Autumn in the gardens

The trees will be turning to shades of brown, red and gold, the hedges will be bristling with berries and the 18th century style garden will be splashed with colour from the chrysanthemums, autumn cyclamen and crocuses.

From mid-October the flower beds on the top terraces will be changed to the winter bedding, which will spread into a mixture of bright beautiful colours ready for early 2019.

Wander down to the vegetable patch and see what’s about to be harvested. You may find our garden produce in your lunch in the tea room, or on the honesty bench next to a donation pot: just give what you feel and take something home.

Family fun

There's plenty for the family to enjoy outdoors, even though the air is getting a little chilly.

Wrap up warm, bring the kids and enjoy our Harvest Trail in September (£1 per trail and they get a prize) or join the pumpkin trails in October (free to do, and they get a sticker).

If you like watching birds, see blackbirds, thrushes and fieldfares enjoying apples left in the fruit garden for them. For a family walk or relaxing stroll, try our beautiful parkland. See how many conkers you can find and who is the best conker-player in your family.

Cold or rainy outside? We have a trail through the house as well when it's open: just ask for the stolen trail from the coach house on arrival.

Our wildlife preparing for winter

As you walk around Canons Ashby you might notice wildlife habitats and nesting places to make it easier for our creatures to find a safe space to live. In the spinny you'll see bug hotels made by our visitors and if you look up in the trees there's bat boxes aplenty.

Now that the days are getting shorter you're much more likely to see our local wildlife out and about, looking for food as it gets scarcer, or preparing to roost or hibernate for winter. Or in the case of our beloved swallows, preparing to fly back to warmer climates for another year.

Keep your eyes peeled for our little friends scurrying and flying around!

Autumn gardening

It's a busy time for our gardeners, lifting plants and digging over beds ready for next year's planting. There's also lots of maintenance to do. The green court, with its striking topiary obelisks, is a favourite with our visitors and needs a lot of looking after. If you see our gardeners hard at work in the garden, stop and say hello!

So wrap up in some cosy knitwear and enjoy the colours, the crunch of leaves underfoot and the smells of a misty autumn walk.