The days are getting shorter – which of course means more time to enjoy life by moonlight’s glow. From gently paddleboarding down the Medway as part of a fairy-lightlit flotilla to hunting for stars and owls, to taking a night-train with a difference, there’s plenty to keep us busy
A nocturnal world of wonder awaits visitors on a two-hour night walk at Bore Place, the historic 500-acre estate near Chiddingstone. Ecologist and bird expert Tom Forward will be your guide, encouraging you to follow your ears in a bid to encounter the owls that call Bore Place (well, its fields and woodland anyway) home. Explains Tom, ‘We’ll be on the look out for tawny owls - famed for their distinctive ‘t-wit,-t-woo’ calls - at a unique point in their life cycle. At this time of year, parent owls essentially aim to kick the kids out of home, using their hoots and screeches to cajole their young into heading solo out into the woods in search of their own territories. Bird-call mimicry is one of my superpowers, so I’ll be making hoots to see if we can get a response from the owls. We’ll also be looking for barn owls, which can be found in grassland at the edges of fields just after the sun’s gone down.
‘I’ll be bringing my infra-red camera, paired up to my tablet, so if there is anything nearby, we may well be able to see it on screen even if we can’t spot it with the naked eye.
Walking at twilight and into darkness is a very special experience in itself – something many of us don’t often do - and there’s a chance we’ll encounter other creatures, too; perhaps a bat on the wing, foxes, badgers and brown hares out for a nigh-time forage.’
Tom’s popular tours sell out very quickly, so if you miss his Halloween tour, contact Bore Place incase of returns, or rest assured you shouldn’t have too long to wait until his next one. Bear in mind, too, that Tom works on a freelance basis, which means you could always hire him for your very own nocturnal nature tour. Tom can be found on Instagram @forward.tom.
Oct 31 plus future dates tbc – see boreplace.org/whats-on/4582/owl-walk
Are you brave enough to board Kent & East Sussex Railway’s Fright Night Express after dark, for a Hallowe’en-night adventure that promises to be full of all sorts of thrills and spills? Explains Visitor Experience manager, Heather Packham, ‘It’s a big day in our annual calendar that’s always popular with families – and the trick for us is to find a balance that keeps both parents and younger children happy. We make sure there’s entertainment at the start and the end of the journey, with face-painting on offer, jaw-dropping displays by fire-eaters, and a drumming troupe providing a wonderful accompaniment to the five-minute firework display at the end of the journey at Northiam. The steam train is decorated for the occasion, staff dress up – our guard, Elliott Waters, always looks especially spooky and can be counted on to watch out for ghouls and ghosts - and of course there are any number of wizards, witches and skeletons among our passengers. We can carry up to 150 people on board the steam train – it’ll certainly be steam at this time of year, not just for atmosphere but for warmth, too. With many of our customers aged 6-11, of course things are only gently scary: there are likely to be any number of mysterious bumps and bangings en route and the lights might dim at any point (though there’ll always be some light, so no one gets too scared). Treat-wise, there’s plenty of food on offer at Tenterden Station’s tea-room (including the legendary foot-long Korker hot dogs, if you find yourself with a sizeable appetite!), while on board there’s a bar cart for adults, while children can look forward to goody bags full of hallowe’en-themed sweets. The whole evening really is a lot of fun for everyone involved and there’s a real sense of occasion.’
Oct 31 from 530pm at Tenterden Station, £25 per person, kesr.org.uk
If you love water, ships and history, it doesn’t get much better than a trip on The Waverley, National Flagship of the year 2024, according to prestigious National Historic Ships UK. As the world’s last seagoing paddle steamer, she’s more than earned the accolade, built to replace the 1899 Waverley (named after Sir Walter Scott’s novels), which was sunk by enemy action on 29 May 1940 at Dunkirk. In her current incarnation, her maiden voyage took place in the summer of 1947 with her regular route in West Scotland. These days, though, having been rescued from retirement in the 1970s by the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society and with ongoing restoration initiatives as required supported by the Scottish charity Waverley Steam Navigation Co. Ltd, she sails around the UK, with over 60 ports and piers on her itinerary. There’s still time before the season ends to catch her on her travels in Kent from Gravesend and Whitstable, and while there are day-time cruises to enjoy, we think the idea of being on board as she majestically sails up the twinkling Thames and under floodlit Tower Bridge sounds especially magical. Self-service food (though you can bring your own sandwiches) and drink are available onboard, and often there’s live music to add to the atmosphere. Lounges are heated, but you’re sure to want to take in the view from on deck, so you’ll certainly need to wrap up warmly. You’ll hear the telegraph ring as the captain sends instructions to turn the paddles ahead or astern, you can see those paddles in action through the portoles and also admire Waverlely’s magnificent 2100 horsepower, triple expansion steam engine. What’s not to love?
