The beautiful 19th Century Waddesdon Manor is all lit up for it’s 20th year this Christmas. The much-loved festive extravaganza in Buckinghamshire, returns with magical lights and music, the gardens aglow. Admire all the sparkling decorations and themed displays inside the house. Step inside a Waddesdon-inspired wonderland and see the magnificent setting of the Red Drawing Room, Dining Room and Conservatory sumptuously decorated.
Manor Illuminations
Photo Credit: Chris Lacey
From famous portraits to beautiful porcelain, festive decorations will take inspiration from the Manor’s many treasures, and, in the Dining Room, a newly commissioned peacock sculpture by renowned paper artist Andy Singleton will create an additional sense of wonder. Along the route, a series of light installations reflecting Waddesdon’s outdoor displays—including suspended butterfly lights and a corridor of illuminated clouds—link the indoors and outdoors together and bring a touch of Winter Light magic to the Manor at the most wonderful time of the year.
The manor house at Waddesdon decked out for Christmas.
Photo Credit: Peter Greenway
Photo Credit: Derek Pelling
Photo Credit: Hugh Mothersole
Photo Credit: Mike Fear
Outside, Waddesdon’s spectacular landscape and magnificent trees are brought to life with a kaleidoscope of colour, lights and music as the longest-ever illuminated light trail fills the grounds.
This year’s displays feature mesmerising new light installations alongside some seasonal favourites. As twilight falls, highlights include the spectacle of the Manor’s façade illuminated with dancing lights set to music and the gardens glowing with a cascading field of flames, a tunnel of twinkling stars and colour-changing, interactive stepping stones.
Photo Credit:Chris Lacey
Winter Light trail
Elsewhere, Daffodil Valley will be transformed with over 5,000 orbs adorning the hillside to create a glittering blanket of lights, which turns into a sea of animation set to music.
At the Stables, there’s a giant Christmas tree composed of over 10,000 colour-changing pixels creating festive imagery. Inside the Coach House Gallery, a new immersive light experience of installations exploring colour, patterns and reflections in light and sound will deliver a captivating sensory experience for all the family.
Another much-anticipated highlight of the season is Waddesdon’s popular Christmas Fair (12 Nov – 18 Dec). Housed in charming wooden chalets decked with over 1,000 meters of festoon lighting, visitors will be able to browse over 70 specially chosen artisan stalls offering the very finest—and often unique—gifts and decorations. Against the backdrop of the floodlit Manor, it’s a shopping experience not to be missed.
There will also be an exclusive assortment of homeware, food, gifts and world-renowned Rothschild wines to purchase in the Waddesdon gift shops. New for this Christmas, the popular Waddesdon Rothschild Collection range of own-label wines has been redesigned and expanded to include an exemplary English sparkling wine, small batch and limited-edition gins, chocolate, honey, beer and local chilli oils, jams and chutneys, all produced exclusively for Waddesdon.
New for 2022, a dedicated, bespoke Food Village complements the traditional Christmas Fair, offering visitors a fabulous selection of takeaway food and drink to enjoy whilst exploring the grounds.
For an extra special treat, there will also be Christmas afternoon teas in the Manor Restaurant, fish and chips at the Stables and a delicious assortment of homemade cakes and biscuits, including unbeatable crumble-topped mince pies, created in-house by Waddesdon’s talented chefs.
Christmas at Waddesdon
Prices from: £18.20 Adult, £9.10 Child (Grounds only) | £32.70 Adult, £16.35 Child (House & Grounds)
National Trust member prices from: £5 Adult, £2.50 Child (Grounds only) | £7.50 Adult, £3.75 Child (House & Grounds)
Full details of prices and online booking information, here: www.waddesdon.org.uk/christmas
*Concierge Angel were invited as complimentary guests of Waddesdon Manor. Images supplied by Waddesdon Manor.
