Exploring the Cotswolds in autumn means a mix of enjoying the colours outdoors and cosying up inside, as the days get shorter, the leaves start to turn and the summer crowds head home. With events to celebrate harvest, Halloween and Bonfire Night, there’s lots going on at this time of year. So to help you plan the next few months, here are 25 of my top things to do in autumn 2026 in the Cotswolds, from woodland walks and foraging classes to festivals and ghost tours.
When to visit the Cotswolds in autumn
September is usually the mildest and driest part of the season, with average daytime highs of 18°C (64°F) and nighttime lows of 10°C (50°F). The crowds of summer start to disappear, but the countryside is generally still green at the start of the month, with autumn colour gradually appearing later on. It’s a great month for walking, agricultural shows and harvest events.
October brings cooler temperatures, with average highs of 14°C (57°F) and lows of 8°C (46°F). This is normally the best month for colourful autumn leaves as well as pumpkin picking and Halloween events, although popular places can get busy during half term. It’s the wettest month so expect showers, and walking paths can often be muddy, so wear waterproof footwear.
November is colder and quieter with shorter days, and some attractions close or reduce their opening hours. Average high temperatures are 9°C (48°F) and lows 5°C (41°F). Frost becomes more likely, but it’s an atmospheric time for Bonfire Night, misty walks and fireside pub lunches.
25 things to do in the Cotswolds in autumn
The great outdoors
1. Take a walk in the woods
Crisp sunny days and misty mornings make autumn a great time to head out for a walk in the Cotswold countryside. Choose a woodland path and admire the colourful trees, kick your way through piles of fallen leaves, collect conkers and pick ripe, juicy blackberries.
Some of my favourite Cotswold woodland walks include Lineover Woods, Castlett Wood near Guiting Power, Woodchester Park and Laurie Lee Wood. Or if you’d like to try a new route, there are guided walks at Stonehouse (4–13 September) and Dursley (7–11 October) Walking Festivals.
2. See autumn colours at an arboretum
For more beautiful Cotswold autumn colours, pay a visit to the arboretums at Westonbirt and Batsford. The best time to visit to see the colours at their peak depends on the weather (check their websites and social media channels for updates), but generally you can expect to see the tree canopy dazzle in shades of gold, orange and red from early October to early November.
3. Spot wild deer
A stag silhouetted in the mist at sunset is one of the classic images of the Cotswolds in autumn. If you want to photograph deer, there are a few places where you can see them. If you time it well you can catch the annual deer rut in October, when stags fight to impress female deer.
A herd of fallow deer has recently been reintroduced to National Trust site Dyrham Park. There are also deer parks at Lodge Park on the Sherborne Estate and Charlecote Park country house east of Stratford-upon-Avon – where legend has it a young William Shakespeare was once prosecuted for poaching. And you can meet the herd with a deer encounter at the Broadway Tower.
4. Go stargazing
The Cotswolds has some of the darkest skies in England, making it the perfect place to try stargazing. Astronomy experts Go Stargazing have chosen the Cotswolds’ best stargazing spots with low light pollution and easy access: The Rollright Stones, Aunt Phoebe’s Recreation Ground in Long Compton, Painswick Beacon and Culver Hill on Minchampton Common near Stroud.
Apps like Stellarium, Star Walk 2 and Star Tracker are available to download, which tell you what you’re looking at. Or if you want to learn from an expert you can take a two-hour stargazing tour where you can see star systems, planets and galaxies through a large telescope.
Eat, drink and get cosy
5. Have Sunday lunch by a log fire
What better way to spend an autumnal Sunday than tucking into a traditional roast dinner by a roaring fire in a country pub? And we’re spoilt for choice in the Cotswolds, with a whole host of cosy spots which serve up delicious roasts using locally sourced ingredients.
A few of the Sunday lunch spots I can’t stop going back to are The Chequers in Churchill, The Green Dragon at Cockleford, The Horse and Groom in Bourton-on-the-Hill, The Hollow Bottom in Guiting Power, The Killingworth Castle near Woodstock and The Tivoli in Cheltenham.
6. Shop the harvest at a farm shop
Autumn is one of the best times to browse the Cotswolds’ farm shops, when displays fill with locally grown apples and pears, pumpkins, root vegetables, seasonal game, homemade cider or apple juice and jars of chutney and jam. Some of the best places to pick them up are Jolly Nice near Stroud, Hayles Fruit Farm in Winchcombe and Todenham Manor Farm near Moreton-in-Marsh.
