Pumpkin Patch at the Farm
17–18 Oct (next weekend)
Visitors can meet the farmyard animals at Tatton Park Farm and pick their own pumpkins from the pumpkin field. Pumpkins are available in a range of colours and sizes.
Cheshire
Cheshire is a historic and scenic county in North West England offering walkable historic centres, Roman and medieval heritage, extensive canals, and good rail and public transport connections for tourists.
Near Tatton Park
Tatton Park is a historic estate in Cheshire featuring a neoclassical mansion, extensive formal and natural gardens, a large deer park, and a working farm showcasing rare breeds. Visitors can enjoy indoor tours of the mansion, outdoor exploration of gardens and parkland, and family-friendly activities including a children's playground and various events throughout the year.
Calan Gaeaf
17 Oct–1 Nov
Follow family-friendly trails through Erddig’s historic house and garden to discover Welsh folklore and seasonal traditions. Seasonal crafts and marshmallow toasting are also offered during the event.
Near Erddig
Erddig is a historic country house and estate in Wrexham, Wales, featuring a unique collection of servant memorabilia, 18th-century furniture, and extensive formal gardens. Visitors can explore both the house interiors and the landscaped outdoor parklands including remnants of Norman and medieval earthworks. The estate provides a distinctive insight into the life of an 18th-century Welsh country squire and his household, with on-site amenities including a café and activities suitable for children.
Secrets of the Old Hall Tour
17 Oct (next Saturday)
A guided tour of Tatton’s fifteenth-century Old Hall explores the building and its history across five centuries, including its atmosphere and ghost stories.
Tatton Park Wedding Show with Bouquet & Bells
18 Oct (next Sunday)
A wedding show at Tatton Park where couples can meet wedding suppliers and find exclusive offers and goodies.
Wet Felting Workshop: The Japanese Garden with Tour
16 Oct (next Friday)
Participants learn wet-felting techniques and create a landscape image inspired by Tatton Park’s Japanese Garden, with expert tuition and a tour of the garden.
sanctum
7 Oct–1 Nov (another 23 days)
sanctum is a deep-listening experience in Dunham Massey’s chapel, using sound and light on water to create a space for quiet reflection.
Stranger Folk at Quarry Bank
7 Oct–1 Nov (another 23 days)
Visitors can use the Stranger Folk app to take part in an outdoor interactive adventure inspired by British folklore, featuring goblins and other creatures. The app is designed for children aged 7–12.
Near Tatton Park
Tatton Park in Cheshire is a historic estate featuring a Medieval Old Hall, Neo-Classical Mansion, extensive gardens, a rare-breed farm, and a large deer park. It offers diverse experiences including indoor mansion tours, outdoor parkland exploration, and family-friendly activities like an adventure playground and farm visits.
The Great Pumpkin Parade Trail
17 Oct–1 Nov
Follow a map around the garden to find eight pumpkins and complete spooky challenges with the Halloween Friends before the Great Pumpkin Parade.
Near Biddulph Old Hall
Biddulph Old Hall is a historic Elizabethan mansion and medieval hunting lodge with guided tours covering its rich history, gardens, ruins, and former uses as an artist's home and Buddhist retreat. Visitors can explore both the house interior and extensive grounds, enjoying seasonal gardens and refreshments.
Located in Biddulph
Biddulph is a picturesque market town in Staffordshire Moorlands known for its historic sites including Mow Cop Castle, Biddulph Grange gardens, and scenic valley setting between Mow Cop and Biddulph Moor.
Secrets of the Mill - a seasonal tour
15 Oct, 22 Oct
A volunteer-led seasonal tour of Dunham Massey’s historic working mill explores its history, witches’ marks and the folklore and traditions associated with the building.
Quarry Bank Scarecrow Festival
7 Oct–1 Nov (another 23 days)
Quarry Bank Scarecrow Festival features an outdoor scarecrow trail and seasonal activities, alongside indoor crafts, storytelling, an autumn-themed play area, a tour of the Apprentice House and an interactive game inspired by British folklore.
3 miles from Quarry Bank Mill
Quarry Bank Mill in Cheshire is a well-preserved historic textile mill from the Industrial Revolution, featuring working waterwheel machinery, factory and worker village tours, and exhibits on industrial heritage and child apprentices. It is operated as a museum by National Trust.
