Join in the ghoulish fun this Halloween at Holkham

Ghoulish adventures and spooktacular happenings will set hearts racing at Holkham Hall when it hosts a spine-tingling array of Halloween events sure to terrify the bravest of souls.

Halloween fun at Holkham

Halloween Horrors will take place from October 26 to 31 with lots of scary activities, ghostly games and gory fun and frights for everyone to enjoy celebrating Halloween.

In the Bygones Museum visitors can discover the wonders inside the amazing ‘Curiovan’ and see the natural world in a magical way. Their sense of curiosity and wonder will be awakened by the specimen jars, dancing skeletons, singing mechanical birds, clockwork ladybirds and tiny skeletal fairies which are among the many exhibits to be discovered and explored. 

Ghostly fun!

A yarnsmith will enthral his listeners and bring to life his spell-binding, mystical tales and Victorian stories of ghosts, witches and devils.  Some hauntingly scary fun with silhouette bingo, a skull-duggery challenge, pumpkin carving and craft activities to make the scariest pop-up ghost will keep everyone occupied.

In the vast 18^th century walled gardens Halloween visitors will be able to pit their wits against the ghosts and play phantom football, or test their knowledge and try the mind-boggling code breaker trail.  Spooky body parts and frightful factoids are all to be found in the state rooms of Holkham Hall where children can make pencil ghosts and join in the fun. In the magnificent setting of the Old Kitchen, ‘Kiddycook’ will be on hand to help younger visitors decorate their own tasty Halloween cookie with some gruesome additions.

Everyone is encouraged to come dressed up for the occasion and can have their outfits enhanced by ghoulish face painting to add some gory grazes and weeping wounds providing a touch of the macabre.  A fancy dress parade will take place each day at 12 noon.

Holkham’s Halloween events run from October 26 to 31. The hall will be open on the Sunday, Monday and Thursday. All other areas will be open every day. For further information and admission prices go to http://www.holkham.co.uk/html/Halloween2014.html

See Chatsworth in a Different Light - 4th to 7th October 2014

Illuminated inside and out with subdued lighting and hundreds of candles Chatsworth will open for four special evenings this October, inspired by a selection of Inigo Jones drawings not seen in public for more than 40 years.

Displayed in the Great Chamber, Jones drawings of costumes, actors and set designs were made as he worked alongside the playwright Ben Jonson on the ‘Masque of Oberon, the Fairy Prince’. Sixth in the series of extravagant shows that Jonson and Jones produced for the Stuart Court, ‘Oberon’ was performed on 1 January 1611 in the Banqueting Hall, Whitehall Palace. Henry, Prince of Wales, son and then-heir of James I, the Renaissance Prince took the title role entering in a chariot drawn by two white (polar) bears.

For Chatsworth Luminaire drawings, music and costume will bring the baroque house to life. In the garden an illuminated trail leads the way with Oberon’s Palace revealed on the East façade of Chatsworth House. The illuminated trail transforms many of the familiar landmarks in the 105-acre garden from the Emperor Fountain to the Ring Pond, Cascade and Rockery. Moments from the Masque are featured with lighting, projections and music, ending in the Stables Courtyard.

Luminaire will take place from 4 October to 7 October 2014 with the house opening at 6.30pm and the event closing at 10.30pm. House and Garden tickets will only be available in advance and provide timed entry into the house. For more information, opening times and ticket prices, visit www.chatsworth.org

Half Term Terrifying Tree Trail at Castle Howard

Children will enjoy exploring the grounds this half term with our new terrifying tree trail. Creep through the dark woodland and peer into the undergrowth. Remember to keep your eyes peeled for what's lurking just around the next corner.
Pick up one of our free trails and see if you can spot all of the spooky sights.
Visit on Thursday 31 October and meet owls in the grounds and Geoffrey the Lion will be prowling the gardens too.

Have a Haunted Halloween at Woburn Abbey this Half Term

Woburn Abbey and Gardens are putting on a series of Halloween activities for families this autumn half term. During the week from the 26th October to the 3rd November spend a day at the historic house and gardens with all of the extra children’s activities included in the regular admission price.

