There is something rather special about an English garden in autumn. The exuberance of summer gives way to fiery reds, burnished golds and russet browns, the air becomes noticeably sharper and woodland paths acquire that satisfying crunch underfoot.
At National Trust – Emmetts Garden in the Kent countryside, autumn is being celebrated in particularly fine style this year with a month-long Autumn Festival, running from 9 October to 1 November 2026.
Set high above the Weald of Kent, Emmetts Garden is known for its views as much as its planting, and the autumn festival is designed to make the most of both. Over the course of four weeks, visitors can expect makers, music, talks, guided walks, photography, family activities and – as Halloween approaches – a little bit of seasonal spookiness.
It is less an event to attend than an excuse to keep coming back.
An Autumn Garden in Full Colour
Emmetts Garden has an enviable reputation for its plants and year-round interest, but autumn arguably provides one of its most photogenic seasons.
Japanese maples turn brilliant shades of red, while the winged spindle tree provides another burst of colour. The garden’s katsura tree is also a particular autumn attraction, earning its nickname, the ‘candyfloss tree’, from the sweet fragrance its fallen leaves can produce.
Beyond the formal garden, the surrounding woodland offers another perspective on the season, with changing foliage, fallen leaves and the views across the Weald providing plenty of reasons to slow down and take your time.
And that is very much the spirit of the festival.
Makers, Music and a Meadow Full of Autumn
The festival begins with the Autumn Fair Makers Market from 9–11 October, when a larger-than-before marquee in the meadow will be filled with independent makers and craftspeople.
Expect jewellery, prints, ceramics, wooden sculptures, botanical and woodland-inspired crafts and locally produced food and drink. It sounds like the sort of market where you go in intending to buy a Christmas present and emerge with something for yourself.
The weekend also brings Music on the Meadow, with local concert bands performing against the backdrop of the autumn garden.
Medway Concert Brass performs on Saturday 10 October, while Biggin Hill Concert Band takes to the meadow on Sunday 11 October. Each band performs twice, at noon and 2pm, with programmes ranging from film scores and modern classics to traditional favourites.
Visitors can bring a picnic blanket or folding chair and simply settle down to listen. The performances are free with normal garden admission or National Trust membership.
For food, the ever-popular Sommi Pizza returns to serve wood-fired pizzas during selected festival dates, while the Old Stables Tea Room will provide the more traditional National Trust combination of hot drinks, lunches and cakes.
A Festival for Curious Minds
The weekend of 16–18 October takes the festival in a more cerebral direction, with a programme of Autumn Talks featuring some familiar faces from the gardening and broadcasting world.
Among the headline speakers are garden designer and broadcaster Adam Frost, horticulturist and television presenter Frances Tophill, and garden designer and presenter Danny Clarke, better known as The Black Gardener.
But the programme isn’t simply about gardening.
Talks will explore subjects including autumn folklore, astronomy, fungi, plant conservation and nature-based wellbeing. There is even an opportunity to handle real meteorites during Mark Hiller’s We Are All Made of Stardust session.
There will also be a guided autumn walk with outdoor wellness expert Tansy Dowman on Sunday 18 October, offering a slower, more sensory exploration of the garden and woodland. The walk costs £10 and needs to be booked separately.
Bring Your Camera and the Children
For anyone who enjoys photography, there are half-day workshops with photographer Roger Bloxham on 14 and 27 October. The sessions run from 9.30am to 1pm and use the garden and its autumn colours as the subject, with the £35 ticket including garden entry, a hot drink and cake.
Families have their own reason to visit, with the Fun-Gus Saves the Forest activity trail running throughout the festival. Children can explore the garden completing challenges designed around the woodland’s ‘Wood Wide Web’, with a £3 trail booklet and prize at the end.
Then, during half term from 23 October to 1 November, a children’s fairground returns, with carousel, swing boats and teacup rides.
As Halloween approaches, there are also woodcraft and spiderweb weaving workshops from 29 October to 1 November. So there is plenty to keep younger visitors occupied while the grown-ups admire the trees.
An Autumn Day Out… or Several
The beauty of Emmetts Garden’s Autumn Festival is that it doesn’t demand that you do everything in one visit.
You can come for the makers’ market, return for the music, bring your camera on another day, or simply walk through the garden when the autumn colours are at their peak.
And perhaps that is exactly what makes it such an appealing Kent event. There is no frantic schedule to follow and no need to spend the entire day rushing from one attraction to another.
Sometimes, particularly at this time of year, the best thing to do is simply wander through a beautiful garden, breathe in the crisp autumn air and see what colour nature has decided to throw at you.
The Emmetts Garden Autumn Festival runs from 9 October to 1 November 2026.
For full details, dates, tickets and individual event information, visit National Trust – Emmetts Garden Autumn Festival.
