The Christmas Experience at Lotherton Hall

Santa, Mrs Claus and the elves have landed in Yorkshire! From November 25th right through until 7th January, you can step into Christmas in the spectacular grounds of Lotherton Hall. 

We have been visiting the Christmas Experience at Lotherton for a few years now – it has always been the highlight of my festive period. Alas, my eldest is now ‘too old’ to indulge in such past-times and I did wonder if we would go this year. Luckily, a friend has a very young child and so we took her along and the festive magic was restored! 

IT’S A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE!

 

 

Step inside the Edwardian Hall and follow in the footsteps of the Gascoigne family and their staff, Lotherton’s residents in the 1800’s, to get a glimpse into how this revered household celebrated Christmas in Edwardian times.

 

The festive woodland walk through the beautiful grounds of the Lotherton Estate is by far my favourite part of the whole experience, there’s nothing more snug than being wrapped up warm and following the lights to discover the installations along the trail – step inside a Christmas card, try to pull a giant cracker or maybe you’ll find the gingerbread house in the trees! Grab a warm drink from the cafe, yurt or one of the stalls to ensure your walk is super cosy. Be sure to take cash as some stalls don’t accept cards. 

 

After your walk, you can make your way to the Fairy Dell a tiny lit up secret fairy village alive with fairy chatter and laughter. It really is beautiful and the kids loved looking at all the little houses and shops. I must confess, at one point I found myself standing alone in the dark, surrounded by high pitch fairy chatter and it was a little creepy…

 

2023 sees Santa in a new, North Pole setting. The experience begins with a snowy walk to Santa school where we filled ourselves with Christmas cheer and each child was presented with a magic key ready for the big night!! We then headed to the Magic Wishing Well, where each child quietly made a wish before being taken through to see the big man himself. This year, the cabin was more cosy and more festive than ever. 

I’m going to put it out there,  the Christmas Experience at Lotherton is the best it has been – it feels like every year they step up and it becomes more magical. It is still my favourite start to the festive season. 

Tickets for the experience start at just £4.75 which includes entry to the Estate and Hall meaning you can do the festive walk and visit the Fairy Dell, decorating gingerbread with Mrs Claus and the Elf crafts will need to be booked separately. Prices for meeting Santa start at £14.95 – it is a 30 minute experience starting some learning at Santa school and culminating in a meeting with the main man.  

Even without visiting the Big Man I do feel that the entry cost and even the extra costs for activities is worth it for a lovely visit. It’s also worth bearing in mind that if you are there before 4pm your entry cost will include entry to the wildlife area. 

The Christmas Experience opened on 25th  November 2022 and will run until January 7th.  There are a number of visit options available, including the chance for pre-school children to visit Santa in his cabin. 

Early booking is essential as spaces are limited and strictly on a pre-booking only, time-slotted system.

Head to  thechristmasexperience.co.uk now to find out more and book a magical trip Christmas season.