Fall into Autumn with the National Trust

The Cotehele Apple Weekender
Sat 9 and Sun 10 Sep 10am – 5pm Celebrate Cotehele’s rare and special orchards with a weekend packed full of apple festivities. Join an orchard tour, see the amazing cider press in action, taste some delicious apples and pick your own straight from the trees to take home with you. Oh, and watch out for something special making an appearance on the grass circle! Price: Free (normal admission applies). Booking not required.

Pick your own apples at Cotehele Sat 9 to Sun 24 Sep. 10am – 4pm The Mother Orchard is home to more than 300 trees and 125 different heritage varieties of dessert, culinary and cider apples. By taking part, you'll be able to take a selection of these special varieties home with you, while helping us look after the orchards for generations to come. Bags will be available from visitor reception for a suggested donation of £3 for a small bag. We will also have sacks available for £5. Price: Free (normal admission applies). Booking not required.

Heritage Open Days: Visit Cotehele for free Sat 16 – Sun 17 Sep. 10am-5pm As part of Heritage Open Days, we’re waiving our usual admission fees to allow everyone to visit the house and garden for free. Price: Free (car park charges still apply). Booking not required.

Drawn to Cotehele Sat 16 Sep – Sun 1 Oct. 11am – 4pm This autumn, visit the Victorian Drawing room for a special art exhibition at Cotehele. Artists from Drawn to the Valley are celebrating a year in the life of the Tamar Valley, as seen through the eyes of it’s local artists. Price: Free (normal admission applies). Booking not required.

Heritage Open Days: Architectural Tour of Cotehele Tue 12 and Thu 14 Sep. 10.30am – 12.30pm Join volunteer Steve Docksey for an in-depth focus on the external architectural development of Cotehele over time. The tour lasts up to two hours, at the end you'll be invited to climb the 55 steps up the North West Tower to see Cotehele for a different angle. If it is very wet or windy, it won't be possible for us to enjoy the views from the North West Tour. Price: Free (car park charges still apply). Booking essential 0344 249 1895.

Celebrating the Harvest at Cotehele Mill Daily from Sat 21 – Sun 29 Oct, 11am-4pm Soak in the delights of autumn beneath fluttering bunting and enjoy the seasonal decorations which lead to a harvest table of abundance in the Bakery. Try the tasty treats made by our volunteer bakers, and try your hand at leaf rubbings and leaf crowns at our autumnal craft station. Price: Free. Booking not required.

The Cotehele Scarecrow Trail Daily from Sat 21 Oct – Sun 5 Nov, 10am-4pm This October half-term, head to Cotehele to see how many spooky scarecrows you can find hiding in the garden. Spot the scarecrows and read their stories from local folklore to solve the mystery. This year, our scarecrows have been made by a number of local community groups. Price: Free (normal admission applies). Booking not required.

Christmas at Cotehele: Creating the Garland Daily from Mon 6 – Fri 17 Nov. 10.30am – 4pm
Meet the gardeners at Cotehele and take a look behind the scenes as they start to insert over 30,000 dried flowers into the pittosporum to create this year's garland. For everyone's safety there might be times throughout the day where the Hall might be closed to visitors to allow scaffolding and other equipment to be moved. Price: Free (normal admission applies). Booking not required.

Dormouse half-term trail
Daily from Sat 21 – Tue 31 Oct. 10am - 4pm
This October half-term, head to Lanhydrock to join dormouse and his woodland friends as they search the garden for the perfect autumn party food.
Price: £3 per trail (normal admission applies). Booking not required.

Autumn colour at Lanhydrock Daily throughout Sept and Oct. 10am - 4pm
As autumn dims the Lanhydrock floral borders, the garden is still alive with pops of colour; scarlet and yellow from Japanese acers, the vivid red of the Persian ironwood and the purple sweet gum tree. Enjoy a peaceful stroll and find a hidden bench for some quiet contemplation. Price: Free (normal admission applies). Booking not required.

Inspired by Lanhydrock exhibition
Daily to 31 Oct. 11am – 4pm Inspired by Lanhydrock’s ceramic and botanical collections, renowned artist Hitomi Hosono has created 10 new pieces which will go on display this autumn. From delicate dancing petals to flowing magnolia branches, Hitomi’s crisp, detailed botanical work, created in her signature white porcelain, will sit amongst Lanhydrock’s existing ceramic collection along one of the house routes. Delve into the methods and materials to learn the story behind the creation of these exquisite works in porcelain. Price: Free (normal admission applies). Booking not required. 

Free entry for Heritage Open Days Sun 10 to Thu 14 Sep and Sun 17 Sep. 10am – 5pm Explore winding wooded paths, award-winning plants, sea views and 10 sections of walled garden, including a productive kitchen garden. Discover Cornwall’s role in global plant collecting with a map of Cornish gardens, tapping into the narratives of the original plant collectors and performance-based interpretation of global plant collecting histories (on selected dates). Price: Free. Booking not required. 

October half-term family fun at Trengwainton Sun 22 to Thu 26 Oct and Sun 29 Oct. 10am – 5pm Get welly-ready this October half term with our autumn-themed family activities. Follow the sensory trail and splash and crunch your way around the garden. Collect fallen leaves to make leaf bunting or try printing with them. Play autumn colour spotting and see how many you can tick off; collect fallen apples or guess the weight of the pumpkin.
Price: Free (normal admission applies). Booking not required.