Helen Annetts and family visit Warwick Castle’s festive spectacular.
What an absolute festive treat to be invited to Warwick Castle’s Christmas at the Castle preview event. If lights, ice skating, decorations, Santa, more lights, Elves, the Snow Queen and even more lights are your thing then this is the Christmas adventure for you.
Perfect for all the family I’d say, from babes in arms through to your oldest family members. Our group comprised the heady mix of middle age and teenage and all left feeling Christmassy!
You can build your own experience – daytime and/or evening – to include ice skating, stories with Santa and the light trail all with a chance to view the historic castle beautifully decked out for the season and a chance to happen upon the Snow Queen on the prettiest white stead we’ve seen.
Prices vary and whilst it’s not cheap in our view these experiences are all worth it. You can also head to the festive food and drink village which offers everything from toasting massive marshmallows to pigs in blankets, mulled wine and hot drinks. Maybe it’s the northerner in me but I did find these festive concessions overpriced, although maybe that’s the norm these day for these kind of seasonal food and drink markets.
We opted to ice skate, take a walk through the castle and visit the vast, stunning, light trail. The outdoor rink sits alongside the castle and in the dark is very atmospheric, opened by some hugely talented ice dancers.
Ice skating is the one activity which I can actually do better than my children and by better, I mean I can get up some speed and not fall over. There is little beauty or poise but, in my head, I am an athlete and I love how grudgingly proud and obviously annoyed it makes them as they stagger round the ice. We left the ice rosy-cheeked and with aching legs and ankles, but we loved it.
Wandering through the festive castle is one of my favourite things to do, especially when it’s dark outside. It’s all twinkly lights, garlands and trees. And, as the stories with Santa happen in the castle there were also plenty of elves wandering around! The decorations in the castle are wonderful. The decorations of dreams …. I love admiring them alongside the suits of armour and historic rooms. There is usually a history tour you can tag on to as well, to find out more about the castle.
The light trail is amazing. It covers most of the 64-hectacre historic grounds and boasts over half a million twinkling lights. It had everything; a light tunnel, lights over water, lights reacting to a soundtrack, lights to accompany Christmas classic songs, projections, lazers and this year a big top created of lights. Honestly, it’s wonderful to meander through the grounds at night with a beautifully lit path.
A little slippy underfoot but that just means you slow down and take it all in. I think you can opt to just visit the light trail, seeing the exterior of the castle lit along the way, and it would be well worth the visit.
If you are looking for one Christmas outing to suit everyone then I can’t recommend Christmas at Warwick Castle strongly enough. Build the visit to suit your family but whatever you choose to do, you will come away feeling completely festive and ready for the season.
Find out more at warwick-castle.com.