Signs of Autumn on a Swaledale Walk
There is a certain moment each year when you realise that summer has quietly slipped away and autumn has crept in. Out on my walk in Swaledale today, with the dog happily nosing along the hedgerows, it struck me that this moment has arrived. The dale is starting to wear its autumn colours, and the signs are everywhere if you take the time to look.
The horse chestnut trees are swelling with conkers, their spiky green cases hanging like lanterns, waiting to split open. As a child, conkers meant muddy boots, pockets full of treasure, and endless games, and even now I cannot help but smile when I see them shining in the branches.
Further along, a rowan tree caught my eye. Its leaves were glowing orange, lit up against the darker greens of the woods. These fiery flashes always feel like natures early announcement of the season ahead. The rowan is such a striking tree in autumn, standing proud in the valleys with its berries and colour.
The hedgerows too are alive with change. Clusters of bright red hawthorn berries hang heavy on the branches, small jewels that will soon become a feast for the birds. They are one of those simple sights that remind me how closely the rhythm of the dale is tied to the seasons.
Walking home, I could not help but feel that autumn in Swaledale is more than just a change of scenery. It is a shift in atmosphere, the cooler mornings, the softer light, the quiet sense that the landscape is preparing for winter. For a photographer, it is a season that never fails to inspire with its rich textures and fleeting colours.
So while the hills are still mostly green, the first brushstrokes of autumn are already here. Conkers, rowan leaves, and hawthorn berries are just the beginning, soon the whole dale will be ablaze with colour.
