Autumn Glory: Half Term At Harewood - Halloween

Photography by David Oakes

Get Out and About, Get Dressed Up, Get Carving or Just Get Spooked
Saturday 27 October - Sunday 4 November 2012

10.00am - 5.00pm

Perfect for families and lovers of the outdoors, the October half term week at Harewood celebrates Autumn in all its glory.  Enjoy indoor and outdoor activities with a good dose of Halloween fun or marvel in the peaceful beauty of Harewood in its Autumn coat.  Free to Members and with most activities included in the entry fee, Harewood’s renowned Autumn Glory is great value for money for all the family and you can really make the most of Autumn at Harewood:  enjoy walks beneath the ever-changing canopy of gold and learn about our Autumn produce, join in with craft activities and ghostly walks, or just relax and enjoy the countryside, all within easy reach of Leeds and Harrogate.

Take time to enjoy our choice of peaceful walks, perfect for short strolls or longer trails of discovery.  Trees are one of the most beautiful features of the landscape here and Autumn showcases her very best at Harewood.  Join the Harewood gardeners for the Nature’s Harvest trail of discovery through the beautiful Lakeside Gardens to find out about the trees, plants and fungi.  See some of the best trees in Yorkshire, and even the country, such as our Grand Fir growing in the Lakeside Gardens – the tallest in Yorkshire - and a rare Japanese oak, planted by Her Majesty Queen Alexandra in 1908. We’ve also put together a Harewood Walks Booklet (£3) to ensure you don’t miss the very best views and explore all that Harewood has to offer.

Enjoy the fabulous flavours of Autumn with seasonal cookery demonstrations to try and taste, including soups and stews, apples from Harewood’s Walled Garden and more seasonal treats, all held in the Old Kitchen Below Stairs (open from 11am) for added atmosphere and cosiness. Harewood have also gathered together, with the help of the Northern Fruit Group, around 120 varieties of apple to create a stunning display Below Stairs, with cookery demonstrations using apples from Harewood’s own Walled Garden, (activities commence at 11am).  To fully immerse yourself in the world of seasonal fruit and vegetables and see where they grow, visit the Walled Garden to see and sample more of Harewood’s own produce (daily, 11am, 1pm and 3pm).

Perfect for little ones and adults, the Potting Workshops will take place (weekdays 11am and 3pm) outside the Book Shop where you can try your hand at growing your own trees, pot up and get good tips from Harewood’s award-winning gardeners on how to sow, grow and care for your trees.  And make time to pop inside the Book Shop for spontaneous book readings from some of the children’s favourites – a lovely place to chill out and get them interested in reading.

Bring us your carved pumpkins and you could be in the chance of winning a trip to return to Harewood this Christmas to meet Father Christmas (11am to 4pm every day). Or, try your hand at creating spooky Halloween masks and puppets in our Halloween craft days (11.30 to 3.30pm every day).  Children who arrive in Halloween costumes on 31st October will get half price entry... so get busy and dress up!

Get into the Halloween spirit with eerie goings-on and listen to magical and mysterious stories from the ever popular Twilight Tales team.  Make your own lantern to illuminate your journey around the grounds to really get into the spirit.  (Pre-book only, Tues 30 Oct and Thurs 1 Nov, 3 to 5pm, tickets are £7.50 in addition to the entry free, adults free if accompanying a child).  For older children (over 10 years) and adults, join a more grown-up spooky walk and talk (pre-book only 31 October, 6pm to 8pm £10) as the Trio Literati troop tell Harewood’s most chilling ghost stories on Halloween evening on a walk from All Saints’ Church and around the grounds.  Be part of this band of intrepid paranormal investigators....if you dare… If you just fancy a trail, then the self-guided Spooky Trail will take you around the grounds with added mystery and a good dose of humour. 
 
Visit the website to pre-book www.harewood.org/whats-on

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The Treasure Houses of England (THE) is a consortium of 10 of the country’s finest palaces, historic houses and castles. Unique in character, each property has its own magical blend of magnificent architecture, fabulous surroundings, world class collections and family attractions to enjoy.

For more information visit www.treasurehouses.co.uk