AUTUMNS kaleidoscope of natural colours makes people feel happier, healthier and calmer, at a time when more than 40 percent of people in the West Midlands admit to feeling down as the nights draw in.

That is according to new research from the National Trust.

The conservation charity released the findings as part of its Great British Walk 2014, which launched with an invitation to enjoy a rainbow of walks.

Shades of blue you find on walks by water or when the landscape is coloured by the evening’s darkening sky were found to help soothe away stress, while the greens of hilltops and pine woodlands leave people feeling more connected with the natural world.

This was backed by renowned colour psychologist, Angela Wright, who was commissioned to produce a report alongside the findings assessing the importance of autumnal colours experienced in different environmental landscapes.

She said: “Natural colour schemes can inspire us and lift our spirits. Autumn, combined with the rich light at this time of the year, is a flamboyant blaze of intense colours with each affecting us in a different way."

One of the top five walks in the area was at Hanbury Hall in the formal gardens where visitors can walk down to the ice house along Cedar Walk and look inside the dark and hidden gem that is a 300-year-old cedar tree.

To find the best autumn views and colour in the Midlands visit nationaltrust.org.uk/midlands.