Nature Packs
7–11 Oct, 14–18 Oct…
Visitors can borrow a Nature Pack and use it to explore wildlife and the garden, including looking for creepy crawlies, listening to woodland birds and making a den. The packs are aimed particularly at children aged three and over, though adults can join in too.
Forest Bathing with Amanda from Let's Step In
17 Oct, 21 Nov
A guided forest-bathing experience at Alderley Edge, introducing the mindful Japanese practice of Shinrin-Yoku through a gentle walk and nature-based activities. Participants are guided to slow down, engage their senses and take away practices for continuing their connection with nature.
Near Alderley Edge and Cheshire Countryside
Alderley Edge offers an outdoor experience with dramatic scenery including a red sandstone escarpment, scenic countryside walks, and historical sites such as a Bronze Age burial mound. Visitors can explore wildlife-rich woodlands and enjoy a locally-run tea room on site. The venue is dog friendly and offers activities suitable for children.
Stranger Folk
10 Oct–12 Nov (next week)
Stranger Folk is an outdoor interactive adventure at Speke Hall, played using a free app and inspired by British folklore. Families with children aged 7–12 can explore a story featuring goblins, boggarts and other strange creatures.
Near Speke Hall
Speke Hall is a Grade I listed Tudor manor house in Liverpool, renowned for its historic timber-framed architecture, ancient yew trees, and scenic views over the Mersey estuary. Owned by the National Trust, it offers visitors both indoor exploration of historic rooms and outdoor gardens with walking paths.
Explore Quarry Bank with HistoryScapes
7 Oct–1 Nov, 4–8 Nov…
Explore Quarry Bank using the HistoryScapes app, which brings the history of the historic landscape to life through an outdoor trail. The pilot project aims to help visitors discover more about the site’s history.
Adult's Smartphone Photography Workshop
17 Oct (next Saturday)
A hands-on smartphone photography workshop led by photographer Jane Burkinshaw. Participants learn about phone camera features, lighting and image composition, with classroom instruction and time outdoors taking photographs around Tatton Park.
3 miles from Tatton Park
Tatton Park in Cheshire is a vast historic estate featuring an opulently decorated 18th-century mansion, extensive landscaped gardens including Japanese and Italian styles, a working rare breed farm, and 1,000 acres of deer park with wildlife and trails. Visitors can enjoy dining, shopping, and a variety of family-friendly outdoor and indoor activities.
Jekyll and Hyde
17 Oct (next Saturday)
A performance of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Jekyll and Hyde, presented by Don’t Go Into the Cellar. Attendees can have tea or coffee and a sweet treat before watching the show in Speke Hall’s Great Hall.
Spooky Speke
9 Oct, 14 Oct…
Spooky Speke is an adults-only Halloween event at Speke Hall, beginning with tea or coffee and a sweet treat before a torchlight tour of the house and stories about its former inhabitants.
2 miles from 20 Forthlin Road
20 Forthlin Road is the childhood home of Paul McCartney in Liverpool, preserved by the National Trust as the birthplace of the Beatles. Visitors can explore the historic house where early Beatles songs were composed and rehearsed.
The Trees of Lyme Park and Their Fungal Associates
12 Oct–7 Nov (next week)
Explore an exhibition about five tree species at Lyme Park and their fungal associates, then follow a self-guided trail around the Top Lawn. On 17, 24 and 31 October, the exhibition curator will be available to answer questions and discuss the research.
Near Lyme
Lyme Park is a large estate in Cheshire managed by the National Trust, featuring the largest house in Cheshire with Elizabethan and Palladian-Baroque architecture, extensive formal gardens and deer park, and historical indoor exhibits including the Lyme Caxton Missal. It also serves as a filming location and offers food facilities on site.
The Botanical World of Mary Delany
7 Oct–1 Nov (another 23 days)
A photographic exhibition exploring the botanical paper collages of eighteenth-century artist Mary Delany, displayed in the Dunham Massey Orangery.
Near Dunham Massey
Dunham Massey Hall is a Grade I listed English country house in Greater Manchester featuring historic formal gardens, a deer park, and a notable collection of Huguenot silver. The venue includes indoor experiences such as house tours and art collections, as well as outdoor experiences in its extensive gardens and deer park. It also commemorates its history as a World War I military hospital with immersive recreations. Visitors can enjoy food on-site and there are facilities and activities suitable for children.
