Latest / UK Travel Planning / Visiting England in Autumn: Lake District, Cotswolds and Devon

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Visiting England in Autumn: Lake District, Cotswolds and Devon · UK Travel Planning

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: Golden woodlands, quiet villages, dark skies, and cosy pubs, autumn in the UK has a magic all of its own.
• 0:06
  SPEAKER_01: Thinking about visiting London and the UK this autumn, there are some very good reasons it might be the smartest season to choose.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_01: Now, following on from our very popular spring and summer episodes, which you can hear, the spring one came out 1st of March, and the summer one came out around about the 1st of June, which tells you what to expect in the UK and London and in those seasons.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_01: We've decided to once again bring together our five local experts from across the country to tell us what autumn really looks like in their part of the UK.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_01: And this time there was so much to share that we've made it a two-part special.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_01: So this week we're exploring England's countryside, and we're starting in the Lake District with Briney from Mountain Goat Tours.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_01: Then it's over to the Cotswolds with Lisa from Go Cotswolds, and then finally down to beautiful Devon with Alex from Unique Devon Tours.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_01: Then next week in part two, we're going to be heading all the way up to the far north of Scotland with Sally Ann from North Coast Explorer Tours before finishing in London with Charlie and Becky from Walks Devour, who share where to find the best autumn colour in the capital and why late November may just be London's best kept secret if you love a bit of Christmas sparkle without the December crowds.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_01: So if London is on your itinerary, part two has you covered.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_01: Now a couple of practical things worth knowing.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_01: If you're planning an autumn trip, September is actually one of the busiest months in many parts of the country.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_01: It's a real sweet spot for visitors because the schools have gone back, which means accommodation, especially in smaller towns and villages, can actually book up in advance.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_01: And of course, once the clocks go back at the end of October, the days do get shorter, so it helps to plan around the daylight and pack layers and a waterproof, whatever your plans really.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_01: And with this being a two-part special, now is the perfect time to hit follow on your favourite podcast app.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_01: So part two lands in your feed automatically next week.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_01: A quick review helps other travellers planning their UK trips to find us too, and we appreciate every single one.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, let's get into it.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_01: So we're starting this week in the north of England and one of our favourite destinations, Beautiful Lake District, to find out how the lakes and fells change once September arrives.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_01: So joining from the heart of the lakes is Briony from Mountain Goat Tours.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_01: Well, hi Briony, it's lovely to welcome you onto the podcast.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, for the first time representing Mountain Goat, because Asia, who's been on uh the last two episodes, is away um my turn to leave at the moment.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_01: So hi Asia.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_01: Um but for anybody who doesn't know who you are, Briani and who Mountain Goat are, would you like to just give us a brief introduction and tell us a little bit about Mountain Goat and, of course, yourself?
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, um, so I'm Brainy, very excited to be here.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I've been with Mountain Goat nearly a year now, um, back in my hometown.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_03: So lovely to be back and celebrating all the greatness that is the northwest of England and the Lake District.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_03: So, Mountain Goat tours and who we're here talking about today, we're based in the Lake District, but we do have um extra offices over in York and in Warrington that cover basically all of the northwest.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_03: And what we've been doing is tours for over 50 years.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_03: So we do scheduled and private um minibus tours all across the Lake District and the northwest of England, but we can take you wherever you want to go so we can make that countrywide.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_03: Um and we specialise in sort of small group sightseeing tours, typically on 16 seat and mini-buses with local driver guides, so you get a real insight into the heritage, the culture, um, and plenty of amazing views whilst you're out on your different day trips.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_03: And we've got a whole range of trips to take you on for all different interests.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_01: And uh Doug and I were lucky enough to do a couple of uh your tours in in uh June when we were back over.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_01: So we did the one in the lake district, the Ten Lakes tour, which is was just fabulous.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_01: We had the best weather, it was the best day, and we also did, which I was so excited about, we did the All Creatures Great and Small tour as well, outside of uh from York, which was also just brilliant.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_01: We we we loved both of those tours so much.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, there were so much fun.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_01: Now we'll kind of spin back and turn back to the lake district because that's what we had to talk about, uh, specifically about the lake district in the autumn.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_01: So, how does the lake district change once September arrives?
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_01: And where's the best sort of places to go to get the autumn colours?
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_03: So, September is when you really start to notice the lake district sort of changing from what it is this year.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_03: The weather's been really dry, quite warm, quite different for us.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so everything's a little bit more sort of crispy than we're used to, not quite as green and summery as we'd like it to be.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but September's sort of when the horizon changes, that green starts to change into a little bit more yellow.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_03: You get some real beautiful colours from the trees, um, the sort of reds, the oranges, the browns, and then as the clocks started to change, you really notice how much it's changing in the like across the mountains in that sort of lighting, um, the lakes, the reflections, everything just looks a little bit more stunning, a little bit more beautiful.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_03: I guess for me, my perfect uh sort of day out is a trip to Townhouse.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_03: Um, it's hard to be that site in the autumn, if I'm honest.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_03: Um, you've got the woodland all around the area, uh, the reflections from the water, the fells behind it.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, if you're into your photography, this is the place that you want to be.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_03: That's the kind of picture you're going to put up on the wall.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_03: It's not going to end up in a photo album.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and then you can head out across to the Western Lakes, you can look at Westwater.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_03: That one's really dramatic as you head into the autumn.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_03: You're getting the really sort of mixture of the low clouds sitting, the sunlight, then the colours, yeah, just beautiful.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_01: Wonderful.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_01: Now, is there a sweet spot in the season?
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_01: So, is there a particular time that you would say is the best?
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_01: For example, like how does September, October, and November differ?
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and how should people kind of plan around the changes?
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_01: Because obviously we know we're going to head to shorter days and kind of cooler weather conditions.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_03: It's probably a cop out, say this week stop is bang in the middle, let's go for October.
