The best places to see Autumn trees in Cheshire

The golden days of autumn are here and Cheshire has plenty of places to see them in all their brilliance

The actress and humanitarian Audrey Hepburn said: ‘To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow' and that feels especially true when it comes to trees.

Over the past few years, in response to the climate emergency, there have been numerous tree planting initiatives, some backed by grants and funding schemes and in 2022 a ‘Plant a Tree for the Jubilee’ campaign was launched.

I planted a Sorbus Sorbus vilmorinii in my garden in spring, and I'm pleased to say despite the heatwaves of summer it is thriving (Image: Alison Moore)

Whatever our reasons or motivations for planting a tree, we are undoubtedly creating a legacy for future generations to enjoy and that has to be a good thing. For my part, I planted a Sorbus vilmorinii in my garden in spring, and I’m pleased to say despite the heatwaves of summer it is thriving, and a perfect specimen tree for a small garden.

In Cheshire, we are fortunate to have some wonderful places in which to enjoy the beauty of mature trees, and one of my personal favourites is the National Trust-owned Quarry Bank Estate at Styal near Wilmslow. It is also one of the sites where, earlier this year, the National Trust completed its biggest Cheshire conservation project.

Part of this wide-ranging project has seen more than 20,000 trees planted on sites such as Quarry Bank, and also Alderley Edge, Dunham Massey and Lyme Park. This ambitious project will help the trust reach its target of 20 million trees by 2030 and in doing so play its part in tackling the twin threats of the climate crisis and the catastrophic decline in the natural environment.

Malus 'Red Sentinel' (Image: Alison Moore)

Autumn is a time when nature treats us to an extravagant finale: berries and hips take the place of flowers and the leaves of our deciduous trees change from their summer green to shades of yellow, gold, red and copper. Quarry Bank has everything from centuries-old majestic beeches to newly planted woodland and both the gardens and the wider estate are a perfect place to see the autumn spectacle.

A few weeks ago, I went along to see some of the recent work that’s been carried out, including the Countryfile Wood, a project that began in the autumn of 2020 when the first saplings of a variety of native trees were planted. The wood is part of Countryfile’s Plant Britain initiative: an ambitious two-year project to inspire the nation to do its bit for the planet and the environment in the face of the challenges of climate change.

As I chatted to ranger Craig Buckley about the progress, I was thrilled to see flocks of goldfinches and house martins in the fields and also to spot my first yellowhammer for many years. It's so encouraging to think that our children and grandchildren will benefit from initiatives like this far into the future.

As well as Quarry Bank, there are many other places to enjoy some autumn colour in and around Cheshire, and these are a few of my favourites.

Four for leaf-peeping

Acers in the Winter Garden at Dunham Massey, creating a carpet of brilliant red (Image: Alison Moore)

Dunham Massey
'Beautiful heart-shaped leaves that release a waft of burnt sugar or candyfloss scent as they start to fall'
The acers in the winter garden are particularly magnificent and crab apples and berries adorn many of the other feature trees. And to indulge in a feast for all the senses, take a walk past one of the Katsura trees, which have beautiful heart-shaped leaves that release a waft of burnt sugar or candyfloss scent as they start to fall.

The Japanese Garden at Tatton Park (Image: Alison Moore)

Tatton Park
'Head gardener-led tours that take you into the heart of the garden'
From mid-October, the Japanese garden really comes into its own. For most of the year it can only be viewed from the perimeter but in October there are often head gardener-led tours that take you into the heart of the garden itself.

Golden days of autumn at Ness Gardens (Image: Alison Moore)

Ness Gardens
'See its collection of autumn flowering camellias'
Full of magnificent tree specimens, Ness Botanical Gardens on the Wirral is most definitely worth a visit, not only for the autumn foliage but to see its collection of autumn flowering camellias.

Lovell Quinta Arboretum
'An avenue of malus trees planted to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee'
A garden that is on my destination list for this year, is the Lovell Quinta Arboretum in Swettenham, near Congleton. It was created in the mid-950s by Sir Bernard Lovell, best known for his telescope at Jodrell Bank and is home to three national collections of trees: oak, pines and ash. This year it has a new feature: an avenue of malus trees planted to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and also the 60th anniversary of the Tatton Garden Society, which owns the arboretum.

Alison Moore of Renaissance Garden Design is a garden designer and photographer based in Sale. She writes a blog about her garden and other gardens she visits in Cheshire.
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