Why Yorkshire is the place to be for walks and days out this autumn

And Yorkshire’s tourism bodies are highlighting the region as the place to be as the season’s spectacular colours.

The National Trust has highlighted various spots to visit, including Hebden Bridge’s Hardcastle Crags as it is home to rare birds at this time of year.

Meanwhile locations such as Beningbrough Hall, which is run by the National Trust, the Rivelin Valley near Sheffield and Castle Howard each have their own charms to explore during the autumn period.

In its round-up of activities, the trust said: “At Hardcastle Crags, 500 common pipistrelle bats roost in Gibson Mill. The colony is the largest in West Yorkshire. As the day draws to a close, look out as the bats begin to dart about the woodland. Restarts and Pied Flycatchers make their home in the woodlands too, these rare birds come here to breed in the autumn.”

One new activity is Autumn Art in the Park, which has just been launched at Sewerby Hall and Gardens, Bridlington.

It is an opportunity to use Facebook to share ideas and creations, whether poetry, photos, or pieces of art which can be created either at home, or in the grounds itself. There will be a weekly post on the venue’s Facebook page where entries can be shared.

General manager Marie Gascoigne said: “Make a picture, take a photo or write a poem and add it to our Facebook page. We would love to see your creative entries, whether you do them at home or in our amazing gardens.”

Entry to the gardens is free, and the zoo is also open daily.

Elsewhere on the Yorkshire coast, Fright Fest by the Sea will take place at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough.

It is an innovative programme of live theatre and film exploring the supernatural, macabre and magical throughout winter.

There will be a “creepy” Ascarium at Scarborough Sealife between October 17 and November 1, an immersive trail through creatures inhabiting the darkest depths of the ocean.

Night-time Ghost Tours of Whitby Abbey and Scarborough Castle are also taking place between October 28 to 31.

“Whitby is world-famous as the birthplace of Dracula, but Bram Stoker’s story is just scratching the surface,” said Janet Deacon, tourism manager for Scarborough Borough Council.

“If you’re looking for stranger things, the Yorkshire Coast is one of the most extraordinary places in the UK. It’s already famous for its magnificent wildlife, but in its unspoilt landscapes myths and monsters never died, and visitors can uncover a super-natural wonderland of the weird, populated by witches and wraiths, ghosts, goblins and giants, dragons and barguests. It’s the ultimate escape - a trip to an Other World - and we’re doing everything we can to make sure people can experience it.”

In its round-up of autumn activities around Yorkshire, the National Trust also suggested people take in the views at Marsden Moor.

“The change in seasons transforms the bracken and heather in the landscape at Marsden Moor from a haze of warm purple to a burnt reddish-orange,” said the organisation.

“With 5,000 acres to explore, now is the time to get outdoors and discover new views in an autumnal hue.”