Gardens of Easton Lodge

THE gates of the Gardens of Easton Lodge will thrown open to the public for the last time in 2012, next Sunday (October 21).

There will be a Spooky Halloween Trail for younger visitors who will need to scour the gardens for the hidden clues before solving the puzzle and claiming their reward.

Trustee Gwen Blackshaw said: “We had such a fantastic response to the ‘Live n Deadly’ activity we ran last October that we wanted to create something similar for children this year. It is always so nice to see families in the garden and there is so much to do and so much space to run around that it is the perfect place for them.”

As well as the Halloween trail there will be free craft and nature activities for younger visitors. The very popular complimentary guided tours will take place at 1pm and 3pm giving visitors a chance to learn more about the fascinating history of the gardens and its owners with additional historical information available to browse all afternoon in the main marquee.

Gates open from 12noon until 6pm (last admission at 5pm) with tickets costing £2.50 for adults and children entering free. Home-made soup and bacon rolls will be on sale at lunch time with hot and cold drinks, cream teas and cakes available all afternoon from the pavilion next to the croquet lawn. A range of plants will be available to buy and Patio and Terrace will again be selling garden gift-ware. 2013 Easton Lodge calendars will be also be on sale at the price of £5.

“Don’t miss this chance to see the stunning autumn colours and enjoy the tranquil atmosphere of this magical place before the gardens close their gates for the winter,” added Mrs Blackshaw.

• Anyone interested in joining the volunteer team for this and subsequent open days, helping with the regular Thursday gardening sessions which continue until December or with one-off weekend projects, should e-mail enquiries@eastonlodge.co.uk or leave a message on 01371 876979.

Further details are available at eastonlodge.co.uk. You can also follow the gardens on Facebook and Twitter.

The Gardens of Easton Lodge are located just outside Great Dunmow in Little Easton, off the B184 (Great Dunmow to Saffron Walden road). Follow the brown heritage signs.