And while we’re giving paddle-steamers a shout out, we couldn’t possibly fail to mention Kent’s very own paddle-driven steamship – the Medway Queen, currently under restoration thanks to the Medway Queen Preservation Society, open to the public on Gillingham Pier and celebrating her 100th anniversary this year. You can’t cruise on her, but you can certainly have a really good look around her, hear all about her illustrious history and contribute to her upkeep.
waverleyexcursions.co.uk; medwayqueen.co.uk
From paddlesteamers to what’s reputedly one of the fastest-growing sports in the world – stand-up paddleboarding [SUP]on water – made all the more peaceful by doing it at nighttime. The sport’s appeal lies in its accessibility – simple kit that you hire with each session - the fact that all ages can give it a go and that, while it builds core strength and muscle and helps with balance, it’s also a very gentle exercise. It’s slow enough to be sociable (plenty of time to chat as you paddle alongside others), but with the sense of adventure that comes with exploring all sorts of nooks and crannies along Kent’s waterways, and with the chance to spot en route wildlife, too. Says instructor Helen Matthews of Tonbridge and Teston-based SUP with Helen, ‘It doesn't matter what age, shape or fitness level you are, SUPing can be meditative, social or exhilarating - or all three. It’s a great way to practice mindfulness - being present in the moment, concentrating on the here and now, and it takes your mind off the stresses of everyday life and calms the spirit.’ While there are plenty of daytime opportunities to practise the sport, SUP in Kent runs occasional two-hour night-time experiences on the River Medway when the days get shorter, leaving from Tonbridge Bridge, when experienced participants are encouraged to decorate boards with LED lights, wear head torches and wetsuits and ensure they’re visible. Says Helen ‘SUP by night is a totally different experience – far more peaceful because there are fewer people on the water, and of course the darkness means we need to go more slowly and carefully. We tend to follow the river through the town, so there are street and house lights to help illuminate our way, though, and our fairy-light-strewn paddleboards twinkle beautifully.’ From £20; supwithus.org.uk/sup-with-helen
Enjoy a museum by night
What is it about museums that makes them seem especially alluring at night? Perhaps it’s all that history and culture, waiting to be discovered under cover of darkness – and the sense that there may be more going on than at first meets the eye…That’s certainly the case at the museum in our county town of Maidstone, housed in what was once Chillington Manor, a building that dates from Elizabethan times. Here, there’ll be a feast of imaginatively programmed events on offer to liven up cold, dark nights. Upcoming ‘lates’ include an October 17 talk on the story of Great Britain’s famous Rainbow Monarchs’; gay icons from Queen Anne, Edward II and Richard the Lionheart to the little-known Alefwynn, Queen of Mercia. It’ll be a chance to socialise over a drink, then immerse yourself in a world of court gossip, intriguing politicians, assassinations, glamour and fun, all while learning new insights about an aspect of history that’s often been glossed over. Giving the talk is Rob Forknall, an actor, director and amateur historian who’s been fascinated by history since the age of eight and today specialises in the lives of the Kings and Queens of England. Given that he’s also artistic director of Kent’s Changeling Theatre, it’s a safe bet he’ll be the liveliest of presenters. Classic black & white movies more your thing? Book your tickets for the Hallowe’en night screening of Hitchcock’s masterpiece Psycho – though, be warned, you may not fancy going home alone for a shower afterwards. On the other hand, a shower is exactly what you’ll need afterwards if you throw yourself into the 80’s Disco night dancing opportunities promised by hosts DJ Debbie and Vinyl Matt on Nov 23 – dust off those legwarmers, grab your neon anoraks, apply that layer of frosted lipstick and off you go. As Whitney Houston might have said, we wanna dance with somebody - so we’ll probably see you there!
