The Best Autumn Walks and Places to See Autumn Colours in Kent 2026
Kent's woodlands, historic estates and country gardens become some of the most beautiful places in the South East once autumn arrives.
From fiery Japanese maples and golden larches to ancient beech woodland, deer parks and tree-lined lakes, the Garden of England offers plenty of places to experience the changing season between September and November.
Whether you are looking for a peaceful woodland walk, somewhere to photograph the autumn leaves or a family day out surrounded by red, orange and gold, here is our guide to the best autumn walks and places to see autumn colours in Kent.
1. Bedgebury National Pinetum and Forest
Address: Bedgebury National Pinetum and Forest, Goudhurst, Kent TN17 2SJ
Walk type: Pinetum, woodland and lakeside trails
Best time for colour: October to early November
Walk length: Multiple routes, including shorter Pinetum trails
Admission: Entry to the forest is free; parking charges apply
Opening times: From 8am daily, with seasonal closing times
Dogs: Welcome
Best for: The best overall autumn colour in Kent
Why visit: Bedgebury National Pinetum is arguably Kent's standout destination for autumn colour.
Its internationally significant tree collection contains more than 12,000 specimen trees, creating an extraordinary mixture of colours as different species begin changing throughout the autumn. Forestry England specifically highlights the amber and red leaves of acers and sweetgum, yellow maidenhair trees, golden larch and rust-red swamp cypress around the water.
The combination of deciduous trees, conifers, lakes and reflections makes Bedgebury particularly good for photography. Marshall's Lake is one of the most attractive areas once the trees surrounding the water have changed colour.
There are walking routes suitable for a range of abilities. Forestry England's shorter Pinetum walking options include routes of approximately 0.8 and 1.6 miles, while longer trails allow visitors to explore more of the wider forest. Accessible paths and free pre-bookable all-terrain mobility scooters are also available.
Visit Kent Guide tip: If autumn colour is the main reason for your visit, make Bedgebury your first choice. Head towards the lakes rather than staying solely around the visitor centre, where reflections can make the autumn display particularly impressive.
2. Hever Castle & Gardens
Address: Hever Castle, Hever Road, Hever, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 7NG
Walk type: Historic gardens, woodland and lake walk
2026 autumn season: 28 September to 1 November 2026
Opening times: Autumn Colour activities from 10.30am
Admission: Normal Hever Castle admission applies
Walk length: Lake Walk takes around 30 to 60 minutes
Dogs: Welcome on leads in the grounds
Best for: Autumn colour with a castle backdrop
Why visit: Hever Castle is one of Kent's most photogenic places during autumn, particularly when the Boston ivy covering the historic castle turns vivid red.
The gardens contain beech, liquidambar, tulip trees, Japanese maples and numerous other species that create shades of yellow, orange and red throughout October. The 2026 Autumn Colour season runs from 28 September to 1 November, with self-guided garden walks included with admission.
One of the best routes is the Lake Walk, which circles Hever's 38-acre lake and normally takes around 30 to 45 minutes at a brisk pace or approximately an hour at a more leisurely speed. Chestnut Avenue, the Loggia and the views across the water are particularly attractive during autumn.
The 2026 autumn programme also includes seasonal talks, guided tours and activities on selected dates.
Visit Kent Guide tip: Photograph the castle before heading around Lake Walk. The red Boston ivy on the castle itself is one of Kent's most recognisable autumn scenes, but the quieter lake and woodland sections provide some of the best colours.
Hever Castle grounds during Autumn
Address: Emmetts Garden, Ide Hill, Sevenoaks, Kent TN14 6BA
Walk type: Edwardian hillside garden and woodland walks
2026 Autumn Festival: 9 October to 1 November 2026
Opening times: Garden generally 10am to 5pm during the main season
Admission: Adults £15 without Gift Aid; National Trust members free
Parking: Included with admission
Best for: Japanese maples and intense red autumn colour
Why visit: Emmetts Garden is one of the strongest places in West Kent for concentrated autumn colour.
The National Trust garden occupies one of the highest points in Kent and contains an unusual collection of trees and shrubs, including Japanese maples, winged spindle and the katsura tree. The neighbouring woodland around Toys Hill and Scords Wood adds another layer of autumn walking.
Its Japanese maples provide particularly vivid orange and red foliage later in the season, while the elevated setting offers long-distance views across the surrounding Kent countryside.
In 2026, Emmetts Garden is hosting an Autumn Festival from 9 October to 1 November, including guided autumn walks, talks, photography workshops and self-led seasonal routes.
Normal garden opening during the main season is generally 10am to 5pm, with admission from £15 for adults without Gift Aid. National Trust members enter free.
