Across Bath and Bristol, National Trust places are full of warmth as the trees slowly turn to red, orange and gold. Enjoy crisp walks with family and friends and steaming mugs of hot chocolate. There’s lots on offer this season, from October half term family trails to Jane Austen events, and Heritage Open Days to new exhibitions.
What’s more, every time you experience a National Trust day out, you help care for these special places for future generations.
Here is what’s happening near you this autumn, please check property website for opening days and times:
Avebury
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wiltshire/avebury
Image - Tust10 Trail Run Avebury, Credit National Trust and Trevor Ray Hart
Sculpture exhibition in Avebury Manor Garden
4 September – 19 October. 10am-5pm
This autumn, the garden at Avebury Manor becomes an outdoor gallery, hosting a range of beautiful sculptures and artwork set against the backdrop of colourful seasonal planting.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
Walking the landscape: residency exhibition
6 September – 2 November. 10am-5pm
As 2025 National Trust Avebury artist in residence, Sarah Hobley has spent the year exploring the Avebury landscape through a series of short walks. The experience has been recorded on the pots in this special exhibition.
Price: Free event. Booking not required.
Guided walk with Sarah Hobley, artist in residence
11 September. 10.30am-12noon
Join a short, relaxed, and free art walk to look with new eyes at the textures, colours, atmosphere of natural and created Avebury.
Price: Free event. Booking required.
Heritage Open Days: Free entry days
12 & 13 September. 10am-5pm
As part of Heritage Open Days 2025, you can enjoy a visit to Avebury Manor Garden and the Alexander Keiller Museum for free.
Price: Free event. Booking not required.
Avebury foraging workshop
13 September. 10.30am-3pm
Discover nature's wild food secrets on a foraging course with forager-herbalist Fred Gillam from The Wild Side of Life. Walk through the Avebury landscape and learn to identify and use the plants and fungi growing in our hedgerows, fields and woods.
Price: £55pp. Booking required.
Guided tour of Avebury Manor Garden
18 September. 10-11.30am
Join a tour of the beautiful Avebury Manor Garden with Head Gardener Garry to learn about seasonal highlights, a varied history, and exciting new developments in the historic garden rooms.
Price: £10pp. booking required.
Guided landscape walk: Waden Hill circuit
26 September. 1.30-4pm
Discover more of the history of the landscape that surrounds Avebury on this guided walk.
Price: £8pp. booking required.
Art demonstration with Sarah Hobley, artist in residence
8 October. 11am-2pm
See Sarah Hobley demonstrating the creative process of her sculpted ceramics and find out more about her Avebury project. The finished pieces will evoke the experience of walking the Avebury landscape throughout the year.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
October half term fun
23 October – 2 November. 10am-4pm
Visit Avebury for family fun over the October half term.
Price: £2pp (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
Bath Assembly Rooms
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/bath-bristol/bath-assembly-rooms
Image - Guided Tours at Bath Assembly Room, Credit National Trust and James Beck
Connection Café
5 September, 3 October & 7 November. 10.30am-12.30pm
Join us for Connection Café at Burdall's Yard in Bath.
Price: Booking required.
Walking through history: Bath Assembly Rooms to Burdall’s Yard
6 September. 2-4pm
As part of the Bathscape Festival, come and walk-through history from Bath Assembly Rooms to Burdall's Yard and discover the people who connect us today.
Price: Booking required.
Jane Austen Festival
15-21 September. 10am-4pm
Working with the Jane Austen Festival, we're delighted to bring you a programme of events with some of our partners in Bath. See Prior Park Landscape Garden for outdoor events running at this time.
People of colour in Georgina Bath
Mon 20 October, 5.30-7pm, at Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution
Tim will be taking to the stage at BRLSI as part of Black History Month, where he'll take you on a journey into the vibrant histories of people of colour in Georgian-era Bath.
This talk explores the untold narratives of the communities who lived and thrived in the city, shedding light on their experiences, challenges, and contributions.
Drawing on extensive curatorial research, the talk will delve into how venues like Bath Assembly Rooms served as an important platform for championing people of colour and acted as an early celebration of black talent. Discover the methods used to uncover these stories and celebrate the rich, diverse heritage often overlooked in Bath’s history.