Various prices and dates; museum.maidstone.gov.uk
Curl up with a gripping book
Draw the curtains, pull up a chair – and snuggle up (if you dare) with a new tome from Amberley Publishing: Robert Bard’s Paranormal Kent. Take a spine-tingling tour around to county to some of its most haunted locations and hear tales of ghostly apparitions, unexplained events and paranormal phenomena. Among the places investigated is Pluckley, named in the Guinness Book of Records as England’s most haunted village. Its twelve spirits include a screaming man who fell to his death and a spectral highwayman who haunts a spot named Fright Corner. Other haunted sites include Rochester Castle, with its 13th-century White Lady, and Bilsington Priory, with its hooded monks – a place well worth visiting at any time of the year. With ghostly episodes from such familiar haunts (sorry) as Canterbury and Chatham also featuring, you may never see the county in quite the same light (or darkness) again. Read the book if you dare. amberley-books.com. bilsingtonpriory.co.uk
Attend a theatrical séance
If you’ve been to the Green Duck in Tunbridge Wells, you’ll have appreciated its intimate, welcoming atmosphere and wide-ranging programme of events – what you might not know is that, beyond its main space, a door behind the bar leads out and to the venue’s very own cave. Dank and an eerie grey-green in colour, it’s arguably the perfect spot in which to indulge in a little psychic mayhem as you participate as one of just 13 (apparently the traditional number of people taking part in a séance) in an attempt to ‘make contact’ with notorious Victorian murderer, Jack the Ripper. Who exactly was he? A mad doctor lurking in the shadows of gaslit London or a maniac wreaking a personal vendetta on – as he perceived it - a sinful society? Was he not one man, but two – and was he part of a Royal conspiracy? Enter the world of gothic Victorian Spiritualism as your host, Clayton the Conjurer, attempts to answers the questions and more, guiding you on a unique evening of bizarre magic and storytelling. Yes, it’s all theatre – but Clayton promises some deliciously creepy moments that should stay with you all the way home. £20, tickettailor.com/events/thegreenduckeventsspaceandbar.
Endure (and enjoy) terror (and treats) in Tonbridge
Billed as ‘All Horrors Eve’, there are a couple of spine-tinging interactive events for over 18s to subject themselves to as part of the mini-festival taking place at Tonbridge’s Old Fire Station, including a Spectral Celebs Silent Disco, to which you’re encouraged to come dressed as a dearly departed personality, and Least Terrified – a 10-minute immersive hunt for the Fire Station’s resident ghost. Fortunately, there are also a couple of lively activities for kids on offer that don’t sound terrifying at all – just plenty of fun. For instance, Tabby The Tonbridge Witch is, we’re reliably informed, one of the friendliest witches you’ll ever meet. She’s a little scatter-brained, though, which means she sometimes forget the ingredients in her potions.That’s why she’s going to need the help of the little ghouls and goblins of Kent to craft her magic. And if you’re after a safe ‘trick or treat?’-style activity for the small people in your life, The Pumpkin Patch Parade (which includes goodie bags and options for those with allergies) could be just the ticket. Oct 25 – Nov 2. Tickets from £13.50. allhorrorseve.com
Doug Chapman is a remarkable man who regards The Lost Village of Dode, which he purchased back in 1991 as ‘the ultimate impulse buy’. On first viewing of its ancient Norman-era church, he was greeted by, ‘graffiti, spliff ends and a smashed altar - but the magic of the place was undeniable. It spoke to me, and I just loved it.’ That ‘magic’ is what visitors to Dode can revel in these days – and at this time of year, its ghosts may well be joining in. There are certainly plenty of them: indeed, oe is reputed to be that of Dode’s last resident – a young girl known as ‘The Dodechild’– died of the plague here in 1367. It’s believed she sought sanctuary in the church following the death of everyone else, dying herself within its walls. ‘I’m a curious sort of person in both senses of the word,’ says Doug, ‘and I’m lucky enough to have spent much of my working life in ancient buildings. These almost always outlive their occupiers, some by a very large margin, and as each generation passes they absorb their personalities, their “spirits”, if you will. Mostly benign, often welcoming and occasionally troubled, buildings store recollections and acquire “moods”, which in turn “re-infect” those of us who live in or visit them.’ He’ll be telling the story of a number of such places he’s known over the years - including of course Dode. The talk is scheduled for Sunday 27 October, 7pm. If it’s sold out online, check the website for further dates.
