Ian Waller and his family enjoy a wonderful visit to the stunning Christmas Lights at Stourhead in Wiltshire
There’s a wonderful choice of Christmas lights for families across the Bath and Wiltshire region, with Longleat and Westonbirt among the most popular. And they’re great – we’ve been to both and loved them. But this year we went for a new one for us, the quite fantastic Christmas lights at Stourhead. And you know what, we’re so glad that we did. It was amazing!
Right from the start, the welcome from the Stourhead team is fantastic. From brilliant car-park guides to the ticket checkers and trail stewards, everyone is so friendly and full of Christmas spirit.
We were booked in for 5.15pm and, once parked and past the food and drink sellers, we were straight into the clearly signposted trail. Straight away it’s clear that this is less about the huge, high-impact displays we’ve enjoyed elsewhere and more about creating an immersive festive forest wonderland. With beautiful musical backdrops and the towering trees that make Stourhead special at any time of year, the whole experience feels magical from the very beginning.
Throughout the trail the effects are captivating, from dancing flames in lines of glowing lamps to flashing neon plants, mirror balls and rotating patterns of colour on the ground. There are swirling lamps, sparkling giant stars and even a cheerful dance routine with Santa himself.
Our favourite part was the stunning woodland glade, where tiny flickers of light dance like fairies beneath shafts of light drifting through gentle smoke. All of this sits beneath the softly coloured branches of Stourhead’s beautiful trees. It’s a wonderfully evocative nighttime woodland fantasy – bewildering and relaxing, enchanting and memorable all at once.
As the walk continues, whole glades come alive with waves of light sweeping across the space in time with perfectly chosen music. There’s no rush and plenty of places to sit, watch and soak it all in, or even become part of the scene. Then there’s the archway of glowing stars, just one of many brilliant selfie spots – helped along by cheery volunteers who are more than happy to take a family photo.
With stops for mulled wine, hot chocolate and toasted marshmallows, there’s so much to see, enjoy and experience. It all helps to make the visit feel like a truly unforgettable family memory.
We absolutely loved our visit to the Stourhead Christmas lights. It was special, magical and very much the start of a perfect new family festive tradition in the making.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/wiltshire/stourhead/christmas-lights-at-stourhead
