Why Devon Is The UK Destination To Know This Autumn
The new Sense and Sensibility adaptation puts South Devon’s coast and moors centre stage — and the region looks set to become one of autumn’s most talked-about UK escapes.
South Devon is about to get a serious screen moment. The new adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles, uses the region’s rugged coastline and windswept moors as its backdrop. With the film arriving this autumn, Devon is likely to move quickly from familiar British escape to somewhere far more people want to see for themselves. Elle UK 10.2026_downmagaz.net
The timing is working in its favour. Lustleigh is also being transformed into Godric’s Hollow for HBO’s new Harry Potter series, Dartmoor National Park is marking its 75th anniversary, and a British Library exhibition is revisiting Agatha Christie’s long connection with Devon. Together, they are giving the southwest a fresh cultural pull.
The appeal goes beyond scenery. Devon suits the kind of weekend people increasingly want in autumn: somewhere to walk for hours, eat well, sit by a fire and spend very little time looking at a screen.
Stay Somewhere You Can Slow Down
The best Devon stays lean into the landscape rather than compete with it. Think converted barns, farmhouses and small country hotels with pale walls, natural fabrics, wooden furniture, deep baths and log burners.
The details tend to be simple but well judged: local sparkling wine in the minibar, good coffee, thick blankets and food made nearby. Some rural stays sit on working farms, so mornings can begin with a walk through orchards and fields rather than a hotel corridor.
Food is often part of the reason to book. Devon’s stronger country retreats build menus around local produce, with long communal dinners, baking workshops and proper Sunday lunches taking precedence over formal dining rooms.
Spend The Day Outside
You do not need a detailed itinerary. Choose a stretch of coast or part of Dartmoor and leave enough time to walk it properly. Autumn makes the landscape feel more dramatic. Coastal paths run above sandy beaches and small coves, while inland routes cross moorland, woodland and granite terrain. Wistman’s Wood on Dartmoor, with its twisted dwarf oaks, moss-covered boulders, ferns and lichens, has the dark, slightly otherworldly look the season calls for. Cold-water swimming and outdoor saunas also fit naturally into a Devon weekend. A wood-fired sauna followed by a plunge outside is one of the better ways to warm up after several hours on the coast.
Plan Lunch Around The Walk
Devon is not the place for a rushed sandwich between activities. Cream tea still deserves a slot, ideally somewhere baking its own scones. The local order is cream first, jam second. Old pubs, waterside inns and restaurants built around local seafood make an equally good excuse to extend lunch well into the afternoon. The region also has a growing collection of design-led country hotels where the food carries as much weight as the rooms, from relaxed farmhouse cooking to Michelin-level dining.
What To Wear
Pack for mud, wind, rain and sudden sunshine rather than trying to dress for one forecast.
Start with relaxed walking trousers or technical trousers that can cope with damp grass and uneven paths. Add a fine knit, T-shirt or lightweight layer underneath a waterproof jacket. A good raincoat earns its place immediately; autumn showers can arrive halfway through a coastal walk.
On your feet, choose proper walking shoes, waterproof trainers or sturdy sandals only while the weather remains mild. Wellies also make sense if you are staying on a farm or planning long countryside walks. Keep the rest easy: wool socks, a warm jumper and one smarter knit or shirt for dinner. Devon does not call for elaborate evening dressing.
What To Pack
A refillable water bottle belongs in the day bag, along with a compact waterproof layer and something warm enough to put on when the temperature drops. A hard-shell suitcase or durable weekender works better than anything delicate, especially if you are moving between trains, country lanes and farm stays. Sunglasses are still worth packing, as is SPF; bright autumn days on the coast can feel surprisingly strong. Leave some space for whatever comes home with you: local food, wine, knitwear or the inevitable jar of jam.
Devon works best when the weekend stays loose. Walk until you are hungry, eat properly, warm up somewhere cosy and go outside again the next morning. That is really the whole point.
