13 Excellent Events Near London: February 2024

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13 Excellent Events Near London: February 2024
All eyes on the Queen Mary Dolls' House at Windsor Castle. Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2024.

Fancy getting out of London for a day, but not sure where to head? Here are a few reasons to (temporarily) leave London in February 2024, including half term activities and Valentine's Day celebrations.

See our Beyond London section for further inspiration for trips out of London for a day, a weekend, or longer.

ROCHESTER COCKTAIL WEEK: Raise a glass to January being over at Rochester Cocktail Week, which actually spans 11 days, and offers anyone with a festival wristband £5 cocktails at several venues around the Medway town. More than 20 venues are confirmed as taking part at time of writing, with each one serving at least one special £5 cocktail... which adds up to a rather boozy start to the month. Find other things to do in Rochester while you're there. 1-11 February (Kent)

HOUSEPLANT TAKEOVER: The glasshouse at RHS Wisley hosts a new display of hundreds of houseplants, on a historical theme. Houseplant Takeover: Plants Before Time displays familiar houseplants such as ferns and cycads, alongside fossils and footprints, to take you back in time. 3 February-10 March (Surrey)

FESTIVAL OF THE MOON: Luke Jerram's Museum of the Moon — which has already been seen in several London locations — takes over Winchester Cathedral for a couple of weeks, with a special programme of events taking place beneath the lunar display. Take part in pilates or silent discos, and attend music performances and talks. 5-18 February (Hampshire)

SNOWDROP WALK: Hever Castle — former home of Anne Boleyn, and a damn fine looking building — opens its gardens for a snowdrop walk. Wander among 140,000 flowers, including some more unusual snowdrop varieties, then warm up inside the castle or cafe. Find out more about Hever Castle, or seek out other places to see snowdrops in and around London. From 7 February (Kent)

VINTAGE DATE NIGHT: Get your glad rags on and take your other half to Bletchley Park in Milton Keynes for a Vintage Date Night. Have dinner inside Bletchley Park Mansion, with live music from wartime-themed singer Lili Redman. 10 February (Buckinghamshire)

DARK SKIES FESTIVAL: Stargazing, storytelling, a planets trail and nocturnal wildlife encounters are all part of the South Downs Dark Skies Festival, taking place in and around the South Downs National Park near Brighton — a designated International Dark Sky Reserve. 10-18 February

VALENTINE'S AFTERNOON TEA: London's most romantic restaurants not adventurous enough for your wooing plans? Head to Pooh Corner in Hartfield, on the outskirts of the real Hundred Acre Wood, for a Valentine's afternoon tea menu, available for one day only. It includes finger sandwiches, pink heart-shaped scones, and a selection of cakes, served in a Winnie the Pooh-themed tea room and museum. 14 February (Sussex)

WINTER WAGGLE: Take your dog along to Waddesdon Manor for the Winter Waggle, a walk to raise money for Pace, a charity supporting children with neurodisabilities. Choose between a 3k or 5k route through the country estate. No dog? No problem — everyone's welcome, pooch or no. 16 February (Buckinghamshire)

LITERARY FESTIVAL: Athlete Dame Kelly Holmes, political journalist Matt Chorley, chef Rosemary Shrager and authors Elly Griffiths, Kate Mosse, Jeanette Winterson and Rob Biddulph are all on the impressive line-up for Faversham Literary Festival, taking place across nine days at various venues around the town, including the Shepherd Neame Brewery. 16-25 February (Kent)

CHATHAM CHINESE FESTIVAL: Shortly after Chinese New Year, Chatham Chinese Festival welcomes the Year of the Dragon with a parade, traditional dancing, street food stalls and a market, and martial arts workshops and demonstrations. 17 February (Kent)

SCALLOP WEEK: Heading to the British seaside is perhaps an odd suggestion for February, but seafood fans should go to Sussex for Rye Bay Scallops Week. Various restaurants in and around the town are serving up special dishes to show off local scallops. Want to make a weekend of it? Here's our guide to things to see and do in Rye. 17-25 February (East Sussex)

SPACE DAY: Southend Museum and Planetarium hosts Space Day, aimed at budding astronauts and astronomers and their families. Events throughout the day include a chance to handle space material including meteors, and there are planetarium shows, too. 25 February (Essex)

ROYAL DOLLS' HOUSE: Windsor Castle has just opened an exhibition celebrating the 100th anniversary of Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House, the largest dolls' house in the world. It's a perfect 1:12 scale replica of an Edwardian house, complete with electricity, working lifts and running water. The exhibition is a chance to get a closer look at objects from the dolls' house, including a mini concert grand piano, fully strung and with functioning keys, and miniature Crown Jewels inset with real diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds. Entry is included with admission to the Castle. Throughout 2024 (Berkshire)

Last Updated 29 January 2024

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