Half term at National Trust

Round & About

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National Trust

Autumn is the perfect time to get outside with the family and create unforgettable moments this October half-term. With all kinds of family-friendly events, woodland adventure days and spooktacular Halloween trails on offer, the kids won’t get bored at the many National Trust properties in the area.

Here are just a few ideas for you –

The Vyne, near Basingstoke, RG24 9HL (just over the border in Hampshire) 
01256 883858
Young witches, ghosts and all manner of things can wander The Vyne’s gardens enjoying Halloween trails for all ages. Two mysterious trails will keep under 7s and over 8s entertained. Families can embark on their challenge by paying normal admission and £2 for each Halloween trail sheet at Visitor Reception from Saturday 26th October to Sunday 3rd November, 10am-5pm
Halloween spotter trail (up to age 7)
In the gardens, collect your £2 activity sheet from the Halloween tent and look out for 10 photos of animals mistakenly linked with witchcraft. Return your completed sheet to the tent for a chocolate prize. £2
Halloween rune trail (ages 8+)
On this mystical adventure through The Vyne’s gardens, decipher 16th-century runes to reveal a secret word. Collect your £2 activity sheet from the Halloween tent and look out for ten signs hidden around the gardens. Each sign will translate a symbol into a normal letter. Write each letter in the corresponding box on your activity sheet to work out the mystery word. At the end, return to the Halloween tent to collect your chocolate prize. £2

Hatchlands Park 
There’s a whole host of activities at Hatchlands Park this half term including plenty of pumpkins for you to carve and a new trail in the parkland. The little ones can scamper about in the tree house and bug burrow. Explore Wizard Wix’s Willow Warren and get to grips with hand-crafted willow tunnels, domes, balance beams, sculptures and a totem pole.
October half-term trail 
Saturday 26th October to Sunday 3rd November, 10am-4pm
Pick up a sheet from reception to discover forgotten folklore and seasonal superstitions on a trail through the parkland and claim your pumpkin prize at the end. £3

Dapdune Wharf 
As darkness falls on Saturday 26 October, test your fitness and your fears in the 2k night time run around the haunted Wharf and island. Look out for the witch of the Wharf and a string of spooky surprises on the way. 2k run, jog or walk.  Soup from 4.30pm, warm up from 6pm.  Run starts at 6.15pm
Dressing up encouraged.
£2.50 for bowl of soup and fun run.
Booking essential, call 01483 561389

Petworth House and Park 
Visit Petworth House and Park this October half-term and join in some awesome autumnal fun. Take part in the fun, imaginative trail, helping a little bat plan a party. Plus make your own Bat Box at one of our craft days over half term.
Autumn Trail 
26th October – 3rd November, 10am-4pm
It’s party time at Petworth! One of the young bats is throwing a huge spooky Halloween bash for the creatures in the Pleasure Ground but he can’t find any of them. Some of the animals are just too scared of bats to come to the party. Can you find them and discover if bats are as scary as they think?
Find all of the animals and answer the questions on the trail sheet to complete the trail and win a prize.
The trail is suitable for children aged 5 and upward and is accessible for wheelchairs and pushchairs. Prizes can be claimed at either Church Lodge or Car Park Receptions. £3
Spot the pumpkins 
Pumpkins have been spotted growing in the strangest of places at Petworth this Autumn. Some have even popped up in the mansion! Can you help find them for our house team? Find them all and get a sticker reward. £3
Halloween Crafts ‘Make Your Own Bat Box’ 
29th, 30th and 31st October, 11am-4pm
Come to one of the autumn craft sessions and build and decorate your very own bat box to take away and hang in your garden. £5

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Half term at National Trust

Round & About

Posted on

National Trust

Autumn is the perfect time to get outside with the family and create unforgettable moments this October half-term. With all kinds of family-friendly events, woodland adventure days and spooktacular Halloween trails on offer, the kids won’t get bored at the many National Trust properties in the area.

Here are just a few ideas for you –

Basildon Park, near Reading, RG8 9NR  
01491 672382
Whether it’s brilliant autumn sunshine, or slightly damp autumn drizzle, there are plenty of opportunities for children to get out of the house this October half-term and enjoy Basildon Park. There’s the Wild Play Trail, open all year round, the half-term trail, and a natural play area for little ones. Come along and get stuck into a day out at Basildon Park from Saturday 26th October until Sunday 3rd November.
Half-term trail: Minibeasts 
Pick up a trail leaflet from visitor reception and search the parkland for creepy crawlies to win a prize. £2

The Vyne, near Basingstoke, RG24 9HL (just over the border in Hampshire) 
01256 883858
Young witches, ghosts and all manner of things can wander The Vyne’s gardens enjoying Halloween trails for all ages. Two mysterious trails will keep under 7s and over 8s entertained. Families can embark on their challenge by paying normal admission and £2 for each Halloween trail sheet at Visitor Reception from Saturday 26th October to Sunday 3rd November, 10am-5pm
Halloween spotter trail (up to age 7)
In the gardens, collect your £2 activity sheet from the Halloween tent and look out for 10 photos of animals mistakenly linked with witchcraft. Return your completed sheet to the tent for a chocolate prize. £2
Halloween rune trail (ages 8+)
On this mystical adventure through The Vyne’s gardens, decipher 16th-century runes to reveal a secret word. Collect your £2 activity sheet from the Halloween tent and look out for ten signs hidden around the gardens. Each sign will translate a symbol into a normal letter. Write each letter in the corresponding box on your activity sheet to work out the mystery word. At the end, return to the Halloween tent to collect your chocolate prize. £2

