Hever Castle & Gardens has officially unveiled its Autumn Colour event for 2026, running from 28 September to 1 November 2026, packed with expert masterclasses, talks, mindfulness, and rich horticultural delights.

©Oliver Dixon

From the fiery red of the Boston Ivy scaling the historic castle walls to the golden canopy of trees casting reflections on Lake Walk, the childhood home of Anne Boleyn is transformed in autumn into a colourful horticultural showcase. 

With a huge collection of trees spanning the shores of Lake Walk, lining Anne Boleyn’s Walk, and filling the woodland, trees really deliver in autumn at Hever Castle & Gardens. And in a first for Hever, and the Autumn Colour,  Kew’s former head of Arboretum Tony Kirkham MBE VMH will visit to give a talk about the trees on the estate on Wednesday 14 October. 

Neil Miller, head gardener at Hever Castle & Gardens explains: ‘I’m absolutely bursting with pride to say that tree-maestro Tony Kirkham will be giving a remarkable tree talk and tour as part of Autumn Colour this year.  As an author of many popular and technical books and papers on trees and lectures in the UK and overseas on the subject, Tony is often seen on television including “The Secret Life of Trees” on Channel 5.Tony will be with us on Wednesday 14 October, and I can’t wait to hear his thoughts on the trees at Hever Castle & Gardens.’

Workshops this autumn at Hever Castle & Gardens

Workshops on dahlias, forest bathing, eco-crafts and fun with fungi fill the Autumn Colour programme at Hever Castle & Gardens promising plenty of things to do in October. 

Neil Miller adds: ‘This is truly the season that keeps on giving. The Boston Ivy blazes, the canopy turns, and the sight of ruby-red rose hips from our 5,000 rose bushes is something to behold. We have fungi events with Chelsea-awarded winning duo The Caley Brothers, self-guided tours,  forest bathing,  and dahlia days with Steve Edney of the No Name Nursery – holder of the National Collection of dark-leafed dahlias, and countless RHS gold medals for his plants.’

‘Rooms’ full of colour in the Italian Garden and forest bathing in the woodland 

©Vikki Rimmer

Self-guided autumn trails, plus Forest Bathing help connect visitors with the quieter areas on the estate. 

Neil Miller is keen to encourage visitors to explore the quieter areas on the estate: ‘Highlights of autumn include the shades glades along Lake Walk and the woodland walks –  places where forest bathing can be practiced, and where visitors can simply walk and enjoy the best of the turning trees and autumn colour.’

The Gardens at Hever Castle were the brain-child and dream of William Waldorf Astor at the turn of the 20th century – he poured his creative ideas and money into the estate to create a wonderful landscape design that looks incredible 120 years on.  But it’s another ‘aster’ that’s caught Neil Miller’s eye this year.  

Neil Miller enthuses: ‘Over in Faith’s Garden the aster family is thriving. Ranging from compact 20cm rock garden varieties to dramatic 2-metre-high border specimens, they are perfect for Prairie-style planting and excel in full sun or partial shade. Exceptionally hardy down to -20°C, asters can be lifted, split, and divided every 3 to 5 years in March to propagate healthy new clumps throughout your borders.‘

All events are included in the admission price.

2026 Event Highlights

©Visit Kent

Daily Self-Guided Autumn Trail

• When: Daily, 28th September – 1st November | 10:30 – 17:30 
• Designed by Hever’s gardening team, this trail highlights unique and unusual trees as they turn in autumn from green to brilliant shades of gold, orange, and red. Visitors can collect a map on arrival or download it in advance. 

Mindful Nature Connection: Forest Bathing Q&A

• When: 29th & 30th September, | 11:30 & 14:00 
• Tansy, an award-winning Forest Bathing practitioner and TEDx speaker, will lead a relaxed 30-minute drop-in session. Visitors can discover how mindful connection with nature supports mental clarity, and learn how to weave these practical wellbeing tips into everyday life. 

Cultivate Life: Eco-Crafting with Yuki Solle

• When: 3rd, 4th, 10th & 11th October | 11:00 – 16:00
• Sustainability tutor and lifestyle blogger Yuki Solle will lead workshops demonstrating how living well needn’t cost the earth, offering family-friendly guidance on creating up-cycled jam jar lanterns and potato autumn mini wreaths while sharing hacks to reduce food waste. 

Dahlia Masterclass with Steve Edney

• When: Wednesday 7th October & Thursday 8th October 11:30am 
• Join Steve Edney from The No Name Nursery for a presentation and guided tour celebrating the spectacular dahlias growing throughout Hever Castle’s gardens. Learn about different varieties, cultivation techniques and seasonal highlights from one of the UK’s most respected growers. Steve holds the National Collection  for his dark-leafed dahlias. 

‘Remarkable Trees’ Talk & Tour with Tony Kirkham MBE

• When: Wednesday 14 October | 11:30 & 14:00 
• Hever is thrilled to host the legendary Tony Kirkham MBE, VMH, former Head of the Arboretum at Kew Gardens. Drawing on his experience managing over 14,000 trees, Tony will share stories from his 43-year career, global plant-hunting expeditions, and his Channel 5 television series, The Secret Life of Trees. 

Fun with Fungi with the Caley Brothers

• When: 15 & 16 October | 11:30 & 14:00 
• RHS Gold Medal-winning sisters Lorraine Caley and Jodie Bryan from West Sussex will share their mushroom-growing journey outside the Hever Shop. Fresh from their latest gold medal win at the Chelsea Flower Show, the duo will explore the fascinating diversity of fungi and its critical, sustainable role in supporting the wider ecosystem.