Mother Nature has taken hold at Stourhead in Wiltshire, and Mervyn Hancock says it is an unmissable sight

WE have all moaned about the lack of sun this summer, but the heavy rain has been soaked up by the thirsty trees and shrubs, giving them extra strength to cope with the coming winter.

From mid-October, the landscape garden and woodlands at the National Trust's Stourhead Estate transform to create dramatic displays of autumn colour. The beautiful grounds, with the magical, central lake and mystical temples, make this one of the most photographed places in Europe.

The sugar maple, from North America, which started to change colour at the end of August, transforms from a fragile green through a sequence of yellows and wonderful reds. This is closely followed by the riot of exotic trees and shrubs turning and changing from their normal colours to show off the variety of pigments contained in their varied leaves.

With the trees seemingly competing for brightest foliage, the Temples are soon framed and accentuated by a truly magnificent display. For example, the russet tones of the Swamp Cypress complement the yellow tulip tree and red spindle, and together steal the show for an instant until your gaze will be drawn to the Temple of Apollo in the background.

The different conifers appear to get darker and darker as the colours of the exotics get brighter; the conifers' shades of deep green and blue help to highlight the other colours on display.

The exotic trees are laid out to capitalise on their location – being close to the lake deliberately heightens the trees and so doubles the amount of colour you can see. Our native trees, such as beech and oak, provide the perfect backdrop for all this autumnal activity.

Great autumn colour depends on nature playing a clever trick on the trees. Warm sunny days will slow the dropping of the leaves as the trees still try to operate in summer mode. But cooler nights and mornings hint that winter is on its way and time for the trees to draw energy back from the leaves and store it up for the winter.

Henry Hoare, a director of Hoare's Bank in London, inherited Stourhead in 1741 from his father. A keen gardener, he had just returned from the "Grand Tour", which included a visit to Italy where he viewed the magnificent landscapes of Poussin and Claude.

No one knows if he had always intended to transform his inheritance into a modern-day wonder – but when his wife died in 1743, Henry devoted the rest of his days to Stourhead.

It is also a mystery exactly how he saw the symphony of trees, lakes, temples and grottos as a completed work of art – or if he ever intended future visitors to make an anti-clockwise journey around his estate, in order to appreciate its full beauty.

What is certain, though, is that Henry Hoare was a genius, whose interest in the classics influenced the way the gardens were laid – recreating the tales of some of the ancient Roman and Greek gods, who were given their own corners of this former Wiltshire meadow.

On Sunday, October 26, Stourhead's estate warden will lead a walk from 10am through the woodlands and gardens. Tickets: adult, £10; child, £7. Booking is essential – call 08715 271885.

Stourhead, Stourton, Warminster, Wiltshire BA12 6QD. Tel: 01747 841152 or visit the website www.nationaltrust.org.uk