7. Forage for your food
Or discover the bounty of the harvest yourself with a session led by Cotswold Forager Rob Gould, who runs ‘A Forage in The Cotswolds’ on 6 September, 24 October and 7 November. His 2.5-hour walks take you out into the Cotswold countryside to search for wild, seasonal produce. You’ll learn how to forage safely and identify different wild edibles so you can pick them yourself.
8. Toast autumn with a Hedgerow Gin
Made with a selection of locally harvested sloes, damsons, blackberries and bullace (a type of wild plum), the Hedgerow Gin from the Cotswolds Distillery tastes like autumn in the Cotswolds in a glass. The fruit is macerated slowly in their Cotswolds Dry Gin before being aged in oak casks, giving it a fruity, spicy flavour. It’s delicious over ice – or try it warm on a cold day.
9. Indulge in a luxurious hot chocolate
A steaming cup of creamy hot chocolate, topped with marshmallows and cream, is one of my essential autumn indulgences. I’ve tested a lot, and my top picks are from Luxe Café Bar and Jacks in Cirencester, Coach House Coffee in Stow-on-the-Wold, Blockley Café and The Curious Café in Cheltenham. Or create your own with Daylesford’s organic hot chocolate drinking flakes.
Halloween and after-dark activities
10. Pick your own pumpkin
Autumn means pumpkin season, and whether you’re planning on carving one for Halloween or cooking up a tasty pumpkin pie, you can choose a prize specimen at one of the Cotswolds’ pumpkin patches this October. Pumpkin picking is normally available on weekends during October and every day during half term. Among the places where you can pick your own pumpkin are:
- Bibury Trout Farm
- Cattle Country Farm Park in Berkeley
- Cotswold Farm Park near Guiting Power
- Jolly Nice Farm Shop near Stroud
- Over Farm Market just outside Gloucester
- Primrose Vale Farm Shop near Cheltenham.
11. Take a history and ghost walk
Discover the dark side of the Cotswolds with a spooky guided tour of Bourton-on-the-Water or Broadway. Bloody Bourton Walking Tours (Friday and Saturday nights at 7pm) are led by costumed guide Edward Charnel, who reveals the town’s secrets and introduces its ghostly residents. Or find out about the history and hauntings of Broadway with a 90-minute History & Ghost Walk.
12. Ghost hunt at Woodchester Mansion
Spend the night at the spooky unfinished Victorian Gothic Woodchester Mansion – if you dare. Woodchester Mansion was abandoned partway through construction in 1868, when workers mysteriously downed tools and left, never to return. Since then there have been tales of strange happenings and ghostly sightings including a phantom horseman and floating head.
Ghost hunt evenings use specialist electromagnetic field detecting equipment and séances to communicate with the resident ghosts. They’re not for the fainthearted, but if you’re feeling brave you can join Haunting Nights this autumn on 5 September or 13 November.
13. Watch a firework display
Wrap up warm (or stay close to the bonfire) and watch glittering fireworks fill the sky as the Cotswolds celebrates Bonfire Night in traditional style. Firework displays normally take place at Stroud’s Five Valleys, Bath Racecourse, Cheltenham Racecourse, South Cerney, Guiting Power, Miserden and Dursley – dates for 2026 will be added as they’re announced.
Autumn festivals and events 2026
The Cotswolds’ autumn events calendar runs from traditional agricultural shows in early September to literary, music and history festivals later in the season. The following events are arranged by their 2026 opening dates to make it easier to see what’s happening during your visit.
14. Moreton-in-Marsh Show (5 Sept)
Moreton-in-Marsh Show takes place on 5 September at the town’s showground. Describing itself as a ‘celebration of British farming, countryside traditions and family entertainment’, it’s one of the UK’s biggest agricultural shows. There are livestock displays, horse shows – including the popular Shetland Pony Grand National – sheep shearing, tractor rides, crafts and produce.
15. Cornbury House Horse Trials (9–13 Sept)
Cornbury House Horse Trials are a modern take on traditional eventing, taking place in the Wychwood Forest near Charlbury in Oxfordshire from 9–13 September. As well as dressage, cross-country and show jumping action, the Diddly Dog Show is new for 2026 and there’s locally sourced food ‘From the Farm’, family-friendly craft workshops and evening entertainment.
