“It was a beautiful bright autumn day, with air like cider and a sky so blue you could drown in it.” – Diana Gabaldon
Flushing fruit and mesmeric colour in the orchards
This October, we’re celebrating the bounty of our apple harvest; from the Parabola at the core of the gardens to the orchards and back again to the cyder press. Apples are being squished, cold-fermented and matured to perfection into golden nectar to drink and make merry.
Our treasured National Collection of apple trees are putting on their annual show, with chefs, bakers and mixologists making delicious use of the juicy fruits across the estate, in the likes of beautiful Bramley apple cake and warming apple pie.
We’ve also been busy pouring our energy into a packed programme of inspiring autumn workshops and events, encouraging you to get outside and connect with nature’s fiery beauty – from Newtlings’ Half Term fun to sharing in our Somerset heritage at our Apple Day Weekend festivities.
See What’s On
Explore Membership
What’s on in October
Join our experts on fungi forays and orchard wanders, get creative juices flowing on watercolour workshops, and raise a cydery toast our county’s signature crop with apple antics galore this Apple Day Weekend over 18 – 19 October.
Discover the magic of mushrooms in the woodlands
Homeground Cyder Making
1, 9 October, 9.30am / £150
The Cyder Team are hosting workshops on all things cyder. You’ll learn about the history of cyder in Somerset, harvest the apples from the orchards, taste the different appley characteristics, press your own juice and start making your own cyder to take home – along with a tasting pack of Newt cyders
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Yin Yoga & Breathwork
3, 10, 17, 24, 31 October, 9.30am - 10.45am / £30
Enjoy a Friday meditative yoga and breathwork session connecting mind, body and breath with slow, sequenced, floor-based poses. A holistic approach to health and happiness, tailored to students of all abilities.
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Mushroom Masterclass
8, 15, 22, 28 October, 9.30am / £150
Join our fungi expert on a forage around the estate, before learning to sow mushroom spores to grow indoors and set shiitake dowels to grow outdoors at home. More than just seasonal delicacies, these extraordinary forms are a crucial part of the natural world.
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Dawn Walk: Orchards
9 October, 7.15am / £45
Start your day with a tour of our orchards with Head of Programmes, Arthur Cole, before the gardens open to our members. You’ll discover some of our 70 varieties of cyder apples and take in the fruits of our labour as the leaves turn and harvesting begins. Culminating in breakfast at the Garden Café.
Early morning mists in our orchards
Botany Watercolours (Winter)
11, 16 October, 9.30am / £150
Wander the gardens for abundant inspiration to develop your botanical painting skills. A course for first timers and experienced artists alike, this month’s session focuses on the form of winter, under the expert guidance of wildlife artist, Camilla Clutterbuck.
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Somerset Safari
15 October, 9.30am / £50
Join our resident ecologist Tom to get closer to the wild things on our Somerset estate. Enjoy a deep dive into the natural world and gain practical advice on how to enhance your own outdoor space for precious pollinators and spineless wonders, to protect and promote essential biodiversity.
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Apple Day Weekend
18 - 19 October, 9am - 6pm, (Newt membership or guest day pass required)
One of the highlights of our estate calendar, join us for two days of appley goodness to celebrate our favourite crop. Expect pressings, cyder tastings, tractor tours, apple-themed menus – including our legendary BBQ – alongside live music, apple games and more.
Appley antics aplenty, with prizes to be won this Apple Day Weekend
Dawn Walk: Four Seasons Special – Autumn
23 October, 7.45am / £45
Enjoy a seasonal stroll in our newest garden, taking in fiery colour in the arboretum, Peter Pan (and Hook’s nemesis Tick-Tock), our marsh garden with vast Newt-shaped pond and outdoor fish tank, and much more to catch your eye besides.
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Hort Course: Propagation
23, 29 October, 9.30am / £150
Learn the tips and tricks to fill your garden with plants with our expert Nursery team. You’ll gain invaluable knowledge and practise propagation techniques from cuttings to seed collecting and sowing before taking many of your propagated plants home.
October Half Term
25 October – 1 November
Expect a packed programme of nature-filled adventure over Half Term week. Newtlings can head into the woods for full or half days of Forest School or get hands-on with shadow puppetry or lantern making with fireside tales to get into the seasonal spirit.
Autumn Wreath Making
29 October, 9.30am / £150
Floriculturist Maiko Ishida will lead you through decorating your home with a celebratory flush of autumn colour and form. Grasses, spectacular seed heads and turning leaves will be put to good use in this seasonal, floral workshop, finishing with lunch at the Garden Café.
Appley magic
