Enjoy an enchanting October half-term holiday at Hartlebury Castle

Carve a unique pumpkin to take home, try your hand at spell casting in the Great Hall, and see if you can find all the lurking skeletons.

Young witches and wizards are invited to come in their favourite spooky outfits to spend an enchanting day at the Castle

Join in a magic wand-making workshop and then head to the magnificent Great Hall to meet Professor Bumbledum for exciting spell-casting lessons! Wand-making crafts and spell sessions are on from 10.30am to 3pm from Monday 28 October to Thursday 31 October; £3.50 per child and whole-site admission.

Pumpkin carving sessions also return for 2024: children can choose their pumpkin from the patch, scoop out the seeds and draw their scary design before the Castle’s team will carve it for them.

Tickets are £6.50 per pumpkin and include a free hot chocolate. A whole-site admission ticket is also required. Limited places are available from Monday 28 to Thursday 31 October so book online at hartleburycastle.com to guarantee a pumpkin.

Families who are feeling especially brave can hunt for the skeletons lurking around the Castle! This trail is a brilliant way to explore the Bishop’s Palace and Worcestershire County Museum with a twist. The trail is 50p + whole-site admission (free with Witch and Wizard School).

“We can’t wait to see lots of young witches and wizards once again this year! It’s going to be a fun holiday at the Castle with lots of autumnal activities to get stuck into,” Pippa Ashmore, Events and Visitor Services Coordinator at Worcestershire County Museum, Hartlebury Castle.

Round off a great day out with a walk around the moat – stop off at the bird hide to see what wildlife you can spot along the way – to the fantastic woodland playground. Refuel with a coffee, hot chocolate and homemade food at Hayley’s Kitchen café or settle into the lovely Orchard Picnic Area which has accessible benches.

Hartlebury Castle is situated just off the A449 between Kidderminster and Worcester. Parking is free. Visitors can book in advance and can plan their visit on Hartlebury Castle’s website.