Legends of the fall: 10 brilliant UK weekends

Deer-rutting is one of the most spectacular natural sights in the autumn months, when male deer repeatedly clash antlers in a visceral battle for superiority. With its huge deer population, Galloway Forest Park offers an excellent chance to see the stags fight, along with dark skies for stargazing, mountain bike trails and adventure play areas, all swathed in vibrant auburn foliage. The Kirroughtree Visitor Centre is a good place to pick up information on trails and activities, and the Galloway Cottages, a clutch of farm buildings converted into comfortable holiday homes, are an easy walk from the park.From ?499 per week, hoseasons.co.uk

Autumn skies offer some of the best stargazing of the year, and two new Stargazer Lodges on the Blaithwaite Estate, just outside the Lake District National Park, offer the chance to spot constellations from the mezzanine bedroom, set beneath a panoramic skylight window, the outdoor hot tub or the deck. The 250-acre estate offers wonderful walking and bookable activities for families. Bassenthwaite Lake is within easy driving distance and at its most beautiful in autumn; Dodd Wood, which runs along the eastern side, has some spectacular foliage.Stargazer Lodges sleep up to four, from ?450 per week; blaithwaite.co.uk

Splash out on a rural-chic weekend in the heart of glorious Sussex countryside at the Pig at Madehurst, with charming rooms dotted through the grounds in traditional brick and flint stable buildings. The picturesque town of Arundel, dominated by an impressive Norman castle, is just four miles away; Mill Road, beneath the castle, is famous for the rows of lime and alder trees that drop their leaves, carpeting the pavements. Follow it up with a stroll around Swanbourne Lake, or head along the river for a waterside beer at the Black Rabbit Pub.Doubles from ?215; thepighotel.com