Price: £4-£8. Booking required via the website.
Dyrham Park
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/bath-bristol/dyrham-park
Image - Dyrham Park, credit National Trust
Nature tots at Old Lodge
Tuesdays, 9 September - 21 October. 10.45-11.45am
Sessions will usually include a song, story, craft and a game.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
Heritage Open Days: Free entry days
19 & 20 September. 10am-5pm
As part of Heritage Open Days 2025, you can enjoy a visit to Dyrham Park for free.
Price: Free event. Booking not required. Last entry 4pm.
October half-term bug trail
25 October – 2 November 10-4pm (last entry 3pm)
Get out in the great outdoors this October half term for an insect-themed trail around the 270 acres of parkland.
Price: £2.50 per trail (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
Lacock
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wiltshire/lacock
Image - Lacock Abbey, credit National Trust and James Dobson
Unseen Colour by Werner Bischof: Photography Exhibition
September – November. 10am-5pm
In collaboration with Magnum Photos, discover works of previously unseen colour by World War 2 photojournalist and Magnum photographer, Werner Bischof.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
Illyria Presents Pride and Prejudice
20 September. 6.30-8.50pm
Celebrate Jane Austen's 250th birthday with an outdoor performance of one her best loved tales, brought to Lacock by Illyria Theatre.
Price: See website for prices. Booking required.
Chemigrams with plant-based photo chemistry with the Sustainable Darkroom
30 September. 10am-12.30pm
Create art prints from plant matter with artist-led research community The Sustainable Darkroom.
Price: £45pp. Booking required.
Chromotography Workshop with the Sustainable Darkroom
30 September. 1.30-4pm
Reveal images of Lacock's soil through chromotography with eco-photography research collective: the Sustainable Darkroom.
Price: £45pp. Booking required.
Historic Photographic Processes: one day workshop
1 October. 10am-5pm
Follow in the footsteps of William Henry Fox Talbot and make photogenic drawings and calotype negatives in this one-day hands-on workshop using period processes from the 1830s/1840s with artist Jo Gane and calotypist Rob Douglas.
Price: £125pp. Booking required.
Newark Park
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/gloucestershire-cotswolds/newark-park
Image - Newark Park, Credit National Trust and James Beck
Dear Future: I Leave This Place For You - Newark Park
4 September. 2.30-5.30pm
Find out how a gift in your will can help us protect and preserve the special places in our care.
Price: Free event. Booking required.
Jazz trio at Newark Park
7 September. 1.30-3.30pm
Local jazz trio, Three Bop Jazz, will be playing at Newark Park in the walled garden.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
Heritage Open Days- Free entry day
13 September. 10am-5pm
As part of Heritage Open Days 2025, you can enjoy a visit to Newark Park for free.
Price: Free event. Booking not required. Last entry 4pm.
Newark Park’s Special Species
22 September – 2 November, 10am-4.30pm, every day
Come and learn about the special species at Newark Park this September and October among the autumnal colours.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
October half-term at Newark Park
23 October – 2 November. 10am-4pm
Look out for wooden bats hidden in the trees around the garden and learn more about these amazing creatures. Collect your free trail leaflet from Visitor Reception.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
Prior Park Landscape Garden
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/bath-bristol/prior-park-landscape-garden
Image - Prior Park, Credit Amhel de Serra
Heritage Open Days at Prior Park
12 & 13 September. 10am-5pm
A chance to see Ralph Allen’s 18th century garden and its iconic Palladian bridge for free.
Price: Free event. Booking not required.
Jane Austen Festival: Take a turn around Prior Park
15 – 21 September. 10am-5pm
Celebrate Jane Austen's 250th birthday at Prior Park. Part of the Jane Austen Festival. See our other event listings for special events including guided walks and a picnic.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
Jane Austen Festival: Guided garden walks at Prior Park
18 & 20 September. See website for times.
Follow in the footsteps of the real Mr and Mrs Allen and explore Georgian garden features straight out of a Jane Austen novel.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking required.
Jane Austen Festival: Cream tea picnic at Prior Park
20 September. 2-3pm & 3-4pm
Complete your exploration of Prior Park with a cream tea picnic by the iconic Palladian bridge.