Visit Kent Guide tip: Aim for the second half of October rather than September if the Japanese maples are your main reason for visiting. Combine Emmetts with nearby Toys Hill for a longer woodland walk.
Emmetts Garden Autumn Festival
4. Knole Park
Address: Knole, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1HX
Walk type: Historic deer park and woodland
Best time for colour: October to early November
Walk length: Waymarked routes approximately 4 to 5km
Admission: Pedestrian access to Knole Park is free; tickets apply for National Trust attractions and its main car park
Opening times: Park open from dawn until dusk
Dogs: Welcome on leads
Best for: Autumn walks with wild deer
Why visit: Knole combines autumn woodland with one of Kent's most distinctive landscapes: a vast medieval deer park immediately outside Sevenoaks town centre.
The 1,000-acre park contains wooded uplands, valleys, open grassland and ancient tree-lined avenues. Some of its veteran trees date back to the early 1700s.
Several colour-coded walking routes start near the house and cover around 4 to 5km, normally taking between 50 and 75 minutes. The routes cross rough and undulating parkland, so sturdy footwear is useful during wet autumn conditions.
Knole's fallow deer have lived in the park for more than 500 years. Autumn also coincides with the deer rut, so visitors should keep well back and never approach or feed the animals.
Pedestrians can enter the wider park without paying, although visitors wanting to use the National Trust car park need an eligible admission ticket and should pre-book at busy times.
Visit Kent Guide tip: Arrive by train if possible. Sevenoaks station is within walking distance of the park, making Knole one of the easiest major autumn walks in Kent to visit without a car.
Knole Park is a sight to behold in the Autumn months
5. Scotney Castle
Address: Scotney Castle, Lamberhurst, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN3 8JN
Walk type: Castle gardens, parkland and ancient woodland
Best time for colour: Late October to November
Opening times: Garden and estate generally 10am to 5pm during the main season
Admission: Adults £20 without Gift Aid; National Trust members free
Parking: £4.50 for non-members and advance parking reservation strongly recommended
Dogs: Welcome on leads in much of the estate
Best for: Photographing autumn colour around a historic castle
Why visit: Scotney Castle is one of the most picturesque autumn locations in Kent, centred around the ruins of its 14th-century moated castle.
The gardens contain several trees particularly known for their seasonal colour, including century-old purple cut-leaved Japanese maples below the Bastion and a liquidambar near the boathouse.
From late October into November 2026, Scotney is also running dedicated Autumn Colour in the Garden guided walks, focusing on seasonal highlights around the estate.
Beyond the formal gardens, visitors can continue into the surrounding parkland and ancient woodland for a longer walk.
Normal whole-property adult admission is £20 without Gift Aid, while National Trust members enter free. Visitors arriving by car should reserve parking in advance, particularly at weekends, as the car park can reach capacity.
Visit Kent Guide tip: Don't stop after photographing the Old Castle. Continue into the estate and woodland, where the crowds thin out and you can turn the visit into a proper autumn walk.
6. Ightham Mote
Address: Ightham Mote, Mote Road, Ivy Hatch, Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 0NT
Walk type: Moated manor, gardens and countryside estate walks
Best time for colour: October
Opening times: Estate dawn to dusk; garden generally 10am to 5pm during the main season
Admission: Adults £19 without Gift Aid for house, garden and estate during the main season
Parking: £4 per vehicle for non-members; free for National Trust members
Dogs: Welcome on short leads across much of the estate
Best for: A longer countryside autumn walk
Why visit: Ightham Mote provides one of the best combinations of historic architecture and countryside walking in West Kent.
The 14th-century manor is surrounded by gardens, woodland and an extensive rural estate. Visitors looking for a serious walk can follow the circular route from Ightham Mote to Knole, which passes through the Kent countryside and along parts of the Greensand Way.
The full route covers approximately 8.5 miles or 13.6km and takes around five hours, crossing woodland, fields, bridleways and undulating terrain.
For something shorter, visitors can simply explore the estate surrounding the house and garden. The estate opens from dawn until dusk, while the house and garden operate seasonal hours.
Visit Kent Guide tip: If you want an actual hike rather than a garden stroll, choose the Ightham Mote to Knole circular. Start early, take proper walking shoes and allow most of the day.
7. Sissinghurst Castle Garden
Address: Sissinghurst Castle Garden, Biddenden Road, near Cranbrook, Kent TN17 2AB
Walk type: Historic garden, orchard and wider estate
Best time for colour: Late September to October
Admission: National Trust admission applies
Parking: £4.50 for non-members; National Trust members park free
Dogs: Assistance dogs only within the main garden; different rules apply on the wider estate
Best for: Autumn gardens, orchard colour and photography
Why visit: Sissinghurst is famous for its gardens in spring and summer, but autumn produces a very different atmosphere.
