the times Saturday December 18 2021
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‘We climbed past farms and
sheep pastures, descending
at last through a beechwood’
Christopher Somerville’s good walkhigh up on the castle’s walls. Hot
chocolate and mulled wine will be
available in the courtyard.
Details Book ahead for slots between
5pm and 8pm until December 23;
gardens only £2, under-5s free; Wall
Walk and gardens, adult £10, child £5.50,
under-5s free, lincolncastle.comChristmas in Narnia,
Castle Howard Yorkshire
Visit Castle Howard at dusk as its
walled gardens, lakes, woodland and
great lawns are transformed into
Narnia-like scenes, with twinkling lights,
sparkling trees and glowing sculptures.
There will be light installations inside
the grand house too, including a 25ft
Christmas tree with more than 3,000
baubles in the Great Hall, plus cafés
and a farm shop on site stocked with
delicious local produce.
Details Book ahead for slots between
10am and 4.45pm until January 3;
adult £25, child £15, under-2s free,
castlehoward.co.ukChristmas at Gibside
Newcastle upon Tyne
Gibside’s illuminated trail loops around
its beautiful Georgian landscaped
gardens, with illuminated walkways,
trees covered in glowing stars and
colourful lightbulbs, and a “crystal
garden” with clusters of glowing icy
shards. Hot food and drinks are
available, along with marshmallows
for toasting over fire pits dotted along
the way.
Details Book ahead for slots between
4.15pm and 8pm until January 2;
adult £18, child £13, under-3s free,
nationaltrust.org.ukcolourful tree canopies lit from below,
striking sculptures and illuminated
water features on your walk through
the rose gardens, winter garden and
on paths beside the lake. Hot drinks
and food will be available to buy along
the route.
Details Book ahead for slots between
4.30pm and 8.30pm until December 30;
adult £12.95, child £6.95, rhs.org.ukLincoln Castle
Illuminated Lincoln
See Lincoln Castle dressed up in
spectacular lights, with Christmas tree-
lined pathways, the castle walls bathed in
colour and illuminated paths across the
lawns. Book a Wall Walk ticket to look
down on the displays from walkwaysDetails Book ahead for slots between
4.30pm and 8pm until January 2;
adult £18, child £14, under-3s free,
nationaltrust.org.uk
Christmas at the
Botanics Edinburgh
Explore the Royal Botanic Garden by
night, walking through sparkling tunnels
and beside brightly coloured trees.
Follow the lantern-lit pathways past the
fire garden, look for neon reflections on
the surface of the garden’s ponds and
toast marshmallows over fire pits along
the route. Wooden chalets will serve hot
food and drinks.
Details Book ahead for slots between
4.15pm and 8pm until January 2; adult
£20, child £14, under-3s free, rbge.org.uk
Christmas at Wimpole
Cambridgeshire
Follow paths from the formal gardens
on a psychedelic stroll through brilliant
purple, yellow, blue and red trees.
There are giant reindeer sparkling
with diamond lights, neon lanterns,
a laser garden installation, a fire garden
and wooden cabins serving hot food
and drinks.
Details Book ahead for slots between
4.30pm and 8.15pm until January 2;
adult £18, child £14, under-3s free,
nationaltrust.org.uk
Glow trail at
RHS Rosemoor Devon
Hundreds of thousands of fairy lights
and other colourful light displays will
transform this garden with its longest
trail yet, stretching for the first time
into the site’s lower woodland. Expect
Woodland and
great lawns are
transformed
into Narnia-like
scenes, with
sparkling trees
Gibside, NewcastlePage
19
Christmas at Stourhead
Wiltshire
Take a stroll around the lake, with
highlights including glowing dove
sculptures hidden among the branches
of trees, an 80ft Christmas cathedral,
12 huge illuminated silver trees, more
than 200 colour-changing origami-style
boats on the lake, and more than 150
candles in the fire garden. Hot food and
drink will be available along the route.
Details Book ahead for slots between
4.30pm and 8pm until January 2;
adult £20, child £14, under-3s free,
nationaltrust.org.ukBright Lights Botanic
Belfast
Belfast’s Botanic Gardens are
transformed by a spectacular display
created using 18,000 lightbulbs, 33,000ft
of tree lighting and about 1,000 silk
lanterns. Follow winding light trails,
rendering manicured lawns and regal
glasshouses almost unrecognisable.
Hot food and drinks will be available.
Details Book ahead for slots between
5pm and 9pm until January 9;
adult £18.30, child £13.10, under-2s free,
visitbelfast.comMargam Country Park
Winter Light Trail, PortTalbot South Wales
Set to gentle music, this one-mile route
begins at the orangery, following
illuminated trails through the historic
gardens and around the castle at
Margam Country Park, with colourful
installations, fire pits where you can
toast marshmallows, mulled wine huts
and hot food along the way.
Details Book ahead for slots between
4.15pm and 9pm until January 2;
adult £15, child £11, under-2s free,
luminate.live/margam-country-parkChristmas at
Temple Newsam Leeds
At this Tudor-Jacobean house and farm,
the winter trail takes you through a
transformed rhododendron walk and
walled garden. There are trees strung
with colourful lights, brightly coloured
boats floating on the lake, a carpet of
gentle colour-changing spheres and
glittery snowmen dotted around the
Capability Brown landscaped grounds
and gardens.
Details Book ahead for slots between
4.30pm and 8pm until January 2;
adult £16.50, child £12, under-2s free,
museumsandgalleries.leeds.gov.ukWinter Light at
Waddesdon Manor
Buckinghamshire
Walk through glittering tunnels, beneath
colourful tree canopies and past glowing
lanterns guiding the way through
woodland. Watch displays of lights on
the grand walls of the manor house,
and browse a wide range of stalls at the
gardens’ Christmas market, selling food,
drink and crafts (until December 23).
Details Book ahead for slots between
2pm and 7pm until January 23;
adult from £19.50, child £9.75,
under-5s free, waddesdon.org.ukOLIVER DIXON; RICHARD HAUGHTON; ANDREW OGILVY; SONY MUSICKillerton, Devon