VISITORS will discover what was cooking in Dunster Castle’s historic past when the Victorian kitchens are open to the public on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays throughout September and October.

It is part of a packed programme of National Trust autumn events on offer in the castle and its grounds.

Other activities include the popular ‘Behind-the-Ropes Tours’ held every Saturday and Sunday from September to November 1, which allow visitors to venture into new areas from the butler's bedroom to the infamous 'creepy corridor', and discover ‘fascinating finds’.

Attic tours every Sunday from September to 1 November let visitors discover hidden spaces, explore tucked‑away rooms and corridors, and learn about the daily lives of the servants who once called those upstairs spaces home.

There will be an Exmoor dark skies stargazing evening at the castle from 7 pm to 10 pm on October 21, when visitors can enjoy activities using telescopic equipment, laser guided star mapping, and much more.

Wet weather options will include virtual reality headsets and a mobile planetarium.

For keen gardeners, there will be a hydrangea masterclass on September 8 and 30 from 10 am to 12 noon to discover the diversity of the flowers and learn practical tips on cultivation, propagation, and pruning, which promises to be a relaxed session for anybody looking to get more from the garden favourites.

A day with the castle’s head gardener is also available on September 23 from 10.30 am to 3.30 pm, including a bespoke tour and a two-course lunch.

The castle’s celebrated ghost tours will start on October 28 and 31, which promise ‘chills, thrills and a few scares’ along the way.

Dunster Castle was gifted to the National Trust in 1976 by Lieut Col Walter Luttrell, which included the estate and 30 acres of surrounding parkland.