October in the Cotswolds is a season of subtle splendour, a time when the gentle hills and quiet valleys around Bibury and Quenington are bathed in soft golden light and the countryside exhales an amber-toned breath. In autumn 2025 the weather has been beautifully English in its temperament: cool mornings, mild afternoons, and a hint of crispness that carries the promise of early winter. Mist lingers in the valleys at dawn, dissolving into clear skies that reveal the delicate arc of migrating birds overhead.
Bibury, often described as one of the most picturesque villages in England, feels particularly spellbinding at this time of year. As you stroll along the River Coln, the water mirrors the changing hues of the trees that line its banks — copper, russet, ochre and jade fading into tawny brown. The iconic Arlington Row, with its honey-coloured stone cottages, is framed by old maples and oaks that shed leaves like confetti, collecting on ancient stone walls and underfoot. A gentle breeze carries the scent of damp earth and fallen leaves, a fragrance that is quintessentially autumnal Cotswold.
The mornings here are often touched with frost, a fine white filigree that glints on the grass as the first sunlight warms the fields. Walkers wrapped in scarves and woollen coats set out early, boots crunching through leaf-strewn paths, their breath visible in the cool air. There is a sense of peace in this season, as if the landscape itself has slowed down to savour each moment of transition. Cafés in the village brim with locals and visitors alike, warm mugs in hand, savouring spiced lattes and hearty soups that complement the crisp climate.
A short drive from Bibury brings you to the serene parish of Quenington, where the River Coln flows wider and slower. Here the landscape is open, dotted with working farms, marshland and stretches of ancient meadow. In October, the reed beds by the riverside acquire a tawny shimmer, rustling in the autumn wind, while flocks of wigeon and teal gather on the water, embarking on their seasonal journey south. The sky at dusk above Quenington often becomes a tapestry of soft purples and deep blues, the low sun casting long shadows across harvested fields.
The woodlands surrounding both villages, whether at Quenington’s Old Park Wood or the coppiced oak groves nearer Bibury, come alive with seasonal contrast. Under the cool canopy, mushrooms and toadstools emerge in clusters, and late-blooming hedgerow berries lend splashes of scarlet against fading greens. Walkers exploring these quiet lanes might chance upon deer pausing between trees, their coats thickening with the oncoming chill, or catch sight of a red kite circling overhead against a backdrop of billowing cloud.
October weather in this corner of the Cotswolds can shift swiftly; sunlit mornings may give way to light showers by late afternoon. Yet this variability only enhances the landscape’s charm — rain lifts the earth’s scent, intensifies the colour of fallen leaves, and sends ripples across river pools. In every changing moment, Bibury and Quenington offer an autumnal tapestry that feels both timeless and deeply rooted in the natural rhythm of the English countryside.
