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Golden colours offer a spectacular finale for the Diamond Jubilee year at Burghley
Autumn colours, flower power and spooky pumpkins are set to bring a spectacular end to the season at Englands greatest Elizabethan house. A blaze of golden leaves on trees around the sweeping parkland surrounding Burghley, in Lincolnshire, will set the scene for a colourful end to 2012. Visitors heading to Burghley, near Stamford, can enjoy the changing colours within the parkland and gardens. For Halloween, there will be pumpkin fun at the House and Gardens while fittingly for the Diamond Jubilee year, the annual Flower Festival (6th-14th October) will have a Jubilee theme with an Olympic twist! As usual during October the spectacular State Rooms will be transformed with floral displays, offering a new perspective on England's greatest Elizabethan house. The floral designs normally take their inspiration from the rooms themselves with their painted ceilings and Baroque works of art, all with the guiding theme of autumn colours, and this year the Jubilee reigns supreme. Among the regal arrangements will be Burghleys own River Thames Royal Pageant all created in flowers in the beautiful Heaven Room while another State Room with a real wow factor the magnificent Bow Room will be dressed as a floral Throne Room. As a House built by Queen Elizabeth Is most trusted and senior minister, we think its fitting to cap this wonderful Diamond Jubilee year with one last tribute, said Jo Tinker, Marketing Manager for Burghley. Burghley was lucky enough to host The Queen earlier this year for a special picnic in the grounds as part of Her Majestys Diamond Jubilee tour, so wed like to end our 2012 season with another Jubilee celebration, this time a floral

one! And the Olympic twist? A special botanical paintings exhibition returns during the Festival, but for 2012 the theme reflects Britains amazing summer of sports. The Leicestershire Society of Botanical Illustrators stages its Autumn Exhibition in The Goody Rudkin Gallery (6-21 October) and in this Olympic Year the exhibition features plants which are either runners, jumpers or climbers athletes of the natural world. It is another fitting tribute because Burghley was home to Olympic Gold Medal winner, and one of the prime movers behind the 1948 London Games, David, Lord Burghley. October is the last chance to see the Treasury Exhibition charting the Houses Olympic connections. At the end of October, pumpkins take over from flowers as the Burghley Pumpkin Trail (20th - 28 October 2012) gives children the chance to tackle a trail around the Sculpture Garden in search of the hidden pumpkins. Once all the pumpkin clues have been solved, they can win their prize. For children who come dressed for the occasion, the Garden Cafe at Burghley also has an extra treat - free ghostly Halloween cookies for those in fancy dress! Offering contemporary sculpture in an historic setting, the Sculpture Garden always has a surprise or two in store throughout the season, thanks to its mix of shrubs, trees and bushes forming archways and external rooms where discreetly hidden sculptures are waiting to be discovered. But the Pumpkin Trail offers even more seasonal enjoyment. The Flower Festival, botanical paintings exhibition and Pumpkin Trail are free with a House and Gardens or Gardens only ticket. For full details visit www.burghley.co.uk or telephone 01780 752451.

EDITORS NOTES: Burghley, near Stamford in Lincolnshire, has been the home of the Cecil Family for over 400 years and is Englands greatest Elizabethan House. Burghley is owned and maintained by Burghley House Preservation Trust, which looks after

a huge collection of great works of art, including one of the most important private collections of 17th century Italian paintings, the earliest inventoried collection of Japanese ceramics in the West, exceptional 18th century furniture and wood carvings by Grinling Gibbons and his followers. The Trust also maintains a 13,000-acre estate including residential, commercial and agricultural lettings, woodland and Burghley Park, which is open daily at no charge. The House is open until Sunday 28th October 2012 daily (except Fridays) from 11am to 4.30pm. Admission: House and The Gardens of Surprise - adults 12.50; children (315 years) 6.30; seniors/students 11.20; family (2 adults & 2 children) 33.