October half term in East Sussex runs 24 October to 1 November 2026; Beacon Academy is off from 22 October. Thirteen things on near Crowborough, with prices.

October half term for East Sussex schools runs from Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November 2026. Children at Beacon Academy are off from Thursday 22 October, because the school has put two training days in front of the holiday.

Here is what is actually on near Crowborough that week, taken from each organiser’s own listings.

The quick answer

  • County half term: Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November. Schools go back on Monday 2 November
  • Beacon Academy: off from Thursday 22 October, back Monday 2 November
  • Pick of the week: the Bluebell Railway’s Ghost Train from Sheffield Park, 22 October to 1 November, and the free Isfield and Little Horsted bonfire on Friday 30 October

Updated 22 October: Wilderness Wood has added a fourth galette pop-up day, Saturday 31 October. Drusillas, the Lavender Line, the Spa Valley Railway and the Ghost Train are unchanged, and the owl evening on 29 October is still sold out, as is the extra one on 12 November.

Updated 18 October: the owl evening on 29 October is sold out, but Ashdown Forest has added a second one on Thursday 12 November.

Updated 15 October: the Crowborough Miniature Railway’s 2026 timetable gives Scream Trains on Saturday 31 October, 5pm to 8pm, and Wilderness Wood has published the detail of its Halloween Slice.

Updated 8 October: Ashdown Forest has published the themes for its half term mornings, and Crowborough Social Club has added a Halloween Family Disco on 31 October.

Updated 3 October: the Bluebell Railway has added its Ghost Train for half term, and Wilderness Wood has named its trail. Every Halloween event nearby is on our Crowborough Halloween page.

The full list of term dates, including every school’s INSET days, is on our Crowborough school term dates page.

Thirteen things on near Crowborough

Date What Where Price
22 Oct to 1 Nov The Ghost Train, evenings Bluebell Railway, Sheffield Park Adults from £42, children from £21
24 Oct to 1 Nov “What Scares You?” trail, open daily Wilderness Wood, Hadlow Down No need to book
24 Oct to 1 Nov Shriek Week, Halloween at the zoo Drusillas Park, between Brighton and Eastbourne Pre-book to save 20%
Sat 24 and Sun 25 Oct Model Brick Show, LEGO models Spa Valley Railway, Tunbridge Wells West See railway
Sun 25 Oct Diesel running day Lavender Line, Isfield See railway
Tue 27 Oct Saxons vs Vikings history day Wilderness Wood See listing
Wed 28 Oct Wild Wednesday: make a besom broom, 10am to noon Broadstone car park, Ashdown Forest £10
Wed 28 Oct Family fungus hunt, 10.30am Wilderness Wood Adults £10, children £5
Thu 29 Oct Nature Thursday: skulls and bones, 10am to noon Ashdown Forest Centre £10
Thu 29 Oct An Evening with Owls, 7pm Ashdown Forest Centre Sold out
Fri 30 Oct Isfield and Little Horsted bonfire Field behind the Laughing Fish, Isfield Free
Sat 31 Oct Halloween Family Disco, 4pm to 6pm Crowborough Social Club, Croft Road Price not given
Sat 31 Oct Scream Trains, 5pm to 8pm Crowborough Miniature Railway, Goldsmiths Rides £1, day rover £4

The detail

Ashdown Forest

The Conservators of Ashdown Forest list three half-term events on their What’s On page:

  • Wild Wednesday: Make a besom broom, Wednesday 28 October, 10am to 12pm, from Broadstone car park, £10: children aged 5 to 12 make a traditional broom from silver birch twigs cut as part of managing the heathland
  • Nature Thursday: Solve the skulls and bones mystery, Thursday 29 October, 10am to 12pm, at the Forest Centre, £10: children aged 5 to 12 match skulls to animals and piece together tiny skeleton puzzles
  • An Evening with Owls, Thursday 29 October, 7pm to 8.10pm, at the Ashdown Forest Centre, with the UK Owl and Raptor Centre flying owls close over the audience. Tickets were £8.95 for ages 3 to 12 and £9.50 for 13 and over, and the evening is now sold out on the organiser’s booking page. The Conservators added a second evening, on Thursday 12 November, after half term, and that has now sold out too (Ashdown Forest, What’s On)

Both family sessions need booking through the Forest’s regular events pages.