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_03: But like, I think it's probably true.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_03: So September's a really trend lovely sort of transition months.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_03: A lot of the kids go back to school in our area around that time.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_03: Um so whilst you still get quite a lot of the hot days, you typically get sort of a one or two weeks in September that's still quite warm, so you can get away with just sort of a light rain jacket, but you're gonna get end up with sort of much more stable weather, but you're still gonna get some of that amazing rainfall that makes the area so green and colourful and yellow, because unfortunately, it's still the rain that makes those colours like the vivid oranges and the yellows pop.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but you are starting to get those first sort of hints of autumn.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_03: Then it when it comes to October, everything looks a bit more like the autumnal colours that you'd be expecting.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_03: That sort of real fall weather, it's a little bit warmer, you can wrap up.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_03: It's the times when you want to go on our trips and see things like caramel, get some warm sticky toffee pudding whilst you're out on the day with like lovely warm custom.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_03: You can sort of really embrace those sort of cozy vibes.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_03: So October's really where that starts for me.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_03: Like, and there's never an exact date.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_03: The late district can be quite sporadic with this weather, so always pack and be prepared.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_03: Solid shoes, good rain jacket, just in case you'd see more rain in August, sometimes maybe not this year, than you do in other months, so it would surprise you.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_03: So always be prepared for those sorts of things.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_03: I just think October looks beautiful, and you never know, even if the rain bothers you a little bit, you can just go hide in one of our amazing pubs or restaurants.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_03: There's nothing quite like a trip to the Lake District or to Yorkshire with those cozy pubs with the lit fires and all of those really warm vibes, and that just carries on when you get into November.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_03: So you might hit your first snow, it's not always guaranteed.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_03: If that's what you're coming to look for, then you really can get those winter views as you head further up into the lakes where it's a little bit sort of a little bit higher and a little bit cooler.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but the atmosphere can really change.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_03: You get obviously the darker nights, the darker mornings.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_03: It also comes like it compacts your day a little bit.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_03: So it's one of our things with our tours.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_03: We do change the timings a little bit so you can get the most out of your day.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_03: We want you to start a little bit later, and we try and compact as much into your day as we can do just because we are aware that the light changes.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_03: But again, that can be brilliant if you're trying to take photos, it just something to be a little bit aware of.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_01: Perfect.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_01: Now, obviously, the lake district is very famous for walkers and um walks.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I even did one this last trip, and I'm not I'm known as not being a hiker, but I I've starting to wonder if I might actually be getting into it, I have to say, because I I I've thoroughly enjoyed it.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_01: Now, if people are heading to the Lake District, they're planning to do a walk.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_01: Um, what's where should they go?
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_01: What sort of walk should they look at?
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_01: Um, or you know, is it is it a time to do something a little bit um kind of a little bit more strenuous, or would you recommend some of the kind of like the the the slower, not so steep walks, which would appeal more to me, I have to say.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, I've lived in the lakes for a very long time, and I still think the lower lying is where it's at for me.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_03: Something you can go a little bit further, but stay a little bit flatter.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_03: The lake district is definitely not flat.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_03: So if you're coming from a distance, you're not used to that hill walking, there's still plenty of opportunities.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_03: There's some great guidebooks.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_03: We work with the Windermere Tourist Information Centre, and again, we've got a brilliant range in there of guidebooks, and loads of the team can advise you on some brilliant walks.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I'd certainly say you don't have to climb one of the highest mountains.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_03: If you enjoy walking in the late district in the autumn, the low-level walks are probably your best bet, and especially for this time of year, with the rain, with the cold, it can get a little bit icy and a little bit slippy, so always be prepared.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_03: Come with some good boots, but definitely comfy shoes that you're used to walking.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_03: Things aren't quite as you might be end up going a little bit further than you think you have, and always bring a brilliant jacket because you never know.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, Keswick, a number of ways brilliant places, is it a trip to the Lake District if you've not ended up having to buy an emergency jacket that you bring you bring back on every trip?
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but I would definitely say like pack for the pack for where you think you aren't coming in July, you're definitely coming in the colder seasons, so be prepared, bring all of the layers, you can always get changed.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_03: What we would often say is that the lower level walks are probably your best at this time of year.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_03: You're walking through the woodlands, you can see besides the lake, somewhere like Tarnhouse, where it's accessible, is a circular walk.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_03: It's only about one mile, one mile, three quarters.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_03: So for somewhere like the lake shore with a valley route, or going around Grassmere, Ril Rydal, Ulswater, you're going to see beautiful sights wherever you go.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_03: And if it's not an area that you're used to, you don't have to go on one of these big planned walks.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_03: You'll find something around every corner.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_03: It's a beautiful area.
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_03: You don't have to be the people trying to climb scaffold, pike or striding edge.
• 11:13
  SPEAKER_03: You don't have to tick off these bucket lists just because you can.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_03: I know plenty of people that are trying to tick off the way and write, and they're beautiful books to read, but you can take inspiration and read those lovely books whilst cuddled next to a fire and a pub if you want to.
• 11:27
  SPEAKER_03: You can experience the lake districts while just on a little walk going around the corner.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_03: It doesn't have to be this big, exertive, adventurous holiday.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_03: There's plenty of stuff to do in the lakes, even at this time of year.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_03: Visit Honister and then New Zipware.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_03: There's loads of stuff that you can do to get a little bit of adventure.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_03: It doesn't have to be climbing a mountain to hit those bucket lists.
• 11:49
  SPEAKER_01: Perfect, perfect.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_01: That actually that that hits with me because I that's exactly how I felt when I was there in June.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_01: I'm not a hiker.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_01: I kind of go, maybe I'm a walker.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I did the most wonderful short little trip.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, it was maybe took us a couple of hours, but and it was perfect.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_01: And we got up, we had the most wonderful view, and I can't remember the name of it, but it was the most wonderful view over Windermere.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_01: And we literally, I think, went from the visitor center itself in Windermere beside the train station and kind of walked up the top of the hill.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_01: And it was just that's it, that's it.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_01: That's one.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_01: And it was it was absolutely fantastic.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_01: We loved it.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_01: So so next time I'll certainly look at some of some of those shorter walks because um I think uh and also that the thought of going on a walk and then stopping in a pub.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_01: What is better than that, honestly?