Price: £10 per cream tea (normal admissions apply). Booking required.
Stourhead
https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wiltshire/stourhead
Image - Palladian Bridge Stourhead, Credit National Trust and Ian SHaw
Walks & Talks guided tours
4 September – 2 November. 11am-12.30pm & 1.30-3pm
Discover the story of Stourhead and its landscape garden on daily guided tours.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
Dear Future: I Leave This Place For You - Stourhead
10 September. 11am-2.30pm
Find out how a gift in your will can help us protect and preserve the special places in our care.
Price: Free event. Booking required.
Heritage Open Days: Behind closed doors tours
12-21 September. 11am-12noon, 12.45-1.45pm & 2.15-3.15pm
A chance to see behind the normally closed doors of Stourhead House. Tours may cover four floors with many stairs and will give you an insight into what goes on behind the scenes.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking required.
Wider estate walks
26 September & 31 October. 11am-1pm
Stretch your legs on a guided walk around Stourhead's wider estate and enjoy routes that highlight the beauty of each season.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking required.
Alfred's Tower charity abseil for SOS Africa
27 & 28 September, 4 & 5 October. 9am-5pm
SOS Africa are hosting a 160ft charity abseil fundraising event from Alfred’s Tower at Stourhead.
Price: Free event. Booking required.
Trust10
28 September. 8.30-111am
10k trail run that gives you the opportunity to take up a new challenge, get outdoors and explore Stourhead’s wider estate.
Price: Free event. Booking not required.
Bats and broomsticks
4 October – 2 November. 9am-3pm
With broom-stick racing, games and challenges there's lots of fun to be had in the Stableyard this autumn.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
Bat's autumn adventure trail
4 October – 2 November. 9am-3pm
Embark on an exciting adventure trail with Bat as they discover the joy of autumn for the very first time.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
Sketching workshop
6 October. 10.30am-12.30pm
Be inspired by Stourhead in this introductory sketching workshop.
Price: £40pp. Booking required.
First light photography
21, 24, 28 & 31 October. 7.30-9am
Join us for the magic of golden hour at Stourhead this autumn with our first light photographers’ sessions.
Price: £10pp (normal admissions apply). Booking required.
October half-term crafts
23 October – 2 November. 11am-2pm
Get creative in the Stableyard this October half-term with drop-in, volunteer-led autumn crafts and colouring.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
Festive Lino Printing workshop
3 November. 10am-1pm
Come and get all festive creating your very own lino cut in this 3-hour workshop with Gemma Lane from Green Fox workshops.
Price: £50pp. Booking required.
Watercolour Christmas card workshop
7 November. 10.30am-12.30pm
Get creative in this festive, beginner-friendly workshop focused on creating your own watercolour Christmas cards.
Price: £40pp. Booking required.
Walled garden talks
Every Wednesday, September – October. 12noon-1pm
Learn more about the function of the Walled Garden, both past and present, on this weekly guided talk.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
Social Strolls
Every Thursday, September – November. 10am-12noon & 2-4pm
Meet new people and enjoy a gentle health and wellbeing walk in beautiful surroundings. Led by friendly volunteers on a fully accessible route. Enjoy the social atmosphere and make a connection with nature and each other.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking not required.
Forage and cook walk
September – November, check website for dates. 10am-4pm
Immerse yourself in wild food with this day-long course from Totally Wild UK at Stourhead.
Price: £70pp. Booking required.
Tyntesfield
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/bath-bristol/tyntesfield
Image - Tyntesfield Pumpkins, credit National Trust and Alana Wright
Introduction to Green Woodworking
21 September & 19 October. 10am-4pm
This one-day course takes you through the basics of Pole lathe turning and green woodworking.
Price: £80pp. Booking required.
Blind and partially sighted garden walks
26 September. 11am-12noon
Learn about the history of this fascinating place and use your senses to engage with nature on this intimate and interactive tour.
Price: Free event (normal admissions apply). Booking required.
The Courts
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wiltshire/the-courts-garden
Guided Garden Tours
3 October. 10-11am
Learn more about the Courts Garden season to season with guided tours from the Senior Gardener.
Price: £10 per adult (normal admissions apply). Booking required.
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