Whilst exploring the Abbey, visitors of all ages can take part in a Halloween treasure hunt. A series of cryptic clues will be hidden across three floors of the Abbey for them to find and decipher to solve a seasonal mystery.

The Russell Room in the South Court of Woburn Abbey will play host to some spooky storytelling suitable for children of all ages. Visitors can hear a storyteller recite a tale about ‘The Ghostly Goat of Woburn Abbey’ with performances taking place at 12noon and 2pm every day of the half term week. A variety of craft activities with a Halloween theme will be available throughout the day. These include a chance for younger visitors to make their own witches hat and conjure some magical spells, as well as an opportunity to take part in The Big Draw – a national event to promote drawing that takes place throughout October.

The treasure hunt, storytelling, craft and drawing activities will take place every day of the half term week from the 26th October to the 3rd November 2013 and are included in the regular admission price of Woburn Abbey and Gardens.

There are no tricks in The Duchess’ Tea Room, only treats, so stop by to enjoy a steaming hot drink or a delicious slice of something sweet. The Duchess’ Gift Shop will also be open every day for special and spooky souvenirs.

For visitor interest in learning some practical gardening advice during their visit, the Woburn Abbey Garden’s monthly Come and Grow session will coincide with the Halloween activities on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd November. The topic for this event is winter projects and visitors can take part in a free guided tour of the gardens starting at 12 noon.

Woburn Abbey Gardens and Deer Park is open from 10am to 5pm and the Abbey itself is open from 11am to 5pm each day.

Location
Woburn Abbey, Woburn, Bedfordshire MK 17 9WA
Just south east of Milton Keynes, Woburn Abbey is signposted from junctions 12 and 13 of the M1. It is also easily accessible from the A5.

Half Term and Halloween at the Treasure Houses of England

Spooky goings on in Palace House, Beaulieu

For a happy Halloween and Half Term holiday, schedule in a spooky trip to the ever-spectacular Treasure Houses of England.

Beaulieu is one of Britain’s most haunted places and ghosts have often been seen and heard in the 13th century Abbey and at Palace House.  So if you’re looking for something spooky to do for Half Term, don’t miss the strange goings on at Beaulieu’s Ghost and Ghouls Half Term Hauntings (26 October – 3 November).  From a Halloween quiz trail starting in the Motor Museum and spooky stories in Palace House to tours with real ghost hunters in the haunted Abbey for a super-scary day of chilling entertainment.  Throw into the magnificent mix, frightening face painting, a ride on the Moan-a-rail, and a Halloween lucky dip – and it’s a formidably frightening formula for a memorable and thrilling experience.

Halloween at Blenheim Palace

Blenheim Palace’s Halloween celebrations (26 October – 3 November) will cast a ghoulish spell of spooky entertainment and family fun with a 'Ghosts and Goblins' Halloween Hunt in the Pleasure Gardens hedge maze, a fantastic range of Halloween inspired arts and crafts activities, and spooky tours of the Palace on weekdays

Wrap up warm and tread through crispy Autumn leaves on Burghley’s Pumpkin Trail (28 October – 3 November) around the Sculpture Garden and explore Burghley House’s spectacular surrounds to find the hidden pumpkins and receive a special treat.  There’s also spooky family fun to be had by touring the state rooms by flickering candlelight – limited places please book in advance.

Castle Howard will host its first ever Halloween event when the magnificent  grounds of the historic house are transformed into a spooky wonderland for a family friendly ‘Chills and Thrills’ spectacular.

Halloween at Harewood

Book in advance for Chatsworth Luminaire in the House and Garden taking place 26-30 October. For the very first time the glorious interiors of Chatsworth will be open at night, atmospherically lit with candles and soft reflected light, whilst the garden will be lit with illuminations playing out the legend of Artemis, Goddess of the moon and the hunt.