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_03: You'll be a truly district person if that's what you've done.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_03: It's the how the north of England celebrates.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_03: You have to reward yourself with a pint or a nice warm hot chocolate afterwards, it's just where it's at.
• 12:47
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely, couldn't agree more.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_01: Now let's talk a little bit about Mountain Goat and the tours that you have running through the autumn.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so first of all, kind of talk about what's coming up tours-wise, how far ahead people need to think about uh booking, um, and then I guess what would be the one experience that you would say that if you're going to be heading to the lake districts for these next kind of three months over the autumn season, what's the one thing they shouldn't miss?
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, so uh one of the great things about Mountain Goat is that we don't stop when the summer finishes, and we very much continue with our tours all year round.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_03: We have a slightly different catalogue for the summer than we do for the winter, but that's purely down to daylight hours and what's the most sensible and things that we think you guys will enjoy most.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_03: So some of our late district tours do continue all the way through the autumn.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_03: These include the Ten Lakes, which is on year round.
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_03: This is our award-winning tour, and I think the fact you guys did this while you were on your trip, this is the bucket list tour.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_03: This lets you see everything that you need to see in the lake district.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_03: When you want to come back and you say you've seen Windermere, you've seen Castle Rig, you've seen all these amazing sites.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_03: The Ten Lakes does it all.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_03: But if you don't have an eight-hour day because of your tight travel schedule, then join us on the Six Lakes.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_03: These are probably for different reasons, some of my favourite tours.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_03: The Six Lake combines a lot of the highlights of the Ten Lakes, but we squish it into half a day to work around your schedule.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_03: It's perfect when it is a little bit of a darker or a gloomier day because you just do combine it more into those daylight hours.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_03: Um, whereas the Ten Lakes, you're still going to see everything, you're going to get the brilliant sights, but depending on how your travel schedule works, these are brilliant highlights to say I've done the bucket list options that I wanted to see.
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_03: My other personal favourite tour is our mountain passes.
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_03: Now, this one does end at the end of September purely because even though we have expert drivers that have all this amazing local knowledge, we do take you all the way over the mountain passes and those high roads, and sometimes they're we just can't trust it during the winter with the ice and the weather.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_03: So we do end that tour at the end of September, and for that reason, I think if you're coming in September, that's the one to do.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_03: Again, this is an award-winning tour.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_03: We've just won um an award for this tour as experience of the year, which we're very excited about.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_03: So anybody that I can see, uh, recommend you go to this.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_03: You get to experience the wonder that is Moncaster Castle, which has amazing bird demonstrations, a weapons hall, a lovely house that you can walk around, beautiful gardens that, even as we sort of turn into the autumn, you get to see all of these different flowers and different greenery.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_03: And it's not always about the spring and the summer flowers in a place like that where a garden is really sort of managed and looked after, you see these beautiful changes, and that's another highlight for me of going to Munkastor at this time of year.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_03: So that's probably all the one I would say you can do 10 lakes any time of year, and I know a number of guests that have come on the 10 lakes in practically every month of the year because they love to see how the seasons change and across the lake district, but you're never going to miss out on a beautiful opportunity like these.
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_03: We always recommend booking as far in advance as you can.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_03: We do sometimes have space last minute, but it the world is changing place and it changes on a daily basis.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_03: So we say if there's more than a couple of you book as far in advance as you can.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_03: If you book direct, we've got flexibility, we can help you out with your bookings.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_03: Um, if you're choosing the latest experience in the autumn, get through to the national parks.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_03: You can see some amazing places.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_03: Tanhouse, Grassmere, Ulswater, these are the places that are on the top of my list.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_03: Also, if you've got the opportunity, especially when it's a little bit misty, personally, I like it later on in the season.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_03: Get yourself on a boat trip.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_03: That's included in some of our tours, like our Beatrix Potter tour.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_03: Get yourself on a boat, go see the lake.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_03: It's a brilliant way to save your legs if you've been on a walk the day before and you get to see so much of the area in such a beautiful way, whilst saving your legs.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_03: You can have a little picnic while you're at it.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_03: Perfect experience.
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_01: Uh that sounds absolutely lovely, Brianie.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_01: I can't wait to come on some more of the mountain goat tours.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_01: Honestly, we had we had thoroughly enjoyed both the tours that we were on.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_01: So I'd highly recommend if you're listening and you're heading towards the Lake District or the Northwest or from York, um, get yourself booked on a on a mountain goat tour because you're gonna absolutely love it.
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so I'll be speaking to you again in a few months' time, Brianie, because we're gonna be covering the winter season in the Lake District.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, but for this episode talking about autumn, thank you so much for coming on the podcast.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_03: No problem.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_03: Lovely to be here.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_01: So from the lakes and fells, we're heading south now to the Golden Stone Villages of the Cotswolds, and a welcome return for our favourite Cotswold expert, Lisa from Go Cotswolds, who shares her favourite spots for autumn colour, the farm shops full of harvest produce, and a first peek at their Christmas market tours.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_01: So, Lisa, what do the Cotswolds feel like once the summer coaches thin out and which villages and experiences should be on anyone's autumn list?
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I mean, the first thing to say about the cotswolds in the autumn is that it's much less busy than it is in the summer.
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_02: I think that's um that's a given.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_02: Uh the peak season in the Cotswolds is typically between May and September.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_02: Um, after that, the crowds kind of dissipate a little bit.
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_02: The the summer holiday people disappear off back home, and uh yeah, it just it the Cotswolds starts to feel again a little bit more like a place where people actually live, not just like a Disneyland attraction.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_02: And I say that with a pinch of salt because not everywhere in the Cotswolds is like the Disneyland all the time, even in the summer.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I've mentioned before that there are certain honeypot villages that are always busy, um, but the Cotswolds in general as a region definitely feels a lot uh calmer, quieter, more authentic, I think, outside of the busy peak summer.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_01: Perfect.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, what about which villages would you encourage people to kind of experience in the autumn, particularly?
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_01: Have you got favourites?
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, yes, I've lots of favourites.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_02: My favourite one changes all the time.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I think that my favourites in in autumn would be the the market towns.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_02: I think autumn feels like a better time to go shopping.
