Yorkshire prepares for Hallowe’en

Castle Howard’s popular pumpkin trail comes to a close tomorrow, marking the end of the stately home’s summer season.

Children and parents put on their wellies and warm clothes to follow the clues through the haunted woodland, but were assured not to be scared as the glowing pumpkins ward off any spooks and ghouls along the way.

Abbie Pollard, six, from Beverley, said: “I loved being spooky and best of all was being able to scare my brother.”

Castle Howard has had a better year than expected with visitor numbers already up eight per cent on last year.

Meanwhile, the Hoggard farming family have defied vandals who wrecked their pumpkin plants earlier this year by producing a large crop just in time for Hallowe’en. They have set up a stall selling the fruit at their Whole Hogg farm shop at Howe Bridge Farm, at Howe Bridge, near Malton.