One the the best things about autumn has to be walking in the woods. The crunch and rustle of leaves of a dry, sunny day, or the squelch of mud on a wet one, I love it all. And that earthy smell of rotting vegetation and damp air, just tinged with woodsmoke, so particular to this time of year, has me reaching for my wellies and hat.

Otley Chevin has become a firm family favourite for woodland walks. It lies about ten miles north of Leeds, just a mere thirty-minute car journey away, yet you feel like you are out in the middle of the Yorkshire Dales. The Chevin is a large wooded ridge with wonderful views north to the market town of Otley and the Wharfe Valley.

One of the reasons we love it so much is the way you get the best of both worlds; that feeling of being deep undercover amid hundreds of trees, then suddenly coming to a break in the woods and seeing the most staggering vista in front of you.

It’s lovely in spring and summer too, of course, but there is something really special about the Chevin when it’s cold, when you can walk for as little or as long as you want, watching the kids get muddy and climb trees, when you can see winter skies through the bare trees, and then pile into the car afterwards and go home for hot chocolate.

Images by Gillian Roe