Christmas at Castle Howard – for us, Christmas would not be Christmas without a trip to Castle Howard. Although things have to be a bit different this year, it’s still very much worth a visit. For families, Skelf Island will be open and the Boathouse cafe will be serving pizza. Couple that with Castle Howard’s Christmas trees and I think, especially considering all that has happened this year, you are onto a winner!
Here is all the info:
A breath of fresh air is just what we all need right now. And where better and fresher than exploring the great outdoors on the Castle Howard Estate? Combine a sense-inspiring walk in the gardens and grounds of this magnificent Yorkshire estate, where the Christmas trees with their atmospheric sparkling lights after dusk, will line the main drive.
Younger guests will love outdoor fun and games in the Adventure playground which is open daily. Add to the family fun with a takeaway wood-fired pizza feast or toasted marshmallows from The Boathouse Café, open at weekends – there is also a stretch canopy, covering picnic benches, for weather proofing adventure plans!
Whilst there, why not take the opportunity to do some Christmas shopping or stock up the festive larder. A delicious selection of locally sourced seasonal produce, traditional festive hampers and Christmas treats are most tempting in the Estate’s Farm Shop. The ‘Carlisle’ hamper, for example, is crammed full of own-brand festive goodies presented in a wicker basket, including a bottle of Howard’s Folly wine, an estate- made small Christmas cake, china mug, premium tea, fudge, chocolate and a Castle Howard cotton tea towel. Priced at £85. Their premium hamper The ‘Castle Howard’ contains all of the above, as well as a more extensive selection of Castle Howard own branded goodies, such as fudge and choc chip shortbread, rhubarb and custard shortbread, jams and chutneys, along with Millers Earth cheese biscuits, Taylor’s of Harrogate After Dark ground coffee, along with chocolate from Choc Affair, the very tempting warming maple and spiced poached pear varieties of chocolate bar. This larger hamper is priced at £145.
Christmas food orders for Estate reared and locally sourced meats and deli items, can be collected at The Farm Shop right up until 3pm on Christmas Eve.
Seek out original gift ideas in the Garden Centre, and a sumptuous array of inspiring decorations to trim the home for the holiday season; you can even buy your British-grown real, or artificial, Christmas tree to take home with you. (A local delivery service for Christmas trees is available too for a small fee) The Garden Centre has a great selection of presents for your four-legged friends too and Santa Paws himself will be making appearances during December in a special outdoor doggy grotto (see the website for dates and details).
The Courtyard Gift Shop plans to re-open on 3rd December, where you can find a lovely array of original gift ideas, including Castle Howard branded gifts, some quirky and fun accessories for your Christmas table, stocking fillers, 1000 piece jigsaw puzzles and much more to tick off your Christmas pressie list.
Tradition festive hampers and other Christmas gift ideas are also available to buy online, these include our ‘Friends of Castle Howard’ memberships or Castle Howard gift vouchers to give an experience that your friends and family can enjoy all year round. (Memberships from £55)
Castle Howard at Christmas – Need to Know
- Garden Centre and Farm shop open daily, 10am – 5pm
- For the ‘Lock Down’, some of our cafes and Courtyard Gift Shop are closed, and if Govt. advice permits will re-open 3rd
- The Adventure Playground and The Boatyard Café for take away only food and beverages, are open at weekends, 10 – 4pm
- ‘Friend of Castle Howard’ membership is an ideal gift for Christmas (Individual annual memberships £55/£85 for details on buying a ‘Friend’ membership, please see our website.
- For all our visitors, parking is free of charge.
For latest updates please visit www.castlehoward.co.uk