16. Heritage Open Days (11–20 Sept)
Each autumn, properties across England throw open their doors for Heritage Open Days, taking place from 11–20 September this year. This annual history festival is a chance to visit places which aren’t normally open to the public for guided tours, talks, walks and special events.
Kelmscott Manor and Horton Court are among the Cotswold venues welcoming visitors at this year’s event. There’s also free entry to National Trust sites Newark Park (12 September), Chedworth Roman Villa (12–13 September), Upton House and Gardens (12–13 September), Hidcote (13 September), Dyrham Park (17–19 September) and Chastleton House (19 September).
17. Jane Austen Festival (11–20 Sept)
From 11–20 September, the city of Bath celebrates one of its most famous residents – Jane Austen. The annual Jane Austen Festival includes talks, walks, performances, costumed balls and trips to locations from her books. There’s also the chance to dress up in 18th-century style and join 500 other Austen fans in the Grand Regency Costumed Promenade on Saturday 12 September.
18. Autumn Classic at Castle Combe (12–13 Sept)
Go back in time to the Golden Age of motor racing with the Autumn Classic historical racing festival at Castle Combe Circuit in Wiltshire from 12–13 September. Races feature classic cars from the 1950s, 60s and 70s, with opportunities to get up close to the vehicles that helped shape post-war motorsport. There are also car displays, parades, a classic car auction and entertainment.
19. Broadway Food Festival (13 Sept)
Broadway is one of the foodie hubs of the Cotswolds, and on 13 September the town showcases the wealth of fantastic food and drink available locally at the Broadway Food Festival. Now in its 12th year, the village green is filled with stalls selling everything from curries and crêpes to pies and pig roast, and there are tasting sessions and cookery demos from Broadway’s chefs.
20. Burford Literary Festival (25–27 Sept)
Burford Literary Festival from 25–27 September is a community festival which uses small venues to give it an intimate feel, and is designed to be accessible with many tickets costing £12. This year there are talks and book signings from authors including Donal Ryan, Joanna Cannon and Matthew Rice, as well as the annual Secret Garden Party with wine and cake at a mystery venue.
21. Tetbury Music Festival (26 Sept–4 Oct)
Enjoy classical music in a beautiful Cotswold church this autumn. Tetbury Music Festival takes place from 26 September–4 October, with works by Beethoven, Schubert and Stravinsky being performed in St Mary’s Church. There are also guest lectures at the Tetbury Goods Shed Art Centre with Sir Nicholas Kenyon and a special appearance by vocal ensemble The Gesualdo Six.
22. DogFest at Blenheim Palace (3–4 Oct)
Bring your four-legged friends along to DogFest at the Palace on 3–4 October in the beautiful grounds of Blenheim Palace. The event includes group dog walks, breed meet-ups, dog show and expert tips from dog trainers and nutritionists. There are plenty of shopping, eating and drinking opportunities for owners too, and all visitors get a free commemorative photo.
23. Stroud Arts Festival (3–24 Oct)
Founded in 1946, the Stroud Arts Festival has a long history of bringing the best of music, poetry, drama, art and dance to Stroud and the Five Valleys. For its 80th anniversary, the festival presents an extended edition from 3–24 October including a specially commissioned orchestral work, Ballet Cymru’s performance of Sleeping Beauty and the launch of new theatre and poetry festivals.
24. Cheltenham Literature Festival (9–18 Oct)
Cheltenham Literature Festival is one of the highlights of the year in the Festival Town, when over 500 big names from the worlds of fiction, poetry, film and TV, sport, food, travel and politics descend on Cheltenham. This year’s festival takes place from 9–18 October.
As well as 400 different talks, debates, workshops and book signings, there’s also the Festival Village in Montpellier Gardens to explore. Enjoy food and drink stalls, the book tent, activities and story trails for kids. And don’t miss the late-night Lit Crawl which visits venues around town.
25. Cirencester History Festival (23 Oct–1 Nov)
Cirencester History Festival from 23 October to 1 November covers local, national and global history, with talks, guided walks, workshops, family activities and entertainment in venues across Cirencester. Robert Harris, Alice Loxton and Simon Sebag Montefiore are among the speakers announced so far – and a special Cirencester Tapestry will be embroidered to celebrate the Bayeux Tapestry’s return to England in 2026, using designs submitted by local residents.
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