WINCHESTER Cathedral is to celebrate all things agriculture with a free family day of fun this autumn.

On October 4-5, at its Inner and Outer Close, the Cathedral will hold its annual Harvest Festival.

Hampshire Farmers’ Market will set up their stalls as well as a kidsroam farm, horse and carriage rides and vintage farming machinery. There will also be a static falconry display, a vintage fairground organ and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance Pod.

Displays will include this year’s nominated charity, the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution, as well as the National Farmers’ Union, Sparsholt Agricultural College, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Fund and The Bee Keeping Society.

Families and school groups have been invited to take part in the scarecrow competition which can be entered by visiting winchester-cathedral.org.uk.

Winchester Morris Men will be jingling their bells while a brass band sounds its trumpets alongside a number of street performers.

On Saturday evening there will be the harvest country dance and hog roast with Ceilidh band The Threepenny Bits.

Tickets cost £15, £5 for children, and can be bought from the cathedral box office by calling 01962 857275.

A special service, entitled ‘All God’s gifts around us’, will be held on Sunday at 10am and the County Harvest Service at 3.30pm. The address will include interviews led by Alastair Stewart OBE of three representatives of the agricultural community. A Hampshire Fare Lunch with the Dean of Winchester will be held at 12.30pm in the refectory. Tickets cost £14.95 available from the box office.