Apple Picking Weekend at Sissinghurst

Sissinghurst's Top Orchard is thick with heritage eating and cooking varieties by late September, and for one weekend a year you're allowed to fill a bag and take a bit of it home. It's entirely self-led — pay £5 at reception for a "Sissinghurst shilling", swap it for a bag at the orchard, then wander and pick for as long as you like.

The formal garden itself is dog-free, but the 450-acre wider estate welcomes dogs on leads, so it's an easy one to combine: a lead walk round the estate, then a solo trip into the orchard while someone minds the dog outside. Good for small children who like a task with a visible reward.