Seven of the most magical festive days out in the UK
, The Sunday Times
Craft fairs, Alpine-style markets, winter wonderlands, reindeer trails — the UK is awash with festive events, so the trick is sorting the dazzlers from the damp squibs. With time at a premium at this time of year, it’s crucial to know that you’re spending the weekends wisely, and that’s where we can help. We’ve chosen seven days out around the country that offer an extra dash of fun, from an elf-hosted train trip through the Highlands to pagan storytelling and a steamship with a sound-and-light show — each with a lovely place to stay afterwards. Just be sure to leave time for that last-minute shopping.
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1. The Elf Express, Aviemore, Highland
Elves wander through the carriages of the Strathspey Railway
LAUREN MOORE
It’s all aboard the chuffing steam trains of the Strathspey Railway for a foray into the Cairngorms National Park — hopefully with seasonally appropriate snow. Mischievous elves and jolly old St Nick wander through the carriages as you rattle through the scenery between Broomhill and Aviemore; the trip takes 50 minutes each way via Boat of Garten village. Upgrade to a private compartment for sarnies, mince pies and cakes, or book the observation carriage, which has armchairs and wraparound windows to maximise the views. If you catch the 11.16am from Broomhill you’ll get a few hours in Aviemore before the last train back (December weekends and Christmas Eve, table for four from £95; strathspeyrailway.co.uk). Highland Shepherd Huts, a mile south of Broomhill, has four snug cabins, including a converted horsebox, for a proper winter glamping adventure.
Details Two nights’ self-catering for two from £240
• Explore our full guide to the UK
2. Castle Howard, York
Projections and installations take you to the yellow-brick road
TOM ARBER
Is it Yorkshire — or Kansas? The stateliest of stately home has been transformed into the Land of Oz for the festive season, courtesy of CLW Event Design, led by Charlotte Lloyd Webber and Adrian Lillie. Scenes from the book are brought to life through soundscapes, projections and installations, and if you stick around until dark you’ll enter a twilight tour filled with magical light sculptures. There are other festive events at the castle too: Father Christmas in the Boathouse; Betty’s Shop serving up Christmas goodies — and the Christmas tree in the Great Hall is always a knockout (until Jan 4, from £23; castlehoward.co.uk). The Michelin-starred Star Inn at Harome, eight miles north of the castle, makes a cracking Christmas treat and has nine plush rooms at the nearby Cross House Lodge.
Details B&B doubles from £240 (thestaratharome.co.uk)
• 19 of the best hotels in Yorkshire for your next break
3. Butser Ancient Farm, Waterlooville, Hampshire
The Holly King is one of your hosts for the Midwinter’s Magical Quest
DAVID FLETCHER
For a pagan take on Christmas, this archaeological farmstead north of Portsmouth is hosting a Saturnalian celebration. The Deer Queen and Holly King are your hosts for the Midwinter’s Magical Quest, exploring the folklore of winter through storytelling around the campfire, candle-making and craft sessions inside thatched roundhouses. It’s educational, non-denominational and there’s no Santa in sight — so ideal for an alternative festive experience. There are also wreath-making workshops (Dec 13-14 and 20-21, children £12, adults £20; butserancientfarm.co.uk). The Nest, two and a half miles northeast of the farm, makes a cosy place to stay, with bright decor, freestanding tubs and a decent restaurant.