Early in the season, late flowers continue around the borders before autumn colour develops across the Nuttery, Lime Walk and Cottage Garden. The National Trust highlights strong reds and oranges across the garden as the season progresses.
The Orchard also becomes particularly attractive, with apple, pear and plum trees surrounded by autumn foliage and late seasonal plants.
Visitors can extend their trip beyond the formal garden onto walking routes through the wider estate and surrounding countryside.
Sissinghurst has introduced visitor-capacity measures in its main garden for 2026, so during busy periods you may need to wait before entering. There is no advance booking system for normal admission.
Visit Kent Guide tip: Don't rush directly into the formal garden. Allow time for the orchard and wider estate, particularly on a crisp October morning when the autumn atmosphere is often at its best.
8. Penshurst Place
Address: Penshurst Place, Penshurst, Tonbridge, Kent TN11 8DG
Walk type: Historic gardens, arboretum, woodland and parkland
Best time for colour: October to early November
Opening times: Gardens and grounds 10am to 5pm daily until 1 November 2026
Admission: Admission applies to the house and formal gardens; surrounding parkland is free to visit
Dogs: Check current access rules before visiting the formal gardens
Best for: Formal gardens and a quieter West Kent autumn walk
Why visit: Penshurst Place contains around 50 acres of gardens and grounds divided into a collection of individual garden rooms, alongside an arboretum, lakes and woodland.
Its autumn colour includes acers around Church Terrace and the Paved Garden, golden ginkgo on the South Lawn and changing foliage throughout the arboretum. The arboretum is specifically designed around native English trees and becomes a particularly colourful area during autumn.
There are also two estate walking routes - the Parkland Walk and Riverside Walk - crossing the historic Penshurst estate and sections of the Eden Valley.
For 2026, Penshurst's house, gardens and grounds remain open daily until 1 November, with the gardens operating from 10am to 5pm. The wider parkland remains free and open throughout the year.
Visit Kent Guide tip: Walk beyond the formal gardens into the arboretum. It is one of the quieter parts of the estate and arguably the strongest section for autumn trees.
9. Hucking Estate
Address: Church Road, Hucking, Maidstone, Kent ME17 1QS
Walk type: Free woodland, chalk grassland and countryside trails
Best time for colour: October to November
Walk length: Blue route approximately 1.7km; red Landscape Trail approximately 4.8km
Admission: Free
Parking: Small free Woodland Trust car park
Dogs: Welcome under responsible control
Best for: A free autumn woodland walk
Why visit: Hucking Estate is one of the best options for visitors wanting a completely free countryside walk rather than a paid garden or historic attraction.
The Woodland Trust estate covers almost 700 acres on the North Downs and combines broadleaved woodland, chalk grassland, hedgerows and open countryside. More than 180,000 native trees have been planted as part of the restoration and expansion of the woodland.
There are two main waymarked walks. The shorter blue route covers around 1.7km and takes approximately 30 minutes, while the red Landscape Trail covers just over 4.8km and takes around an hour and a half.
The trails are largely grass and earth rather than surfaced paths, so they can become muddy and slippery after autumn rain.
Parking is limited to a small Woodland Trust car park, and visitors should not park on surrounding verges or block local lanes if it is full.
Visit Kent Guide tip: Choose the red Landscape Trail for the full experience. Bring walking boots after rain and arrive relatively early because parking is much more limited than at Kent's larger paid attractions.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Bedgebury National Pinetum is one of the best places to see autumn colour in Kent because of its enormous variety of trees. Acers, sweetgum, golden larch, swamp cypress and other species produce a wide mixture of colours throughout the season.
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Leaves generally begin changing from late September, with the strongest colour often appearing during October. Peak colour is commonly around late October in southern England, although weather conditions can shift the timing.
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Hucking Estate near Maidstone is completely free and has two waymarked walking trails. Knole Park in Sevenoaks can also be accessed free on foot.
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Emmetts Garden and Scotney Castle are particularly good choices. Emmetts has a collection of Japanese maples, while Scotney is known for its mature purple cut-leaved Japanese maples.
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Yes. Forestry England specifically recommends Bedgebury for autumn because its diverse tree collection creates colours ranging from gold and yellow to deep reds, copper and rust.
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Yes. Pedestrians can enter Knole Park without paying or booking. Charges apply if you want to use the National Trust car park and visitor attractions around the house.
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Walking shoes or boots are recommended, particularly after rain. Woodland, grass and estate trails can become muddy and slippery during October and November.
