THE north is blessed with some of the most beautiful public gardens in Britain, and this is a great time to visit them and enjoy all the autumn colours.

It is an especially good time of year if you are a photographer, as the stunning light and rays coming through the trees ands foliage will enhance your images.

And for the green-fingered amongst you, take some of the best ideas you see during your visits and use them to create your own individual garden at home...

1. CROOK HALL AND GARDENS, Durham

You don’t have to go far to discover the delights of Crook Hall and Gardens.

Not far from the busy market place in Durham you’ll find the beautiful medieval manor house surrounded by ten individual garden rooms, each with its own style and ambience.

Lose yourself in the maze, or enjoy the horticultural history of Shakespeare’s Garden, primarily planted with plants which grew in Shakespeare’s time.

Home of the gardens are centuries old, while others have been added more recently. Alan Titchmarsh described the Secret Walled Garden "a tapestry of colourful blooms", with cottage garden borders providing a riotous mass of colour.

2. BELSAY HALL GARDEN, Northumberland

The layout of the Belsay gardens has remained largely unchanged since Sir Charles Monck set them out in the early 19th century, and they have evolved from that time to become one of the best in the Northern Counties.

His grandson Sir Arthur Middleton, likewise a pioneering plantsman, added the Winter Garden, Yew Garden and Magnolia Terrace, and planted red, purple and white rhododendrons in the Rhododendron Garden created in the 1860s, and flowering from as early as November to August.

One of the features is the 11-acre quarry which provided stone to build the hall, and now where many exotic and rare plants grow, including palms and eucryphias.

There are also fine terraces with fine bedding displays and herbaceous borders and Woodland walks by the lake.

3. FOUNTAINS ABBEY GARDENS, near Ripon  

Dating from the 12th century, the superb landscape gardens at Fountains Abbey were designed by John Aislabee, who inherited Studley Royal and then set about creating an elegant Georgian water garden of mirror-like ponds, statues and follies, incorporating the romantic ruins into his design.

Green lawns stretch down to the riverside, and riverside paths lead to the deer park, home to Red, Fallow and Sika deer and ancient trees; limes, oaks, and sweet chestnuts.

One-of-a-kind, this special place is now recognised as a World Heritage Site with the most complete Cistercian abbey remains in the country.

4. THORP PERROW ARBORETUM, near Bedale

Autumn at Thorpe Perrow brings acres of spectacular colour. Home to some of the largest and rarest trees and shrubs in England, with 66 Champion Trees (the largest in Britain) and five National Collections, the 100 acres of woodland with trees from around the world, includes tree trails, a nature trail and a children's trail, a large lake, picnic area and children's play area.

The Arboretum also embraces the Milbank Pinetum planted by Lady Augusta Milbank in the mid-nineteenth century, and the medieval Spring Wood dating back to the 16th century.

The Bird of Prey and Mammal Centre have Animal Encounters at 11.30am and Flying Displays at 1.30pm & 3.30pm daily.

5. AYSGARTH EDWARDIAN ROCK GARDEN, Aysgarth

If you want a hidden gem, and have limited time to wander, you can do no better than a visit to Aysgarth Edwardian Rock Garden.

Hidden in plain view, it nestles at the side of the main road to Reeth, and is easily missed by passing motorists.

The Rock Garden was designed as a kind of “walk through grotto” and is a very rare surviving example, with huge waterworn limestone blocks rising to about eight metres in places, low stone lintels and narrow winding paths. It was constructed during the early years of the twentieth century, and then, despite attaining Grade II Listed Building status, became very neglected towards the end of the century.

However, a new owner in 1998 and a lot of tender loving care resulted in the garden’s restoration and it being opened to the public in 2003.

The rockery houses a large and varied collection of alpine plants, with a mountain stream and cascade adding to the alpine atmosphere.

6. BRODSWORTH HALL AND GARDEN, Near Doncaster

For those who don’t mind travelling a little further, autumn at Brodsworth Hall allows the fine topiary and hedges in the high Victorian garden to come to the fore.

A fine collection of ornamental trees display their autumn colours and the formal garden frames the hall in beautiful autumn light.

Stroll through the statue walks, the fern dell grotto and the beautiful wild rose dell, and enjoy the extensive selection of more than 100 attractive holly cultivars, which start to berry up in autumn, showing splashes of red, yellow and orange in amongst the lush green and variegated foliage.

These berries will benefit the 150 species of bird, that the RSPB have recorded in the garden, providing a grand feast to help fatten them up for the long winter ahead.

Please be sure to check opening times for the venue before you set off.