DiAblo

I've been to London several times, always in very late winter or very early springtime. I've always wanted to see the City and surrounding country in the fall and now a chance has come up for me to go, any time between now and next April. It's looking more and more like I could swing this for 10 days or so, starting on or around October 5th. A friend told me that was a wee bit late for the true autumn experience of turning leaves, crip air, yadda-yadda.

Anyone in FodorLand that has been to England in this time frame, your valued input, please.

Wayne

I've been in London in May, June, August, October, and November. I haven't been in September, when the colors in the English countryside should be good, but when I was there in October I found the weather to be pleasant, with a touch of the autumn foliage remaining. Frankly, at that time of year it could be very dicey, but going early in October ss you are planning to do, I believe you'll have a high probability of a nice experience. Good luck.

flanneruk

If you're coming from North America, do remember that the leaf-fall season is nothing like as dramatic here. And, as in everything else, its timing is vastly less predictable.

But I'd say early October is about as good as it gets: the second week is usually when everything comes together. Except that we still have this pointless British Summer Time, so it gets dark too late at night, and doesn't get light early enough in the morning, for the true early autumn experience. Blame it on the Common Market: we used to put the clocks back at the end of September, but as always we had to go and harmonise with eveyone else.

As an example of the autumnal timing, Westonbirt Arboretum - just about our best foliage place, but possibly a bit tricky for many visitors to get to from London and back in a day - usually becomes most overcrowded in the first two October weekends. So at Flanneruk Towers we close our mighty global empire for the day on the first or second Friday in Oct to get to Wetonbirt before the weekend crowds.

I'd say September, with its usual Indian summer followed by the equinoctial storms, is still too warm and damp for the essential nip in the air and crispy leaves to tread on. And it's the nip, the underfoot crunch and the warming glass of dry sherry that makes the autumn (not to mention English apples and pears, rather than that woolly-tasting Southern Hemisphere junk), rather than foliage, that make an English autumn.

But you don't need to be that precise. As you approach November, we start getting those mists.

starspinners

Don't hesitate to go to London in October.

I've traveled to the UK in October every year since 1999 and I will be there this October, too.
(I've also been there in the spring and in summer; each season has its drawing points).
One of the reasons I go in October has nothing to do with autumnal weather, it simply is that's when I have the most time available to travel.

But I do like London and the countryside in October. The weather can be variable, some days are sunny some are dreary, but that's true of any place.
The trees aren't bare but I don't know when the color display peaks.
I don't recall ever wishing I'd brought a heavier coat; most days I walk around town wearing a light weight jacket or a sweater. I keep a very small brolly tucked into my purse,at the ready, though.

don76

DiAblo
We were in London for nine days in October/November 2003.
The weather was fine .
The high light of the trip for us was watching the leaves falling like snow in Berkeley Square, but nary a nighting gale to be seen. darn it!
I had never seen such a sight and it was truly memorable.
It all depends on whether England has an early or late fall season. We hit it just right last year but in 1981 I was in London in October and the 'frost was on the pumpkin' The leaves had already fallen and it was cold.
Our British cousins should be able to better answer your question