Autumn at Kedleston Hall

Children playing in autumn leaves at Bodnant Garden, Conwy — Kids love playing in the leaves

The warmer summer days have drawn to a close and the lush greenery of summer dramatically transitions into vibrant bursts of deep russets and gold. Take a stroll through the parkland as the whole landscape changes into an Autumn paradise.

Kedleston is the perfect autumnal backdrop, a landscape of changing colours, with the American Oak's striking red leaves and the Larch's rusty golden hues. Enjoy blustery walks through the parkland before the winter weather really sets in.

autumn colour in Kedleston's pleasure ground — Autumn colouring Kedleston's Pleasure Ground

Visiting with little adventurers?

There's plenty here for them to! Why not book onto one of our popular family forest fun workshops? We run sessions for a range of age groups doing activities from den building to bushcraft skills. Every session is different but there's always smiles a plenty! If you'd rather make your own adventures why not head over to the Wilderness and see if you can find all of the new birds and beasties sculptures?

Make the most of getting outdoors before the colder months kick in and get adventurous with 50 things to do before you’re 11 and ¾.

Collecting conkers at Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire — Collect conkers this autumn

Catch a falling leaf and take it home to create some wild art. Ask for the 50 things booklet at reception for more information.

We also run monthly Preschool play days and sessions for home eductor families. These sessions are good fun encourage learning through play and social interaction.

Explore the Hall

Walk in the footsteps of Kedleston's well heeled eighteenth century visitors as you explore the stunning State Floor. We completed a 30 year restoration of Kedleston's State apartment back in January 2017 and it's safe to say that everyone has done a fantastic job. Everything from the delicate silk on the walls to the splendid State Bed has been restored to its former glory.

a close up of the new silk damask curtains on the state bed — A full restoration, down to the finest details

Kedleston's Eastern Museum

Find George Nathaniel Curzon's Eastern Museum on the ground floor of the hall, it contains an eclectic collection of Easten treasures collected during his time as Viceroy of India between 1899-1905. From elephant tusks to delicate silver it feels like you've stepped into a treasure trove. You'll also find Mary Curzon's gorgeous peacock dress which she wore to the Delhi Durbar in 1903 and yes it still has that wow factor!

Autumn walking

The parkland is yours to explore on foot, but there is a free walk leaflet available on arrival that suggests three popular circular walks in the parkland, all passing wonderful trees and offering different views of the Robert Adam architecture. Dogs on leads are always welcome to park too.

As well as the colourful scenes, look out for the wildlife within the park including red kites, swans, woodpeckers and heron. Fungi can be spotted along all three walks in the free walk leaflet and we'd love to see your colourful photos on social media, just use the hashtag #kedlestonhall when you post.

some red wellies jumping in a puddle — What are wellies for?

Head off the beaten track and explore the grounds further for a chance to see some of Derbyshires most ancient trees. Take a closer look at some of the old fallen tree trunks and you might just spot fungi growing inside. We have a number of guided walks running through the Autumn from the Fungi walk explore the diverse range of species we have here at Kedleston.