November is here in all its autumnal glory. We must celebrate the beauty of the month, even with its wind, rain, and somewhat miserable timing. There are some exceptional things to do, and as ever, our lady Charlotte Becque has gathered them all together in a list I doubt any other site could rival. Restaurants, sample sales, Christmas markets and those oh so important events that pull you away from computer screens and the blare of the outside world.

Yes, “a train ride away” doesn’t narrow it down much, but most of these jaunts take under two hours — a small price to pay to see some of the finest houses in the land. You can’t say fairer than that. If you’d rather stay close to home, go to Ham House. It’s an extraordinary place, right on the river, where the air still smells faintly of the seventeenth century.

Hey hey hey, there’s plenty below to keep you sweet. You could practically decorate an entire house with these picks — though you wouldn’t have a bed, or really any of those anchor pieces of furniture. But you’d have a decent collection of chairs, a few lamps, and some pictures. And honestly, I’ve seen worse houses out there.