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_02: Um, not that you can't enjoy the countryside of the cot told in the autumn, you absolutely can, but it's uh it's a nice time to sort of wander the shops and look at the markets and have a nice cozy lunch in a in a nice cafe with a roaring fire if it's cold.
• 19:23
  SPEAKER_02: Uh that that definitely feels like a good thing to do in the autumn.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_01: Perfect.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_01: Now, when we talked about the gardens, you know how much I absolutely love the gardens in the cotswolds.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_01: Um and you know, they're at the peak in the summer, we know that.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but what's worth seeing in the autumn instead?
• 19:40
  SPEAKER_01: And is there a kind of like a best kind of wind window for the autumn colour in the Cotswolds?
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_02: Um it I it definitely changes depending on how good or bad the summer has been.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_02: Um, if we've had a very hot summer then the or a cold summer, then the autumn colours can can be a bit variable as the time of year.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_02: But generally speaking, I would say the best colours are around October, towards the end of even towards the end of October, early November.
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_02: Um, gardens in the Cotswolds, they're not just a summer destination.
• 20:09
  SPEAKER_02: Lots of people think that you can only visit gardens in the summer, but some of the the brilliant ones in the Cotswolds, Hidka, my absolute favourite, uh, Batsford Arboretum, they are they're designed and planted to give colour and uh interest all year round.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_02: One of my favourites in autumn, particularly, is uh Batsford Arboretum.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_02: There's also Western Bart Arboretum, a little bit further south in the Cotswolds.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I took my daughter to uh Batsford Arboretum when she was very tiny.
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and so we have loads of absolutely beautiful photographs of this cute little baby sitting amongst lovely colourful autumn leaves and being very cute.
• 20:47
  SPEAKER_02: So it's a definitely a lovely time of year to visit.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_01: Perfect.
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_01: Now it's also the best time, and obviously the time for harvest and farm shops.
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_01: Not that you can always go to farm shops any time of year, but it in the autumn, it's the perfect time to go.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so tell us a little bit what's going on with the local food pubs.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_01: Are there any kind of autumn events or festivals that visitors should know about?
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_02: Uh well, so food-wise, harvest is kind of happening now.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_02: Um, we're recording this in um August.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_02: So harvest is happening now, and we know that because our tour vehicles keep getting stuck behind combine harvesters on narrow country lanes.
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but yeah, obviously, by the time the harvest is done, um, the shops are absolutely full of local produce and it's it's absolutely wonderful.
• 21:33
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so there are lots of lovely farm shops you can go to.
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_02: There's obviously the famous Clarkson's uh farm, Diddley Squat farm shop.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_02: Um, it's not my favourite.
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_02: I'm gonna even though we do a tour that goes there, it's not my favourite.
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_02: There are other, I think, more authentic farm shops out there.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_02: Um and it's quite small.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_02: I have to say, it's also quite small.
• 21:53
  SPEAKER_02: I was a bit surprised.
• 21:55
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's really tiny, and I think even in the winter or even in the autumn, you Get cues that are miles long.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_02: So there's definitely better, more authentic farm shops to go to, but obviously, if you want to tick off that box and go to Clark's farm shop, then that's all good.
• 22:10
  SPEAKER_02: Um, some of the other farm shops we've got a Dalesford organic farm shop, which is um it's very expensive, but it is lovely.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_02: But it's lovely, and it is yeah, and it's more than a farm shop as well, it's a whole experience.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_02: You can you know there's all sorts of different shops and concessions and restaurants there, so that is lovely.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_02: Um, there's one I've forgotten the name of it now.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_02: Cotter is called the Cotswold Farm Shop, I think, on the way to Morton and Marsh.
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_02: That's a lovely one as well.
• 22:35
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but lots of local, local produce, and it's uh really, really nice.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_02: Um, in terms of festivals, continuing on a farming theme, there is in September the Morton Show, which is kind of a big agricultural show that's fun to go to.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_02: You can go and visit that and uh see all sorts of different uh different sized vegetables and all the different kinds of uh livestock that we keep, and there's agricultural events and activities that you can get involved with.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_02: That's a really nice day out, especially for families.
• 23:07
  SPEAKER_02: Um yeah, what's what else have we got?
• 23:10
  SPEAKER_01: I was gonna say, what about Guy Forks Bonfire Night?
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_01: What happens?
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_01: Is there anything big in for the 5th of November?
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_02: Um well, Blend and Palace, I believe, always has a massive firework display that is probably the biggest one in the region.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_02: Um, there are lots of local firework displays as well, which I think sometimes are even better.
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_02: They feel um they're certainly less expensive and they feel really, really nice and sort of community feel.
• 23:33
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, I don't know of any specific ones.
• 23:35
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I tend to go to one that's quite local to me, um, just on the edge of the Cotswolds.
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_02: But uh, yeah, pretty much every village or um sometimes the pubs, they'll all do their own little firework displays.
• 23:47
  SPEAKER_02: So if you're around um from sort of uh a lot of a lot of places now combine fireworks night, bonfire night, which is the 5th of November, with Halloween on the 31st of October.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_02: So that whole week from the 31st of October to the 5th of uh November, and maybe a few days days either side, there will be firework displays somewhere near you in the cotswolds.
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_01: Perfect.
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_01: Now walking in the cotswolds in autumn.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_01: So is the Cotswold Way still a good idea in October, November?
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, what should people kind of know to prepare potentially for how the conditions may be?
• 24:21
  SPEAKER_01: And I guess it depends on the weather, you know, that's gonna that's gonna impact uh for sure.
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but walking, yeah, absolutely.
• 24:29
  SPEAKER_02: Any time of year is great, as long as you're prepared.
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_02: There's that great um, I think it's a Scandinavian proverb about the there's no such thing as bad weather, just the the wrong kind of clothing.
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so yeah, it's obviously um the closer we get to winter, it gets darker earlier, it gets wetter and colder.
• 24:48
  SPEAKER_02: So you have to be prepared for that.
