Main blog image: Heligan Night Garden Lantern Experience, Cornwall © The Lost Gardens of Heligan

If you’re looking for festive things to try on your pre-Christmas getaway, these dazzling Christmas light trails are worth braving the cold for, and will really lift your spirits.

Chatsworth Festive Illuminated Walk, Peak District

Above: Haddon Farm Cottages, The Dower House; below:© Chatsworth Estate

When: Saturday 4th November 2023 - Sunday 7th January 2024; prebooked tickets only
Where: Chatsworth House, Bakewell DE45 1PP; www.chatsworth.org
Entry: Included with Christmas and Garden tickets (please see website)
Details: Add some festive sparkle to your visit to Chatsworth with an illuminated walk around the garden at dusk. Let the atmospheric lighting guide your way past the Emperor Fountain, around the Ring Pond and into the Rock Garden, before enjoying the Cascade lit by hundreds of glowing lights.
Stay near this Christmas light trail: Treat your family to a winter break at one of our Bakewell holiday cottages, all within 20 minutes' drive | Sleeps 2-51 + 2 dogs.

Thursford Enchanted Journey of Light, Norfolk

Above & below: © Thursford; above right: Vicarage House & Pool House

When: Tuesday 19th November - Tuesday 24th December 2023; prebooked timed tickets only
Where: Thursford, Fakenham, Norfolk, NR21; www.thursford.com
Entry: £22 per person, under 3’s free
Details: A truly festive family treat, Thursford’s Enchanted Journey of Light includes an indoor Wonderland Trail. Throughout your journey, you’ll meet lots of fantasyland characters including the snowman family - make sure you dodge their snowballs! Your journey ventures outside to a Lantern Light Extravaganza, a beautiful, breath-taking festival of luminous sculptures, from a fantasy underwater world to the wilds of the North Pole. Watch out for the naughty mushroom gnomes!
Stay near this Christmas light trail: Check out our beautiful Norfolk properties, all between 25-55 minutes’ drive away | Sleeps 2-15.

Christmas at Stourhead, Wiltshire

Above & below right: Atherstone Farmhouse; below left: Richard Haughton © Sony Music

When: Saturday 23th November - Sunday 31st December 2023; prebooked timed tickets only
Where: Stourhead, Stourton, Warminster, Wiltshire, BA12 6QF; www.nationaltrust.org.uk/stourhead
Entry: Various. See website for member/non-member price details.
Details: Watch reflections of the festive lights dance across the lake at Stourhead this winter. There will be music and street food to accompany you walk around the gardens while they are illuminated with lasers and light installations.
Stay near this Christmas light trail: Enjoy this Christmas light trail during a pre-Christmas stay at one of our Ilminster Cottages or The Bothy near Bath | Sleeps 2-16 (many dog-friendly).

Hylands Estate Enlightened, Essex

Above left & below: Wakes Hall Lodges; above right: © Hylands Estate

When: Friday 24th November 2023 - Monday January 1st 2024; 4.30pm - 9pm; prebooked timed tickets only
Where: Hylands House, Hylands Park, Chelmsford, CM2 8WQ; hylandsestate.co.uk
Entry: £8 - £17.50 (see website)
Details: Enlightened returns to Hylands Estate with even more illuminated installations for 2023. The grounds will be transformed into a illuminated light trail for visitors to enjoy with all the family. Book now to see mesmerising and enchanting moments along a specially crafted route. Refreshments and catering will be available to purchase on the trail.
Stay near this Christmas light trail: 40-60 minutes from our luxury Essex cottages and well worth the trip | Sleeps 2-14 (many dog-friendly).

Christmas at Powderham Castle, Devon

Above: Apple Mill; below left: Burrows; below right: © Powderham Castle

When: Monday 27th November - Saturday 31st December 2023; prebooked timed tickets only
Where: Powderham Castle, Kenton, EX6 8JQ; www.powderham.co.uk
Entry: Adult £9.95, child £5.95, under 3s free (see website for details)
Details: Powderham Castle's Christmas light trail and illuminations return this year, bigger and better! The light trail will extend over a mile through the Castle’s grounds and gardens to the Secret Garden, where some animal friends will be waiting to meet you. Warm drinks and snacks will be available from the Potting Shed. The Christmas Barn will become a magical market, with traders and crafts people, plus a selection of delicious food and drink accompanied by festive music. Plus, Powderham's Christmas Grotto will be returning too!
Stay near this Christmas light trail: Our gorgeous East Devon holiday cottages are all within 35 minutes’ drive | Sleeps 4-12 (many dog-friendly).

