Halloween at Ralph Court Gardens

A gothic rectory with themed gardens in its grounds is an unusual setting for Halloween, and Ralph Court leans into it. The daytime programme from 3 October is built for families with younger children: singing pumpkins, joking ghosts, a Count Dracula display, a witches' cookery school, a graveyard flower seller, the bone pickers' crypt, a Gremlins show and a Halloween quiz with prizes.

From 22 October the gardens open again after dark, and the evening event is a different proposition altogether. There are illuminated pumpkin-lit gardens, the alien scanning pod, Jock the Sleeping Giant, a haunted house, comedian Mr B, a skeleton band light show, fortune teller Zelda and a gothic house light show with smoke effects. Dinosaur World is included with the evening ticket.

The practical points are worth knowing before you commit to a date. Children must be accompanied by an adult, only assistance dogs are allowed on site, and picnics are not permitted in the garden or the restaurant, so plan to eat there or before you arrive. The restaurant serves through the day and reopens in the early evening on evening event dates.

The site is fully wheelchair accessible, which is not a given in a garden attraction of this kind. Walk-ins are welcome, though the venue recommends booking online because popular dates sell out quickly, and the gardens open Wednesday through to Sunday rather than every day of the week.