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_02: Um trails can get a bit muddy, but equally we can have some absolutely glorious autumn days where it's cool, crisp, and bright sunshine and absolutely lovely.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_02: So it really depends.
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_02: Walking is good at any time of year in the cut swords, but yeah, you do have to check the weather forecast before you go.
• 25:07
  SPEAKER_01: Perfect.
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_01: And what would you say?
• 25:08
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I'm putting you on the spot for this one.
• 25:10
  SPEAKER_01: Um, what would you say?
• 25:11
  SPEAKER_01: Are your you'll know this.
• 25:12
  SPEAKER_01: What are your kind of favourite tours that people are booking over this the kind of autumn period?
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_01: And I know probably I I should have asked going into December, are you going to be doing those bath tours again where you go down to the the Christmas market?
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_01: Because I myself and my mum did that and loved it.
• 25:25
  SPEAKER_01: So I don't know if you're still gonna be doing those.
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um so have you got kind of a favourite tour or tours in mind?
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_02: Uh just looking at the booking data that's been coming through in the last few weeks, um, our Oxford uh tours, which depart from Oxford, which you've also been on, yes, uh, are doing really, really well.
• 25:42
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and I think that's like I said earlier, I think uh visiting towns and market towns and things like that um feels like a bit more of an autumnal thing to do.
• 25:50
  SPEAKER_02: So I think there are lots of people visiting Oxford during the autumn, and then they want to take a little trip out into the Cotswolds as well.
• 25:57
  SPEAKER_02: So yeah, our our new Oxford departure tours are doing uh very well for September, October, and into November.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, yes, we are doing our Christmas tours again this year.
• 26:08
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm very excited, even though I can't go on one.
• 26:11
  SPEAKER_02: I'm so excited.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so um I forget the actual dates now.
• 26:17
  SPEAKER_02: Uh from sort of the middle of November through to the middle of December, there's a huge Christmas market in Bath, which is absolutely fantastic, very busy.
• 26:25
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but it's one of the best in England, uh certainly outside of London.
• 26:29
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so yeah, so our Bath and Southern Cotswolds tour will be visiting Bath for the duration of that Christmas market.
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_02: So that's a nice little bonus when you take that tour with us.
• 26:40
  SPEAKER_02: Um, we also have a few select uh local Christmas market tours on a on a handful of weekend dates towards the end of uh November and beginning of December.
• 26:50
  SPEAKER_02: Um we'll be visiting Chipping Camden Christmas Market, which I think is lovely.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and also Siren Sester has some great Christmas markets too.
• 26:59
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, nice.
• 26:59
  SPEAKER_01: And yes, you're you're right.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_01: Doug and I did do um one of the autours at Voxford, and we will be we'll be writing that up for the um for the on the website.
• 27:07
  SPEAKER_01: So if you're interested to find out what Doug and I did on the Go Cotsuls Day, um we'll be sharing that very, very soon.
• 27:13
  SPEAKER_01: But now, what would you what would be your one your kind of top tip, Lisa, for anybody um who's thinking about visiting the cotzols in autumn?
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_01: And then we know as a September is a very popular town, but what would be the one tip that you would share for somebody who's planning to visit in the next few months?
• 27:30
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I would recommend as I always do, really, book your accommodation, even September, October.
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_02: Although it's not a um in terms of summer holidays, it's not the most popular time for people to visit the UK, but it seems to be a very popular time for people to visit the Cotswolds, particularly because I think of the autumn colours, the fact that it is quieter than in the cities.
• 27:55
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so accommodation in September, particularly, uh, is still very gets booked up well in advance.
• 28:03
  SPEAKER_02: So definitely sort that out in advance.
• 28:06
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and obviously take a go Cotswolds tour to make the most of your time.
• 28:11
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely, 100%.
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks so much, Lisa, for coming on and chatting all about the Cotswolds in the autumn.
• 28:16
  SPEAKER_01: And you'll be back in December to talk about uh the winter months in the Cotswolds, um, which is also a fantastic time to go.
• 28:22
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, I know uh a few years ago I rented a cottage um just outside Burford in January, and it was just wonderful.
• 28:29
  SPEAKER_01: And um, what you didn't mention it is earlier when we're talking about pubs, is just how wonderful it is in the cotswolds.
• 28:35
  SPEAKER_01: I'm just thinking of kind of November, going in December, going out, having a walk, and then going into a pub and sitting around a fire.
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_01: It's just you can't beat it, can you?
• 28:43
  SPEAKER_02: Absolutely magical, yes.
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_02: We have some great pubs with great atmospheres, lovely roaring fires, hearty food.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, yeah, it's I'm definitely an autumn kind of gal.
• 28:53
  SPEAKER_01: Perfect.
• 28:53
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks so much, Lisa, for coming on again.
• 28:56
  unknown: Thank you.
• 28:57
  SPEAKER_01: From the Cotswolds, we're continuing southwest to Devon, a county with two coastlines, wild moorland, and some seriously good cider.
• 29:05
  SPEAKER_01: Alex from Unique Devonters is back to tell us what changes when autumn arrives from tree tunnels ablaze with colour to the apple harvest.
• 29:13
  SPEAKER_01: Hi, Alex.
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_01: Lovely to um chat to you again on the podcast.
• 29:17
  SPEAKER_01: And uh this episode we're gonna be talking about um autumn in Devon, uh, which is a time of year I've not been down in Devon.
• 29:25
  SPEAKER_01: So it's gonna be great to get the insider information from you all about um about the autumn colours and Devon over that kind of fall period.
• 29:36
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so would you like to tell us a little bit about what changes when autumn arrives in Devon and what are the highlights for someone visiting for the first time if we'll look at kind of September, October, and November?
• 29:49
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, well, good morning, Tracy.
• 29:51
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you very much for having me on the uh podcast again.
• 29:54
  SPEAKER_00: And it's a pleasure to be here and uh to be talking to you and some of your listeners.
• 30:00
  SPEAKER_00: Um, well, Devon, it's uh it's always a bit different from year to year.
• 30:06
  SPEAKER_00: I it's hard to know what kind of autumn we're gonna have this year, having had our longest, hottest summer on record.