£6.13, with donations to Wisdom Hospice in Rochester. dodevillage.com
Flourish Wellness offers a whole range of mind, body and spirit sessions at Kingdom in Penshurst near Tonbridge, in a gorgeous wooden eco-building designed to preserve and embrace the woodland that surrounds it. As the nights draw in, what better time to harness the energies of the moon – with a new moon considered to be especially powerful? ‘All full moons offer an opportunity for release and bring with them a feeling of completion, while the new moon grants us the opportunity to manifest a life that aligns with our deepest truth and our highest good,’ the Flourish team explain. Join host Natalie Steward as you try to tune into these energies and attempt to find a deeper meaning in your life through the clarity, insights and inspiration that a new moon is said to bring. ‘We’ll start the evening with a heart-opening cacao ceremony to tune into our inner worlds. There’s then some journaling, followed by meditation and breathwork. Expect ritual, oracle cards, reiki, crystal-bowl sound healing plus a sharing circle, for a unique and heart-warming experience,’ says Natalie – and all (hopefully), while the moon beams overhead, just beyond the window….
£40 flourishwellness.co.uk
We’ve a veritable cauldron of spirits here in Kent, with Pluckley reputedly the most haunted village in the UK (you’ll need to buy Robert Bard’s previously mentioned book if you want more details) but if we had to plump for one spot for a spooky time this October, it’d be Fort Amherst in Chatham. Yes, yes, we know first and foremost it’s Britain’s best and biggest Napoleonic fort, but at this time of year it taps into its other incarnations, too. For the past 41 years, it’s been home to the UK’s longest-running (and award-winning) spooky event and this year some 200 volunteers will be doing their best to scare you, with far tamer events also on offer for children. It’s the Ghost Tours of the tunnels, though, that truly make our spines tingle - many an intriguing tale has been handed down through generations of Medway folk about the Fort’s nooks and crannies … and all are said to be true!
Halloween Horrors, Oct 25- Nov 3, £31 adults, £15 children; ghost tours – numerous dates (over 12s only) £17. 50 fortamherst.com.
Back in February 2024, we spoke to Kent-based photographer Rebecca Douglas about her passion for astrophotographer (that’s ‘shooting the stars’, to you and me) – and she’s certainly had a wonderful year thus far, with the aurora borealis on such spectacular show, especially in May. ‘Seeing the aurora borealis is something that takes up space in your heart forever,’ she says. But what about those of us who missed it (yes, really, some of us actually managed to sleep through the whole spectacular event), or who want to see it again – or who simply want to take better photographs of it next go round? Rebecca’s online self-paced course has all the info you need to find and photograph the enchanting, elusive phenomenon.
And if you’d simply like the chance to look up at the stars (and with the most comfortable of rooms for overnight guests) The Ferry House in Harty, on the Isle of Sheppey, nestled right by the Swale estuary, is a lovely base from which to do so. At its 2AA-Rosette restaurant, delicious food cooked with local ingredients and produce from its own garden meets the beauty of nature. Meanwhile, wide night skies away from light pollution make it the perfect spot for relaxed stargazing on clear nights. With the gentle sounds of swooping bats and owls nearby, you’ll find it easy to unwind - and an overnight stay allows you the luxury of appreciating this lovely place by daylight, too. Bliss!
rebeccadouglas.co.uk/become-an-aurora-chaser-the-course £49; theferryhouse.co.uk
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