Best place in Derbyshire to get great pictures of nature's autumnal colours

First coined in the USA and Canada, the term leaf-peeping refers to the activity of travelling and photographing leaves as they turn to gold and red.

During autumn months the view across the Ladybower reservoir in the Upper Derwent Valley is littered with golden and red hues thanks to the forest backdrop. This spot is perfect for families with shorter walks for little legs and a cafe serving up hot drinks to warm cold hands.

The beautiful autumnal hues of the Upper Derwent Valley have been highlighted in a survey of the best leaf-peeping sites by the online floral delivery company Flying Flowers.

From forest walks to lakeside picnics and grand gardens these are the other best places to visit this season to see the leaves turned orange and red: Westonbirt Arboretum in Gloucestershire, Grizedale Forest in Cumbria, Knightwood Oak Trail in New Forest, Faskally Wood in Perthshire, Cardinham Woods In Cornwall, Hampstead Heath in London and Stourhead Gardens in Wiltshire.

Colder temperatures and less sunlight in autumnal months reduce the need for chlorophyll in leaves in autumn. As such the green pigments in the leaves break down and, the xanthophylls and carotenes become more visible, producing a stunning array of yellow and red hues.

Autumn leaves in England tend to reach their peak in October, with most of them fallen by mid-November.

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