• 30:12
  SPEAKER_00: Um so we'll have to wait and see.
• 30:15
  SPEAKER_00: But typical changes are that it gets a bit cooler.
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_00: Um we have the autumn colours start to kick in.
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_00: Normally, October going through into November.
• 30:28
  SPEAKER_00: Um, the evenings get a bit uh shorter, and it's um we're we're starting to think of yeah, it's a very, very strong differentiation between summer and autumn uh as we as we go go through those months.
• 30:46
  SPEAKER_00: September can sometimes have long hot summer days, you know, the the Indian summer, um as we sometimes call it, it can uh carry on going.
• 30:58
  SPEAKER_00: But uh then yeah, I think we start to think of uh lighting fires, putting the heating on, um, going for crisp autumnal walks, and just seeing seeing the the leaves change on the trees.
• 31:13
  SPEAKER_00: It's a beautiful time of year as a photographer as well as a tour guide.
• 31:17
  SPEAKER_00: I love going out with my camera, finding particularly maybe the beechwoods where where you get these beautiful sort of coppers, oranges, reds, yellows on the le uh on the trees.
• 31:30
  SPEAKER_00: And we in Devon we have these wonderful lanes, our narrow roads that we call the Devon lanes, and we have tree tunnels that go over the top of these uh lanes, and sometimes you're driving down it and you've got these incredible colours over your head.
• 31:45
  SPEAKER_00: And if you get the right sunlight coming through these leaves, it can make for some spectacular sights.
• 31:52
  SPEAKER_00: Um so yeah, and and we we start uh obviously nature does its thing with mushrooms and toadstools, so it's a great time of year to go out and spot these beautiful different shaped and coloured um things growing out of the ground, uh, all sorts of beautiful mushrooms and toadstools.
• 32:12
  SPEAKER_00: You can even go foraging, it's a thing you can do with a professional just to keep yourself safe.
• 32:18
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, and we and some of nature becomes a bit more active, especially after a hot summer.
• 32:24
  SPEAKER_00: I think the the bird life will really enjoy it when the temperatures drop and we have more rain.
• 32:30
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so so yeah, it's a great time of year to go into the woods, and there's a a woodland near here called Yarna Woods, and they have uh uh at least two, maybe three bird hides, and you can go and watch the birds feeding, which is uh you know something I like to do with my camera as well.
• 32:49
  SPEAKER_00: So, yeah, it's a it's a it's a nice time of year, especially after a hot summer.
• 32:53
  SPEAKER_00: It almost feels like this year it's going to be a relief.
• 32:56
  SPEAKER_00: Um the temperatures have now dropped back to more typical temperatures.
• 33:02
  SPEAKER_00: Um I'm looking outside now and it's kind of just overcast.
• 33:06
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, and after so many hot days where the ground is now brown, all the everything's gone brown, and uh it's gonna be a relief when everything when the green returns.
• 33:17
  SPEAKER_01: I was gonna say it's been incredibly hot and and and very dry this uh this summer, hasn't it?
• 33:21
  SPEAKER_01: And uh quite uh it feels like quite a long summer.
• 33:23
  SPEAKER_01: I know I was there in June, and it was it was incredibly well, May and June, but the both months were were incredibly warm and and uh and dry as well for the for the UK.
• 33:34
  SPEAKER_01: Um talking about animals, and I'm just thinking about Dartmoor and Xmoor, what what changes on the moors and and what what kind of can you see the animals there?
• 33:44
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I mean it's I in 13 years of being a tour guide, I would say there was only one occasion when I took guests up to Dartmoor and we didn't see the the wild Dartmoor ponies, and that was simply because the uh the fog had come down and it was the thickest fog I've ever seen on Dartmoor.
• 34:04
  SPEAKER_00: And after about an hour my guests and I just looked at each other and said, We can't see anything.
• 34:09
  SPEAKER_00: I'm having to drive at about 20 miles an hour at the most because it was that thick, and um and we didn't see any ponies, but it was impossible to see anything.
• 34:20
  SPEAKER_00: So uh otherwise you can always guarantee you'll see the uh the ponies if you drive around, uh, particularly with obviously a tour guide, but uh yeah, there are thankfully enough of the wild ponies that you'll see them.
• 34:34
  SPEAKER_00: And the animals you tend to see lots of the sheep and the cows.
• 34:40
  SPEAKER_00: They're still out on the moors, on the high ground.
• 34:43
  SPEAKER_00: So um yeah, it maybe their coats are starting to thicken up a little getting into the colder months.
• 34:50
  SPEAKER_00: Um but uh yes, they're still very active, and you can certainly see the young the foals are no longer weeks old, they're a bit more um sturdy, and their bodies have adapted to their long willowy legs, so they don't look quite as uh funny as they do when they're firstborn.
• 35:08
  SPEAKER_00: But uh yeah, you'll see plenty of nature as you drive around Dartmoor and Exmore.
• 35:13
  SPEAKER_01: Lovely, and it's always a lovely sight to see to see the animals when you're out and about.
• 35:16
  SPEAKER_01: Now, um kind of pivoting a little bit to to food um and thinking about the harvest time and then thinking about things like cider um and kind of um other food and drink that you might get in in Devon.
• 35:27
  SPEAKER_01: What would you say kind of uh I'm thinking about vineyards as well, because I believe like there's more there's more uh wine available um from the vineyards in England at the moment.
• 35:36
  SPEAKER_01: So um what would you say would you know the best food and drink to be kind of looking for over that autumn period?
• 35:43
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I I think we have we have such an incredible array of restaurants and pubs and inns and cafes now that are really focusing on local produce and making sure it's all seasonal and locally sourced.
• 35:57
  SPEAKER_00: If you want the best overview of what's on offer, um and I do do do this with my guests quite often, I'll take them to a local market.
• 36:07
  SPEAKER_00: So, for instance, the the lovely town of Totnes, um, a very interesting and uh independent town.
• 36:14
  SPEAKER_00: They have a wonderful market on Fridays and Saturdays.
• 36:17
  SPEAKER_00: You can see some of the local produce there.
