Half-Term in England: What’s New to Book This Week
A new William Morris show opens in Cambridge on Friday, Eden's Halloween week starts on Saturday, and Bayeux Tapestry slots for this year are the ones still worth chasing.
Half-term week is when clients ask for “something to do” at short notice. These are the things in England that are new this autumn, open over the break, and need booking ahead.
The quick list
| What | Where | Dates | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Bayeux Tapestry | British Museum, London | Until 11 Jul 2027 | Adults £25–£33; under-16s free |
| A Call to Art: William Morris and the Pre-Raphaelites | Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge | 23 Oct 2026 – 3 May 2027 | From £16 |
| Halloweden | Eden Project, Cornwall | 24 Oct – 1 Nov | Included in admission |
| Halloween in the City | Manchester city centre | 24–25 Oct, plus a trail all week | Free |
| After Dark: Nights to Die For | Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein, Bath | 23–24 and 29–31 Oct | £15.50; 15+ only |
The Bayeux Tapestry: book this year, not next
The tapestry is on show in the British Museum‘s Room 30 until 11 July 2027. Public tickets for January to March 2027 have already sold out, and April to July tickets won’t go on sale until early 2027. So any remaining slots this autumn are the ones to chase. Adult tickets cost £33 at peak times, £27 off-peak and £25 super off-peak. Under-16s go free with an adult, up to four per adult. Entry is timed, and the gallery stays open until 21:00 Thursday to Saturday. Bookings are limited to 10 tickets, and tickets can only be used by the booker.
William Morris in Cambridge
The Fitzwilliam Museum‘s new exhibition opens on Friday 23 October. It brings together Morris, his circle and the Pre-Raphaelites, with Tate loans including Morris’s La Belle Iseult and Arthur Hughes’s April Love. Tickets start at £16, and under-18s go free. Timed slots run 10:00–16:00 Tuesday to Saturday and 12:00–16:00 on Sunday.
Halloween for families
- Eden Project, Cornwall: Halloweden runs 24 October to 1 November, 10:00–17:00. It has a fungi trail, a UV Glow Room and live music four times a day. It’s included in admission, and Eden recommends booking ahead. There’s a costume party in the Mediterranean Biome on 31 October. The ice rink opened on 18 October and costs extra.
- Manchester: CityCo‘s free Halloween in the City weekender is on 24–25 October. A trail of monsters is spread across Exchange Square, the Arndale and Mayfield for eight days.
For older teenagers and adults
- Bath: Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein holds its After Dark nights on 23–24 and 29–31 October, 18:00–21:00. It’s a horror walk in the dark across five floors. Tickets cost £15.50, or £20 with a drink, and it isn’t suitable for under-15s.
For advisors: Bayeux is the one with real scarcity, so add a timed ticket for London stays now. Everything else here can be booked a few days out.
Sources
- British Museum, The Bayeux Tapestry: dates, prices, availability
- Fitzwilliam Museum, A Call to Art: William Morris and the Pre-Raphaelites
- Eden Project, Halloweden 2026
- CityCo, Halloween in the City 2026
- Visit Bath, After Dark: Nights to Die For
- VisitEngland, Autumn 2026 news
Where to stay near British Museum, London
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Alicia Loveday is Managing Editor at Not An Atlas, writing from Calgary, Alberta, amid a little creative chaos: a laptop, an iced coffee and about a hundred ideas she hasn't had time to bring to life yet. She became a mom young and spent her twenties raising two kids, so she was 30 before she saw the ocean for the first time, in Aruba. Gliding through that clear Caribbean water on a Seabob felt like freedom, and she's been making up for lost time ever since. She always takes the window seat (she waited 30 years for the view), never travels without the feather pillow she's had since childhood (they're a package deal), and sizes up a new place with a local cocktail and some serious people-watching. She covers fashion, culture, creativity and the people who shape the places we visit. Friends say creative, fearless and unapologetic. Her mum says stubborn, and she'd be right. Next stop: Japan.
