 acres of enchanting woodland.
Thornley Woods near Rowlands Gill is a popular spot for bird spotting, with pathways lined with fallen brown and red leaves this time of year. Kielder Forest, part of Forestry England, provides endless walking trails, as well as biking and water sport activities.
Hill and Riverside Routes
The Cheviots in Northumberland, the highest point in the county, offer dramatic skies of orange and copper hues on crisp autumn mornings. Lady's Well Walk in Holystone Wood near Rothbury follows a short trail through tranquil woodland in Northumberland National Park, where St Paulinus supposedly baptised 3,000 Northumbrians during Easter week in AD 627.
Carlisle Park in Morpeth offers a stunning route along the River Wansbeck. The peaceful William Turner Garden is a modern take on a 16th Century Physic Garden, dedicated to the son of Morpeth known as 'The Father of English Botany'.
Historic Estates and Gorges
Jesmond Dene in Newcastle Upon Tyne provides a peaceful escape from the city, passing by the Armstrong Bridge surrounded by colourful trees and the popular photographed Ouseburn Waterfall. Cragside, a National Trust site, is home to Britain's original smart home, illuminated by hydro-electricity and powered by hydraulics. The Victorian home sits within a beautiful estate with weaving paths and tumbling cascades in the Rock Garden, plus two ancient lakes on the upper estate to explore.
Allen Banks and Staward Gorge near Bardon Mill is a 250-hectare site of ancient semi-natural woodland in Northumberland, providing a fantastic home for flora, fauna, and fungi. Over 70 species of birds can be spotted, along with a wide range of wildlife. This National Trust site sits within the North Pennines AONB.
