Forget summer. Autumn is the season Britain was built for. Crisp mornings, cosy evenings, and trees doing their best impression of a paint chart. The Westonbirt Arboretum in Gloucestershire is showing off by mid-October. Maples, acers and beeches in every shade of orange. Bring a flask. Bring a camera. Bring stretchy trousers for the cake afterwards. The New Forest is at its best now. Ponies in the mist, ancient oaks dropping acorns, and pubs with low beams and proper fires. And then there is bonfire season. Toffee apples, sparklers, and the smell of woodsmoke that lingers on your coat for a week. Lewes does it best, but every village green has its moment. Pack a thermos. Pack a hat. Pack a sense of wonder. October will do the rest.