• 36:20
  SPEAKER_00: We also have uh not far from Exeter, our which is our sort of cap county capital, if you like, our county capital city.
• 36:30
  SPEAKER_00: There's a uh a fabulous farm shop called Darts Farm.
• 36:34
  SPEAKER_00: Uh it's uh I think it's the current number one farm shop in the UK.
• 36:40
  SPEAKER_00: And Darts Farm really the display of local produce all seasonal is exceptional.
• 36:49
  SPEAKER_00: And it's a I take guests there quite often, if particularly if if they've expressed an interest in food.
• 36:55
  SPEAKER_00: Um so yes, uh going to see what's on offer there can be really interesting for people.
• 37:01
  SPEAKER_00: Uh and then, yeah, I mean it's hard to pick out a particular restaurant or pub that I take my guests to because they're all I'm I take my guests there deliberately because apart from making sure I get a really nice meal, my guests do too.
• 37:17
  SPEAKER_00: And uh and that's where they get to experience the local produce.
• 37:21
  SPEAKER_00: Uh but yes, we're we are thinking of sort of things like the apple orchards, and for instance, there's a uh a village uh on the edge of Dartmoor called Lustley, it's actually within Dartmoor, and at Lustley they have a community orchard.
• 37:36
  SPEAKER_00: An orchard, an apple orchard that was gifted to the community by a couple of people in 1966, and they gather.
• 37:46
  SPEAKER_00: You can't pick the apples from this orchard, and they there's also mistletoe growing in the within the apple trees.
• 37:52
  SPEAKER_00: You can't pick the apples until a given day when the the go-ahead is given, the community gathers at the orchard, and they pick this beautiful harvest of apples, and and then the apples go towards making cider, of course.
• 38:07
  SPEAKER_00: Um and yes, we have a wonderful cider industry here.
• 38:12
  SPEAKER_01: Um Does ever does anybody get I have to I have to ask you, Alex, are that because you mentioned about them kind of going and collecting.
• 38:18
  SPEAKER_01: So sorry for interrupting, but does everybody get a share in the cider that comes out of all this apple picking?
• 38:24
  SPEAKER_00: Well, that's I I'm not sure about that actually, but I I think they'd probably be a little bit aggrieved if they didn't.
• 38:30
  SPEAKER_00: Um And there is actually a local cider maker here, um, and they will, if you collect your apples for you from your own private orchard, take them to the um the cider maker, they will make a batch of cider from your apples, and you will get some of it in return.
• 38:50
  SPEAKER_00: So it's a win-win situation.
• 38:52
  SPEAKER_00: Everyone wins.
• 38:54
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so so normally there are often, not every year, but often there's a glut of apples.
• 39:00
  SPEAKER_00: It's hard to tell this year what it's going to be like after the summer.
• 39:04
  SPEAKER_00: We could probably do with a bit more rain to help the apples um sort of fill out.
• 39:09
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, but uh yes, um we do enjoy our cider here, definitely.
• 39:15
  SPEAKER_00: And then, yes, the vineyards.
• 39:17
  SPEAKER_00: So we have some exceptional vineyards here, and I know the UK isn't famous for its vineyards, but we have, I've been told, over a thousand vineyards in the UK, and with the weather, seemingly the climate is changing, so now our wine is improving, and we have some truly exceptional wine, particularly white wines, sparkling whites, rosés.
• 39:41
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so that's something I will very gladly help my guests with, taking them to a superb vineyard.
• 39:48
  SPEAKER_00: And there's one vineyard that I sometimes take guests to, and my guests tell me, even having travelled to California, South Africa, the Champagne region, that this vineyard experience is as good as it gets.
• 40:02
  SPEAKER_00: The whole experience, the tour, the quality of the wine, the quality of the food, the knowledge of the people giving the tour, it's truly exceptional.
• 40:11
  SPEAKER_00: So um, yeah, I feel very lucky as a tour guide to have these incredible things on my doorstep.
• 40:17
  SPEAKER_01: Definitely.
• 40:17
  SPEAKER_01: I think that I think the UK is definitely a hold on its own when it comes to to wines, from what I've I've been uh hearing about and and and reading about and watching on on TV as well.
• 40:26
  SPEAKER_01: I was watching something the other day and I think there were it was um programme they were saying that um I think it might have been actually down in Devon, that the production of wine now in in England is uh it's only still half a percent of what is drunk in in the UK wine-wise, but it's increasing and and it's becoming more recognized.
• 40:45
  SPEAKER_01: So that that's that's really good.
• 40:46
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and as I say, that is kind of one of the, I guess, the side effects of of um of climate change is that it's warmer, so now that grapes can grow in in the southern part of England quite quite well.
• 40:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um now thinking about after the summer, this the craziness of summer, the busyness of summer, obviously in September the kids go back to school, things kind of quieten down from kind of September into October into November.
• 41:09
  SPEAKER_01: So, kind of what changes in the region in terms of um are there changing hours of when things are open, do things close over that period of time, and and what do your tours look like over these months?
• 41:23
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so well, for me as a tour guide, September is uh one, certainly one of my busiest months, being the what we call the shoulder season, uh going into October as well.
• 41:35
  SPEAKER_00: So a lot of people coming to the UK, particularly the sorts of guests I have, um, they're traveling, um they're maybe retired folk, and they recognize that they want to be here when it's a little quieter, when our schools have gone back.
• 41:52
  SPEAKER_00: So September is an ideal month.
• 41:54
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so yeah, I'm I'm really busy in September and going into October.
• 42:00
  SPEAKER_00: Um so for me it's a very it's uh a very productive period.
• 42:05
  SPEAKER_00: It starts to quieten down going into October, and then November it uh it gets much quieter.
• 42:11
  SPEAKER_00: So that's when I start to think about hibernating or travelling somewhere like uh Italy or Peru, as I do.
• 42:18
  SPEAKER_00: Um but um yeah, it's uh I do you know what?
• 42:22
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think not that much changes in terms of offerings for guests.
• 42:28
  SPEAKER_00: So um museums, galleries, uh attractions, they stay open pretty much through September, going into October.