History of the Chinese Garden at Biddulph Grange
10 Oct, 17 Oct…
A volunteer-led talk in the Chinese Garden explores its history, design, different elements and sources of inspiration.
Wandering Wolves
7–11 Oct, 14–18 Oct…
A free spotter activity at Little Moreton Hall invites visitors to look for the wolf on the Moreton family crest and find wolves hidden around the hall and courtyard.
2 miles from Mow Cop Castle
Mow Cop Castle is an 18th-century folly built to resemble medieval ruins, located on the border between Cheshire and Staffordshire. It stands on a historic ridge known for ancient quarrying and offers scenic views. The site is owned by the National Trust and is free to visit.
The Sorceress of Speke and the Lost Familiars
12 Oct–8 Nov (next week)
Visitors follow an outdoor trail around the grounds of Speke Hall, completing five activities to discover a magic word and reunite the Sorceress of Speke with her lost animal familiars.
3 miles from 251 Menlove Avenue
251 Menlove Avenue, known as Mendips, is the childhood home of John Lennon in Liverpool, preserved by the National Trust and restored to its 1950s state. Visitors can explore the historic house famously associated with the Beatles legend.
Bugs and Beasties Detective Trail
12 Oct–1 Nov (next week)
Follow a detective trail through Lyme House to find bugs and beasties, learn how insects affect the historic collections, and investigate damaged objects in the Long Gallery.
Design Detective
7–11 Oct, 14–18 Oct…
Visitors can use a free spotter guide to explore the wall paintings and protective marks at Little Moreton Hall, learning about Tudor interior design and how conservators care for historic paintings.
Near Little Moreton Hall
Little Moreton Hall is a historic 16th-century half-timbered moated manor house near Congleton, Cheshire. It features well-preserved Tudor architecture, extensive gardens, and a famous Long Gallery. Visitors can explore the restored house interiors, enjoy the gardens, and dine in the on-site restaurant, making it a comprehensive historic and outdoor experience.
Dunham Massey House
9 Mar–1 Nov (another 23 days)
Visitors can explore Dunham Massey House, including its library, study, bedrooms and servants’ quarters, and discover the collection and the lives of people who lived and worked there.
From Here to There: a tour for children
7 Oct–1 Nov (another 23 days)
Children can follow a journey through Dunham Massey’s historic house with Speechly the Pineapple, spotting suitcases and collecting stamps in a Pineapple Passport. The indoor trail also includes a Book Nook exploring themes of travel and journeys.
Don't go into the cellar presents- Confessions of Sweeney Todd
15 Oct (next Thursday)
A one-man performance of the classic penny dreadful tale of Sweeney Todd, featuring an audience with the infamous Demon Barber of Fleet Street. The show is not a musical.
Near Biddulph Grange Garden
Biddulph Grange Garden is a Victorian formal garden featuring themed garden rooms with international plants, a geological gallery, and distinctive areas like the Chinese Garden and Egyptian Court, offering an adventurous outdoor experience for all ages.
October Half-Term - Doors to Hallowtide
17 Oct–1 Nov
Explore an outdoor art installation of ten decorated doorways across the Lyme landscape, with QR codes revealing local folklore, historic customs and ghost stories. The route begins at the historic Chapel and continues through the estate grounds.
Beyond the View: Canaletto at Tatton
7–11 Oct, 14–18 Oct…
An exhibition exploring Samuel Egerton’s journey from Cheshire to Venice and his connection to Canaletto. Visitors can see rare paintings, letters and artefacts, digital installations, and Tatton Park’s Canaletto masterpieces.
Online Talk: The Shadows of Salem – Myth V Reality in Lois the Witch and Other Tales
14 Oct (next Wednesday)
Author Livi Michael gives an online talk exploring how Elizabeth Gaskell used the Salem witch trials in her novella *Lois the Witch*, and how historical fact and Victorian fiction intersect in stories about witches.
Near Elizabeth Gaskell’s House
Elizabeth Gaskell’s House in Manchester is the former home of the English novelist, offering a unique experience with period rooms, a re-imagined garden, interactive Victorian house activities, and a Tea Room. The venue is wheelchair accessible and provides engaging tours and facilities for families and groups.