Garden Tour - Autumn Colours

Middlethorpe Hall & Spa is running a guided autumn garden tour on Wednesday 14 October, led by their Head Gardener, Andrew Leighton. It runs from 2:00pm to 4:00pm, and the whole afternoon usually wraps up around 5:30pm.

Leighton runs the gardens with a team of National Trust volunteers, and they work throughout the year to keep the colour going across the seasons. They also grow a good deal of the hotel's seasonal fruit and vegetables, which go straight into the chef's seasonal menus. On the tour, Leighton points out the plants and shrubs that hold their colour and structure through autumn and well into winter, so you'll see what's keeping the grounds looking full when most things have gone to ground.

Once the tour is finished, the group sits down for afternoon tea with a glass of bubbly. It's a slow afternoon: two hours on the gardens followed by tea and a drink, so you're there for a good few hours rather than just popping in.

Tickets are £55 per person, and Middlethorpe Spa members get it for £46.75. The venue is Middlethorpe Hall & Spa, Bishopthorpe Road, York, YO23 2GB.