• 42:39
  SPEAKER_00: Then maybe in November they'll reduce their hours.
• 42:42
  SPEAKER_00: Some places will maybe well, some visitors visitor centers might sort of cut back an hour off the end of the day, so that instead of closing at five o'clock, they might close at four o'clock.
• 42:55
  SPEAKER_00: Um but to be honest, it we're a pretty we have a very, very long season.
• 43:01
  SPEAKER_00: Because the UK people don't come here for the weather, um, although that might be changing.
• 43:07
  SPEAKER_00: Um so we do have a very long season.
• 43:12
  SPEAKER_00: So you can you can pretty much, I would say in October, you can go to all the places that you might go to in June or July, because they stay open.
• 43:21
  SPEAKER_00: Uh yeah, maybe coming into December, but that's another conversation.
• 43:26
  SPEAKER_00: But December and January things change more in a more pronounced manner.
• 43:30
  SPEAKER_00: But uh yeah, the pubs, the cafes, uh the restaurants, the you know, the opportunities are out there to carry on as before.
• 43:39
  SPEAKER_01: Perfect.
• 43:40
  SPEAKER_01: And you were cheating a bit there, Alex, because we're gonna talk about we're gonna talk about winter in Devon in the next podcast we do, uh, which will be out on the first of I think first of December.
• 43:48
  SPEAKER_01: We usually do it for the the first of the month for the change in the season.
• 43:52
  SPEAKER_01: Um but for anybody listening who's thinking, oh, I really fancy going to Devon and experiencing winter, um Winter.
• 44:01
  SPEAKER_01: There's me getting distracted.
• 44:02
  SPEAKER_01: Experience an autumn in in Devon.
• 44:06
  SPEAKER_01: What would be the one experience that you would say to them, don't miss if you're gonna be here over that period of the year?
• 44:14
  SPEAKER_00: It's always a hard question to pick out one thing.
• 44:17
  SPEAKER_00: You know that, Tracy.
• 44:18
  SPEAKER_00: I know.
• 44:18
  SPEAKER_01: I'm very cruel, I know.
• 44:20
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, yes, it's harsh.
• 44:22
  SPEAKER_00: Um, okay, so I think I think we probably if you can, to witness the autumn colours is a really special thing to do.
• 44:35
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, you know, if you it's you won't witness them if if you're here on the 12th of September, you won't witness the autumn colours because they haven't kicked in by then.
• 44:45
  SPEAKER_00: But during October and November they really flourish.
• 44:48
  SPEAKER_00: And uh so to go for a a riverside walk um somewhere somewhere on the edge of Dartmoor where you've got these autumn colours.
• 44:57
  SPEAKER_00: There's a place, for instance, Fingle Fingle Bridge, and you can do a walk, it's a long walk from Chagford to Fingle Bridge, and you can do a nice loop so you can get to see different different aspects of where you are.
• 45:11
  SPEAKER_00: Uh and at one stage you're within the woods, and you've got the river alongside you, you've got these orange and golds around you overhead.
• 45:19
  SPEAKER_00: Then another part of the walk, you're way up above the canopy, looking down onto this valley of spectacular colours, and that that can be a beautiful thing to do.
• 45:29
  SPEAKER_00: But it would be wrong of me not to also say that you should certainly include a really nice pub or a tea room or something like that during any walk.
• 45:39
  SPEAKER_00: And particularly if you've had a more brisk day, it's a bit cooler, the wind's whistling, and to find yourself in a lovely pub with the fire roaring and a nice pint of, of course, cider.
• 45:51
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it can't get much better than that.
• 45:54
  SPEAKER_01: I can I say that that does absolutely sound amazing, Alex.
• 45:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um, thanks so much for coming on and chatting about autumn in in Devon.
• 46:02
  SPEAKER_01: And as I say, you'll be on later on the air just to talk about it, what it's like in winter, because we always get so many questions about what it's like in various parts of the UK over the different seasons.
• 46:11
  SPEAKER_01: So it's really good to kind of share that that experience and knowledge because that's where you live.
• 46:16
  SPEAKER_01: Um so thanks again so much for coming on, and uh I'll speak to you soon.
• 46:20
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you, Tracy.
• 46:21
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you very much.
• 46:23
  SPEAKER_01: So that brings part one of our autumn special to a close.
• 46:26
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks so much for Briani from Mountain Goat Tours, Lisa from Go Cotzwalls, and of course Alex from Unique Devon Tours.
• 46:32
  SPEAKER_01: From Golden Reflections at Tarnhouse to Market Towns and Roaring Fires in the Cotswolds and Tree Tunnels and Cider in Devon, England's countryside really does put on a show in autumn.
• 46:43
  SPEAKER_01: And we're not done yet.
• 46:44
  SPEAKER_01: Next week is part two, and we'll be heading to the far north of Scotland with Sally Ann from North Coast Explorers to talk rainbows, dark skies, the deer rot, and your chances of actually seeing the northern lights.
• 46:55
  SPEAKER_01: And then it's down to London with Charlie and Becky from Walks Devour, including the tours that really come into their own in the cooler months and when the Christmas lights actually switch on.
• 47:04
  SPEAKER_01: So if you're not already following the podcast, that's the easiest way to catch it.
• 47:08
  SPEAKER_01: Make sure that you subscribe.
• 47:10
  SPEAKER_01: I'll link to each of this week's guest websites in the show notes at uktravelplanning.com forward slash episode 216.
• 47:18
  SPEAKER_01: Remember, we also have a 10% promo code for Mountain Goat and 5% of GoCotts Woolstrust.
• 47:23
  SPEAKER_01: So do head over to the show notes to get those codes so that you can have those discounts.
• 47:27
  SPEAKER_01: Now, if autumn is in your plans, we'd love to hear where you're heading.
• 47:31
  SPEAKER_01: So do send us a message via Speakpipe.
• 47:33
  SPEAKER_01: You'll find the link in the show notes.
• 47:35
  SPEAKER_01: But as always, that just leaves me to say until next week.
• 47:38
  SPEAKER_01: Happy UK travel planning.