Enchanted Christmas, Westonbirt Arboretum, Glos

Above: Scout on the Water; below:© Westonbirt Arboretum; credit Johnny Hathaway

When: Friday, Saturday and Sunday from Friday 24th November - Saturday 23rd December 2023; prebooked timed tickets only
Where: Westonbirt Arboretum, Westonbirt, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, GL8 8QS; www.forestry.gov.uk/westonbirt
Entry: Adult £21.00, child (3-16) £14.00, concessions £19, 0-2s go free
Details: If you’ve not yet experienced Christmas at Westonbirt Arboretum, it’s definitely worth wrapping up warm and making a visit. This year witness the wonder, hilarity and general commotion that comes with playful elves creating Westonbirt’s spectacular Christmas light trail. You may even find yourself joining in to help! With new light displays to discover and mischievous elves to meet, this is Enchanted Christmas as you’ve never seen it before. Head to the Christmas village after your adventure and warm up with some festive food and drink.
Stay near this Christmas light trail: Why not treat the family to a pre-Christmas break at one of our Cotswolds Lake Lodges less than 30 minutes away? | Sleeps 5-10 (many dog-friendly).

Heligan Night Garden Lantern experience, Cornwall

Above left and below: Rosevean House; above right: © The Lost Gardens of Heligan

When: Varioius dates December 1st 2023 - January 2nd 2024; 4.30-8pm; prebooked timed tickets only
Where: The Lost Gardens of Heligan, Pentewan, Cornwall PL26 6EN; www.heligan.com
Entry: Various options (please see website)
Details: Christmas is always a magical time at The Lost Gardens and there is plenty to get you into the festive spirit in 2023! Step into The Heligan Night Garden, an enchanting Christmas light trail with hundreds of traditional lanterns and a breath-taking display of wildlife lanterns which highlight the atmospheric Lost Gardens. Delight in the incredible illuminated installation created by the renowned Lantern Company, a leading UK outdoor arts organisation. Explore at your own pace, stop to take in the smells of the fire pits, toast marshmallows and chestnuts, and enjoy seasonal warming take away refreshments amid a truly festive backdrop for your evening.
Stay near this Christmas light trail: Enjoy this Christmas Light trail during a pre-Christmas stay at one of our Cornwall holiday cottages | Sleeps 2-12 (many dog-friendly).

Haddon Hall Candlelight Tours, Peak District

Above: Haddon Farm Cottages; below: © Haddon Hall

When: December 21st, 22nd, 28th 2023; 7.15 & 7.45pm; prebooked timed tickets only
Where: Haddon Hall, Bakewell DE45 1LA; www.haddonhall.co.uk
Entry: £33.00 per person
Details: A Christmas light trail with a difference! Haddon Hall’s Candlelight Tours offer the opportunity to experience the Hall in a totally different way. Enjoy a warming glass of mulled wine and a fragrant mince pie before the roaring fire in the Banqueting Hall, before setting off with your guide to explore the rooms in all their festive beauty, softly lit by flickering candlelight. Enjoy the seasonal decorations as the lights on the Christmas trees gently twinkle and are reflected in the latticework of the windows.
Stay near this Christmas light trail: Our Bakewell holiday cottages are perfect for getting your family excited for Christmas and are all within 15 minutes drive | Sleeps 2-51 + 2 dogs.

Enchanted Light Trail at Adam Henson's Cotswold Farm Park

Above and below left: © Cotswold Farm Park; below right: Bruern Cottages

When: December 1st-3rd, 8th-10th, 15th-17th, 20th-23rd, 28th-31st 2023; 4pm-7pm; prebooked timed tickets only
Where: Adam Henson's Cotswold Farm Park, Guiting Power GL54 5FL; cotswoldfarmpark.co.uk
Entry: Various options, babies go free (see website)
Details: Let the lights guide you on an enchanted stroll through the farm park after hours, showcasing marvellous creations, installations and illuminations created especially. This year, 'Through the Wardrobe' unfolds that joy can be infectious – a Christmas light trail telling a beautiful story of encouraging inclusion and kindness, with clues and puzzles for young inquisitive brains to engage with. This family friendly display creates magical memories for years to come.
Stay near this Christmas light trail: Enjoy this festive light trail during a pre-Christmas stay at our Cotswolds holiday cottages | Sleeps 2-20 (many dog-friendly).