Details Room-only doubles from £140 (thenesthotelburiton.co.uk)
4. Southbank Centre Winter Market, London
Southbank Centre Winter Market is like a mini Alpine village
There are plenty of Christmas markets in London, but this one is our pick, stretching along the Thames between the Royal Festival Hall and Jubilee Gardens. A mini village of Alpine-style chalets pops up along the riverbank, covering all your Christmassy needs, including handmade ornaments, vintage books, SoLo Craft Fair items and a feast of dishes from churros to Yorkshire-pudding wraps (until Jan 4, free; southbank.london). If you feel like splashing some Christmas cash you could also pop into the Paddington Bear Experience at County Hall (adults £34, children £24; paddingtonbearexperience.com), fuel up with fondue at Fire & Fromage (Wed-Sun, set menu £35; jimmyspopup.com) and have an alfresco beer at Between the Bridges (Tue-Sun; betweenthebridges.co.uk) or Wunder Bar (southbank.london). Stick around for the night-time art installations along the riverbank and finish with a showing of Jack Thorne’s lauded version of A Christmas Carol at the Old Vic (until Jan 10, from £23; oldvictheatre.com). Stay at the chic Hoxton, Southwark, 15 minutes’ walk from the market.
Details Room-only doubles from £260
• Read our full review of The Hoxton, Southwark
5. Christmas at Chirk Castle, Wrexham
The castle is decorated for the festive season
NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES/PAUL HARRIS
Built in the 13th century to guard the Welsh border, this hulking castle was the family seat of the Myddelton dynasty. Christmas is an atmospheric time to visit, with rooms festively decorated, shadow-puppet plays and board games and books to browse in the library. Outside there’s a woodland animal spotter trail and acres of parkland to walk. Also in the grounds, Home Farm is a good places to pick up gifts, with crafts and edible goodies galore. To spread goodwill the estate hosts a “reverse grotto”, where you’re encouraged to donate in support of Oswestry and Borders Foodbank (Nov 29-Jan 4, adults £11, children £6; nationaltrust.org.uk). Stay at Sally’s Barn, a terrace of converted barns with wood-burners, brickwork and beams two miles southeast of the castle.
Details Four nights’ self-catering for four from £607
6. Beneath the Waves at the SS Great Britain, Bristol
The SS Great Britain hosts a sound-and-light spectacle for the Christmas season
ALAMY
Brunel’s mighty steamship, moored alongside the Floating Harbour in Bristol, makes a fascinating day out at any time of year, but there’s an extra reason to visit this Christmas. After the ship was recovered as a wreck from the Falkland Islands in 1970 and painstakingly restored, its iron-clad hull was encased in a “glass sea” to preserve it from decay. This now forms the backdrop for an impressive sound-and-light spectacle, while storytelling sessions on deck explore how the ship’s passengers and crew celebrated the festive season at sea. A roving band of musicians will be playing seasonal tunes at the Great Western Dockyard too (Nov 27-Jan 4, adults £20, children £13; ssgreatbritain.org). After exploring the ship head to St Nick’s Christmas Market at the Corn Exchange, 20 minutes’ walk from the ship. The Clayton Hotel Bristol City, housed in the former Everard’s Printing Works, is an art nouveau beauty dating from 1900 and dead handy for the harbour.
Details B&B doubles from £162
7. The Night Garden at the Lost Gardens of Heligan, St Austell, Cornwall
Light sculptors have crafted a selection of animals for the winter gardens
ALAMY
The illuminated trail at these gorgeously restored gardens is among the most magical in the UK. Light sculptors have crafted a menagerie of animals, plants, fungi and flora, and the gardens’ trees and shrubs are lit up like a month’s worth of Christmas Days rolled into one. There are winter snacks and sweet treats at the food stalls and fire pits for toasting marshmallows, and if you arrive early you might get to meet a few of the resident farm animals. It’s popular, so visits are by timed slot; “relaxed” sessions are reserved for people with reduced mobility and others who might find the regular event too much (until Jan 3, adults £23, children £14; heligan.com). Do the Cornish Christmas double by spending a day zipping around the outdoor ice rink at the Eden Project, 20 minutes’ drive away (adults £13, children £10; edenproject.com). Stay at Fowey Hall, a family-friendly hotel a half-hour drive from Heligan believed to have been the inspiration for Toad Hall in The Wind in the Willows and especially lovely at Christmas.
Details B&B doubles from £125