Sink into the delights of the season and admire Harewood in all of its Autumn Glory (26 October- 3 November) as a bevy of indoor and outdoor events celebrate the colourful season amongst beautifully inspiring scenery including trails, twilight tales and tasty treats, crafts and Hallowe’en fun.

Whilst on the farm at Hatfield you can enjoy their farm themed craft week and follow the Halloween Trails.

And don’t miss Holkham Hall where spooky spiders weave a magical web of fun and mystery! (27-31 October).  Visitors can explore magical and mystical mayhem – where spidery facts and body parts abound in the hall, hunt for them all and create your very own breed of spider whilst discovering some scary arachnid factoids along the way. Count the creepy crawlies hidden on their webs in the walled gardens and find your way out of the webbed maze.  At the Bygones Museum, home of Holkham’s largest spidery resident, there’s more entangling frights with mad scientists busy mixing their potions, spells, slime and smells, creating a horrifying hair-raising experience. Along with creepy craft activities, ghoulish face painting, pumpkin carving and frightfully delicious feasts to horrify your tastebuds to make your visit truly 'spooktacular'!

Halloween at Holkham Hall

Children will be enthralled and entertained to the max at Leeds Castle (26 October- 3 November) with a fantastic array of activities such as mask making and spooky themed crafts. Their ghoulish Ghost Tours (29, 30 & 31 October) will definitely stir the senses, as will the Fairfax Restaurant’s tasty store of Halloween themed food.

Or why not take a Bat Walk on Tuesday 29 October at WoburnAbbey where you can learn all about the species of bats living in the Abbey Gardens on an exclusive night-time tour.

www.treasurehouses.co.uk

• The Treasure Houses of England are 10 of the most magnificent palaces, houses and castles in England today. Together they attract in excess of 2.8 million visitors annually.

• Members are Beaulieu, Blenheim Palace, Burghley House, Castle Howard, Chatsworth, Harewood, Hatfield House, Holkham Hall, Leeds Castle and Woburn Abbey.

• One of the most compelling features of the Treasure Houses of England is that they all offer the visitor a living history. Most are still homes to the great families who have owned them for generations. Others keep their heritage alive by re-creating scenes and events that have dominated and shaped England from the 9th century to the present day.

• Between them they house some of the most important art collections in the world with famous works from artists such as Van Dyck and Gainsborough. The connoisseur of fine furniture, porcelain and china will find priceless examples of Chippendale, Wedgwood and Meissen.

• Each house is an architectural masterpiece surrounded by beautiful parklands and gardens.

Chills and Thrills at Castle Howard

Castle Howard firs Halloween event

Castle Howard will host its first ever Halloween event when the magnificent  grounds of the historic house are transformed into a spooky wonderland for a family friendly ‘Chills and Thrills’ spectacular on Wednesday 30th October 2013.

Walk the flare lit path and catch glimpses of the house and statues rising out of the mist before encountering the headless horseman and his flame bearing guards amongst the trees.  The fire damaged South East wing will be brought to life by our spine-chilling story tellers, whilst terror face painters and magic mirrors will transform you into a frightening sight this Halloween.

The ‘Horses of Halloween’ grand finale will see Yorkshire based Atkinson Action Horses, who have appeared in productions including War Horse, The King’s Speech and Wuthering Heights, perform death defying stunts and breathtaking displays with fire and explosions.

Fire eaters and stilt walkers will appear from the darkness and owls, toads and creepy crawlies will take up residence in the eerie grounds of Castle Howard this Halloween. There’ll be prizes for the most ghoulish costume and best carved pumpkin too.

Katy Pryor, Events Manager said: ‘This is our first ever Halloween event and now that we are putting together the finishing touches we’re all getting very excited. It will be a unique Halloween experience, with Castle Howard making the perfect backdrop for this family friendly evening’

Tickets are on sale now and cost £15 for adults, £10 for concessions and Under 5s go free. Gates open at 4.30pm with tasty Halloween treats on offer throughout the evening.

To find out more, or to book visit www.castlehoward.co.uk