The area becoming Britain's 'top' leaf peeping spot

If you find yourself strolling through woodland at this time of year, you may notice a burning rainbow of colours.

From crisp, brown leaves on the forest floor to vibrant yellow plumes of foliage still clinging on to branches - nature is giving one of its most brilliant, yet accessible, performances.

Ed Drewitt, who is dubbed the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley's "chief leaf peeper", is now encouraging others to enjoy nature in a novel way this month by "leaf peeping".

"It comes from North America, particularly Canada, where people go out and actively see all the amazing colours of autumn," Mr Drewitt explained.

The activity of "leaf peeping" sees people travel to view and photograph the foliage in areas where leaves change colour the most during the autumn months.

"The Forest of Dean is very much leading on being the top place in the country for leaf peeping," said Mr Drewitt who works for Forest of Dean and Wye Valley Tourism.

"Chief leaf peeper" Ed Drewitt said going for an autumnal walk is "really good for lowering our stress levels"

"What I really love is that if you're here in June/July time, everywhere is green, particularly dark green. But in late October and early November, everywhere is this burnt brown/orange colour.

"It's as though someone just pressed a button and completely changed the colour of everything. It is amazing to see," he said.

Mr Drewitt's Gloucestershire leaf peeping hotspots include Woorgreens Lake (pictured), the "Golden Mile" between Wenchford and Soudley, and Symonds Yat Rock

While earthy-hued leaves are synonymous with autumn, a number of factors influence when exactly it is that the leaves change colour.

Trees prioritise having enough water to see their way through the winter, and leaves use a lot of water.

"If we have a very wet summer and year, like we've had in 2024, the trees are much less stressed," said Mr Drewitt.

"They don't have to worry about making sure they've got enough water for winter time, so they can hang onto those leaves.

"It hasn't been too cold yet, we haven't had any frost, so the trees are still quite happy.

"I suspect that autumn's going to cling on for a bit longer... all the way through to mid-November," he added.

Straddling the southernmost border of England and Wales, the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean are home to 20 million trees over 600 square miles