Top 5 Things To Do in October
This October, we’ve got plenty of ideas for fun days out, inspiring events and ways to get involved in heritage.
1. Join us for a spook-tacular Halloween
There are ghoulish goings-on for adults and kids alike this Halloween.
Gather your little monsters to solve creepy clues at our half-term quests and gather round to listen to spooky stories.
Join our ghost-hunting storytellers on a family-friendly spooky woodland walk at Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens - or if you fancy something a bit darker, there are ghost tales for over-16s only.
You can also enjoy a colourful autumn evening at Halloween at Kenwood and Illuminated Whitby Abbey.
Find a Halloween event2. Relive England's most famous battle
This October, see warriors clash and mud fly as over 300 re-enactors bring the Battle of Hastings to life on the very spot where it was fought in 1066.
Start by exploring the rival Saxon and Norman camps - see the chainmail and weaponry makers, meet the falconers and their birds of prey alongside them and weave your way through the tents where there’s food to prepare, logs to chop and clothes to mend.
Then take your spot for the highlight of the day as the hard-hitting armies clash in combat and battle rages.
Book tickets for the Battle of Hastings3. Celebrate Diwali at Marble Hill
Celebrate the Hindu festival of lights in style on 18 October at Marble Hill in London. Expect illuminations, dancers, dhol drummers, giant puppets, hands-on workshops and more!
Entry's free, so why not bring your friends and family? While you're there, you can also discover a taste of Georgian life and explore over 60 acres of riverside parkland, restored gardens, reinvigorated woods and even a nine-pin bowling alley.
There’s a fun playground too, along with plenty of space for fresh-air adventures.
Book your visit to Marble Hill for Diwali4. Enjoy harvest food and drink
October is the month of harvest, when we get the fruits (and vegetables) of our labour from earlier in the year.
The kitchen gardens of some of the country estates in our care provided fruit, vegetables and cut flowers for the household, with some continuing to serve this function to this day by providing food and drink for our cafés and tearooms.
Now's the perfect time of year to visit a historic site and share some food and drink to toast the harvest, just as generations before us have done over the centuries.
Find out about our kitchen gardens5. Help protect free-to-enter historic sites
Over 300 of our treasured sites are free to enter. They're open to everybody, no matter their means. They’re woven into our lives - places where memories are made, where communities come together, and where we discover the stories of our nation.
But free to enter doesn't mean free to maintain. It costs over £4.2 million a year to care for these special places - and that's why we need your help.
Please donate today to help protect them for tomorrow.
Help protect free-to-enter historic sitesThe Month in History
- The Women’s Social and Political Union was founded on 10 October 1903 by Emmeline Pankhurst. Its members used tactics including civil disobedience to campaign for women’s rights, becoming known as suffragettes. A blue plaque marks the home of Emmeline and her daughter Dame Christabel Pankhurst.
- King Harold, England’s last Anglo-Saxon king, was killed during the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066. The victory for William the Conqueror and his Norman army changed the course of English history.
- On 11 October 1982 the Mary Rose, Henry VIII’s flagship, was raised. She sank off Portsmouth in 1545, and over 22,000 artefacts were recovered from the depths.
- Harold Moody, physician and campaigner for racial equality, was born on 8 October 1882. His home in Peckham is now the site of a blue plaque.
More to explore
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Inspire Me
We’ve handpicked our favourite articles, guides and stories to inspire your next day out. Find out what's new in our historic gardens, flick through the latest travel guides and read about seasonal scenic walks.
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THE ENGLISH HERITAGE PODCAST
Every object has a story to tell - but how can one mystery item lead us on a journey through history, people and places? Amy Matthews explores tales from unexpected places.
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Become a member today
Enjoy unlimited access to hundreds of historical places with an annual membership. Plus there's free entry for up to six children! Memberships start from £42 a year.