Autumn has arrived at Derbyshire’s Hardwick Estate with a planned programme of activities that blend family fun and tradition with an Elizabethan twist.
Throughout October visitors of all ages can experience the seasonal themes of Hallowtide through trails and harvest celebrations and round off the month with a variety of half-term activities.
Two autumn trails begin on 1 October and run through to the end of the month. The Apple Jack Story Trail invites visitors to enjoy a family adventure in Hardwick’s Fruiting Orchard as they follow Old Mal’s enchanting tale of Apple Jack.
Meanwhile, a new Pokémon Art Trail offers explorers the chance to hunt for Pokémon art signs throughout the historic gardens, the Old Hall and the Stableyard area.
Returning for a second year is the Stranger Folk Mobile App Experience, giving visitors the opportunity to take part in a digital adventure and track down the ‘Stranger Folk.’ This Halloween team adventure invites groups of up to six to close the crack between ours and the spirit world. Suitable for children over the age of 7, it is designed for families to work together using one mobile phone to explore strange goings-on.
Between 17-31 October, there will also be a series of Hallowtide half term activities in the Stableyard with the opportunity to have a go at witches’ hat hoopa, broomstick barefoot walk, and traditional apple games including apple plum tag.
Apple Day themed festivities also take place during half term with live demonstrations by the Hardwick Makers of apple-themed crafts. There will also be the chance to have a go at apple printing and make willow wreaths or paper decorations.
The month rounds up with an after-hours Hallowtide Storytelling with Hardwick’s resident storytellers, Storyfolk, in the Hall’s High Great Chamber on 30 October. These stories of myths and legends are inspired by Hardwick’s vast 16th century collections. While suitable for older children, the dark tales do include mentions of violence and death.
Elle Maxwell-Wood, Senior Visitor Experience Officer at Hardwick, said:
““We are looking forward to an autumn that offers the best of both worlds. By blending Hardwick’s Elizabethan history with the cutting-edge tech of both the Stranger Folk app and the Pokémon Art Trail, we’ve created an experience where history comes alive.
“Whether families choose to take part in a digital adventure or enjoy traditional crafts or Elizabethan themed activities, there is something for all ages to experience together.”
For more details, check out: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hardwick.
Posted on 16 September 2026
