Ghost tours and The Wicker Man come to Heligan this half-term

Somewhere in the old woods, a lantern is already being lit for Halloween.

And this year it comes with owls, the Brothers Grimm at their grimmest, and The Wicker Man on the big screen. The Lost Gardens of Heligan is marking October half-term (Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November) with falconry, spooky storytelling and an after-dark programme of ghost tours and folk horror cinema.

Victorian falconry, every day

There will be a display of historic falconry every day of the half-term, showing the contrasts of the natural world through the eyes of the Victorians.

The shows are brought to Heligan by Raphael Historic Falconry, and combine bird displays, stories, costumes and history.

The Brothers Grimm, as they were meant to be told

Also in the daytime programme are live retellings of the Brothers Grimm’s most macabre and twisted original tales, told just as they were intended. Expect fewer happy endings than the versions most of us grew up with.

Ghost tours in Heligan’s ancient woodlands

Once darkness moves in, the focus turns to Heligan’s long history of ghosts, hauntings and unexplained phenomena.

On the evenings of Wednesday 28 October to Saturday 31 October, an expert guide will lead visitors to the sites of spine-chilling encounters in the estate’s ancient woodlands.

The folk horror film line-up

The evening programme also features the Folk Horror Film Festival, with genre classics and newer favourites screened across the week. Several nights pair a well-known title with a shorter film.

• Saturday 24 October: Midsommar (18, 2019, directed by Ari Aster, starring Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor and Will Poulter) and Pen Mari (2025, directed by Siôn Marshall-Waters)
• Sunday 25 October: The Blair Witch Project (15, 1999, directed by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, starring Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams and Joshua Leonard) and The Birdwatcher (2024, directed by Ryan Mackfall)
• Monday 26 October: The Witch (15, 2015, directed by Robert Eggers, starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson and Katie Dickie) and Backwoods (2019, directed by Ryan Mackfall)
• Tuesday 27 October: Corpse Bride (PG, 2005, directed by Tim Burton and Mike Johnson, starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Emily Watson)
• Wednesday 28 October: A Field in England (15, 2013, directed by Ben Wheatley, starring Julian Barratt, Peter Ferdinando and Richard Glover), with a video introduction from Ben Wheatley, and Tresor (2022, directed by Gwenno Saunders)
• Thursday 29 October: The Severed Sun (15, 2024, directed by Dean Puckett, starring Toby Stephens, Emma Appleton and Barney Harris), with an introduction and Q&A from Dean Puckett
• Friday 30 October: In the Earth (15, 2021, directed by Ben Wheatley, starring Joel Fry, Reece Shearsmith and Hayley Squires), with a video introduction from Ben Wheatley, and Hard Cracked the Wind (2019, directed by Mark Jenkin)
• Saturday 31 October: The Wicker Man (15, 1973, directed by Robin Hardy, starring Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee and Britt Ekland) and Howlsavla Gwav (2025, directed by Ryan Mackfall and Joe Gray)

Doors for all showings open at 6pm, with films starting at 7pm. The exception is Corpse Bride, where doors open at 5pm for a 6pm start. Drinks and snacks will be on sale.

The festival is presented in partnership with Creative Kernow, Myskatonic, Falmouth University Sound/Image Cinema Lab and Verdant Brewing Co.

“Keep your appointment with Halloween”

David Harland, chief executive of the Lost Gardens of Heligan, said: “This Halloween is an opportunity for people to immerse themselves in Heligan’s haunted heritage, see some incredible displays of falconry and watch some folk horror classics in one of the most evocative settings there is. Come, it is time to keep your appointment with Halloween at Heligan.”

Tickets and prices

The daytime Halloween programme, including the storytelling and falconry displays, is included in the Heligan admission price.

Ghost tours cost £15 per person. Film screening tickets are £15 per person, or £13.50 for students.

More information and booking is at heligan.com.