Christmas at Castle Howard – for us, Christmas would not be Christmas without a trip to Castle Howard! This year’s theme is Narnia and runs from Saturday 13th November 2021 until Monday 3rd January 2022.
Step through the wardrobe into a magical adventure this festive season. An ice spell has been cast on this mystical land where it is always winter, but will Christmas spirits be restored and will warmth and joy return?
The grand interiors of Castle Howard will be lavishly decorated, and a series of theatrical installations, lighting, projection and soundscapes will evoke all that we love about this special time of year, with the iconic 25 foot Christmas tree adorned with over 3000 baubles providing a breath-taking highlight in the Great Hall.
It is easy to spend a full day here as you soak up the jovial atmosphere, enjoy an array of indulgent winter warmers across our catering outlets and complete your Christmas shopping in our Gift Shops, Farm Shop and Garden Centre. And don’t miss the opportunity to meet the big man himself as Father Christmas will be making some very special visits!
Tickets will go on sale on 28th July (26th July for Gold Friends of Castle Howard, 27th July for Silver Friends of Castle Howard, Friends of Castle Howard will receive a booking link via email).
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 will be open and 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.
Castle Howard at Christmas