The Buscot and Coleshill Estates, near Faringdon, SN6 7PT 
01793 762209
As we head into Autumn, we’re making the most of the last summer sunshine and welcoming in the season of golden hues. With half-term fun at Badbury woods on our Autumn Scavenger hunt for children, flower arranging with pumpkins workshop and our November term of Coleshill Critters.
Autumn scavenger hunt at Badbury Woods
Monday 28th October – Friday 1st November, 11am-2pm
Become a nature detective and see what you can find in the woods. £3

Chastleton House and Gardens, near Moreton-in-Marsh, GL56 0SU 
01608 674981
Join the Halloween spooky ghosts and ghouls themed trail at Chastleton in the Cotswolds, abundant in local tales and legends of spooky happenings and ghoulish goings on. The house at Chastleton, however, is not known for its ghost stories and there are no tales of spooky sightings or strange feelings passed down from generation to generation.
But this Halloween half term, explore some of the local legends and stories from around the area in the ghosts, witches and ghouls trail running from Saturday 26th October to Sunday 3rd November, 1pm – 4pm. £2.50

Greys Court, near Henley, RG9 4PG
01491 628529
Whether it’s brilliant autumn sunshine, or slightly damp autumn drizzle, there are plenty of opportunities for children to get out of the house this October half-term and enjoy Greys Court. The half term trail will run from Saturday 26th October to Sunday 3rd November, where you can pick up a trail for £2 and find clues to win a prize.
October half-term: Loads of leaves 
Pick up a trail leaflet and wander the estate in search of clues celebrating the autumn colour. £2
Den-building 
Create a shelter for yourself this October half-term in the den-building area down near the play area. You’ll find plenty of sticks, logs and twigs to create your ideal hideout.

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Coleshill Underground

Round & About

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Pic credit: National Trust

Secret Second World War history revealed at Coleshill Underground 

The National trust village of Coleshill is celebrating its secret Second World War history with a living history event honouring the Auxiliaries. 

Coleshill Underground is returning to West Oxfordshire on Sunday, 22nd September with re-enactments, exhibitions, a display of military vehicles, food, drink and dancing as well as children’s activities. 

Unknown to villagers, Coleshill was the top secret training headquarters for the British Resistance, also known as the Auxiliary Unit in which brave men volunteered to act as a secret resistance force against invasion by Germany. They were trained in units of six in isolation from other groups and in unusual methods. 

The living history area will tell the story of the brave auxiliaries through re-enactors, exhibitions and interactive displays. The Second World War historic sites around Coleshill will be open to explore including the operational bases and guard house. 

Trace your own historical connections with the help of the Coleshill Auxiliary research team while younger members of the family have a go at an activity trail around the village – learn about code breaking, the skills needed to be a spy and have a go at crawling under camouflage nets. 

Coleshill Underground is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Auxiliaries being stood down from service. 

Tickets can be booked in advance via the website. 

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For more information and to book visit 

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Petworth House pleasures

Round & About

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National Trust

Why not sample the delights afforded to the lords and ladies of Georgian times with a summer stroll around the grounds of Petworth House?

Originally laid out in the 16th century, the gardens were later re-landscaped in the 18th century under the watchful eye of Capability Brown.

In Georgian times the lord and lady of the house could stroll with guests, taking tea and playing croquet amid the fragrant gardens while showing off the latest plants from the Americas. Not only a patron of the arts, the 3rd Earl of Egremont was a patron of plant collectors and he used the pleasure grounds here to display his collection of trees and shrubs, all immaculately presented, with intriguing specimens given prominent positions.

He introduced two buildings as focal points and to provide cooling moments of shade. These gardens also show off two more of Brown’s techniques – the sinuous path winding its way through scented meadows up to the ha-ha. This affords an apparently unbroken view from the pleasure grounds to the parkland beyond, hiding the sudden change in level that ensures the deer or other animals do not nibble vital plant specimens!

As you venture forth on the walk, the first of Brown’s buildings comes into view. A rotunda based on the Temple of Vesta at Tivoli, this overlooks the first of the meadows, formerly a paddock which you cross into a wildflower meadow, at its best in summer. Also at its best is a Southern European Flowering Ash with its showy panicles of fragrant cream flowers introduced from southern Europe and Asia Minor in 1700.

Following the serpentine paths, the wall frames beautiful rolling countryside and a lake fed by natural springs in the hills. In the distance is Black Down, the highest point in Sussex at 280m. Retrace your steps to the top of the meadow to the Rotunda, perhaps for a little breather.

From there, head south to join Salvin Drive and as you head back to the main house you approach the Doric Temple. To the north it is surrounded by holm oak trees brought by Brown from southern Europe. These magnificent mature trees today augment the landscape and add green to the winter garden. Brown sited the Doric Temple to showcase the view across the Shimmings valley.

En route to the house, you can both see and smell the North Gallery roses, in this case White Rose of York, as it would have been in Brown’s day. Between the main house and servants’ quarters is a display of Magnolia Grandiflora, an exotic import introduced to Britain in the 1730s.

Over the next few years, the National Trust will work to restore the gardens to Brown’s vision. For this and other walks and attractions, visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk

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