Wilderness Wood, Hadlow Down

The woodland’s What’s On listing has more going on than anywhere else nearby that week:

  • a “What Scares You?” trail, open every day from Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November, 10am to 4pm, no booking needed: build a giant spider’s web and find the woods’ night-time animals. Pop-up food Tuesday to Friday
  • Woodland Fungi: Death or Dinner, a fungus identification walk with Anne Yarrow, on Sunday 25 October and Saturday 31 October, 10.30am to 1pm
  • Saxons vs Vikings, a hands-on history day on Tuesday 27 October, 10.30am to 3pm
  • a family fungus hunt on Wednesday 28 October, 10.30am to noon: adults £10, children 4 to 15 £5, under 4s free
  • a comics workshop for 7 to 12 year olds on Wednesday 28 October, at 10.30am and again at 2pm
  • Monster Mayhem, a Halloween crafting afternoon on Thursday 29 October, 1.30pm to 3.30pm, £12.50 per child
  • Gaelle’s Glorious Galettes, a pop-up French galette stall, Tuesday 27 to Thursday 29 October and again on Saturday 31 October, 10am to 4pm, cash only
  • a Halloween Slice day on Friday 30 October, 10am to 4pm, no booking: wood-fired pizzas, a “Wood You Rather?” trail and the giant spider’s web, plus a mud-kitchen disco for little ones at 10.30am that needs a free ticket and a Wild Witchcraft drop-in from 2pm to 4pm at £5 a child
  • Drama in the Woods, a drop-off holiday club for 5 to 12 year olds, Monday 26 to Wednesday 28 October, booked through its own site

Drusillas Park

Shriek Week runs from Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November. A live-action Sugar Skull Witch appears at 12.15pm, 1.30pm and 2.55pm each day, and a Spider’s Den takes over the Discovery Centre on 28, 29 and 30 October, 10.30am to 2pm. Drusillas says pre-booking saves 20% on the gate price.

Four railways

  • Bluebell Railway: The Ghost Train, an immersive evening from Sheffield Park to Horsted Keynes and back, runs 22 October to 1 November. The train leaves at 6.30pm and returns about 8.25pm; adults from £42, children from £21. The railway rates it PG and says it will sell out. Full detail is on our Halloween page.
  • Spa Valley Railway: a Model Brick Show of LEGO creations at Tunbridge Wells West on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October.
  • Lavender Line: a diesel running day at Isfield on Sunday 25 October, its last public day of 2026 before it closes for November, according to its operating dates. Trains run every 30 minutes from 11am and the tearoom is open 10am to 4pm.
  • Crowborough Miniature Railway, at Goldsmiths Recreation Ground off Eridge Road, runs normal Saturday rides on 24 October, 2pm to 5pm, and on Saturday 31 October stays open into the evening: rides from 2pm to 5pm, then Scream Trains from 5pm to 8pm, according to its 2026 timetable. Rides are £1, or £4 for a day rover.

Bonfire night comes early in Isfield

The Isfield and Little Horsted bonfire is on Friday 30 October, free (the society asks for donations), in the field behind the Laughing Fish pub. The society holds it on the last Friday of October every year, according to its own site. It is the only bonfire society event near Crowborough that falls in half term. The full season, including Crowborough’s own display on 5 November, is on our Crowborough fireworks page.

Sheffield Park and Garden

The National Trust garden, five miles north-west of Uckfield, runs autumn colour events through October. From 25 October to 1 November its garden is open 9am to 4.30pm, according to the National Trust’s opening calendar. Adult entry is £20.90 with Gift Aid, children £10.50, members free, and parking is free.

Free holiday clubs

Children who get free school meals can apply for a free place on a holiday club through East Sussex County Council’s Holiday Activities and Food programme, linked from the county’s term dates page.

What is still to be confirmed

  • anything from Crowborough Town Council: its 2026 events programme has nothing in half-term week, with the 5 November fireworks the next date

Also on Crowborough Today

Sources