Christmas at Chirk Castle
Last year Christmas was packed for us. Event, grottos, and experiences booked in every weekend. It was fun on a schedule and to be honest, it wasn’t the best. Don’t get me wrong, we have some amazing memories from last Christmas. However, there were times when no one was particularly feeling it and we were left with tired and emotional children. This year we’ve done the opposite. Nothing is booked in and we are just taking it weekend by weekend. Choosing to do things just because we are in the mood.
CHRISTMAS AT CHIRK CASTLE
Today was the launch of Chirk Castle’s Christmas of make-believe. We were halfway there already so we thought it would be a great chance to get outside and just enjoy a few hours out and about. No schedule, no time slots, just fun at our own pace. And do you know what, it was great.
It was seriously foggy this weekend, so we turned up to a very atmospheric Chirk Castle and it was perfect! A foggy mist across festoon lighting as Christmas music provided the soundtrack for our walk up the hill toward the castle. We were suitably in the festive mood by the time we made it to the top! So, this is what Christmas at Chirk Castle looks like.
INSIDE
Can you imagine if you grew up in a castle? Well the six children of Lord and Lady Howard de Walden did exactly that. Living in Chirk Castle in the 1920s they put on a series of pantomimes. This year inside the castle, Christmas trees have been beautifully decorated to reflect the De Walden family pantos. And they are stunning.
The attention to detail is nothing short of beautiful. From “Puss and Brutes” all the way through to “The Reluctant Dragon” with more in between including “Beauties and the Beast”, “Jack and the Beanstalk” and “Sleeping Beauty”.
The kids were captivated and absolutely loved finding each of the trees. Even if Henry wasn’t impressed that he wasn’t allowed to keep any of the gifts from under the trees. The attention to detail is superb and the design adds layer upon layer of themed design. Beautiful!
That wasn’t the only bit of fun though, as hidden throughout the castle were a series of little festive husky dogs for children to find. My two loved trying to spot them even if we did lose count…..oops!
OUTSIDE
The make-believe theme continued in the garden where we had to follow the purpose ribbons to discover a world woven with fairy tales. Visitors were asked to see how many they could name using the clues as a hint.
I won’t lie, by now my two had tired legs. Especially Henry who at 3 starts to struggle and / or get board when asked to walk for more than 15 minutes. He powered through bless him.
They no doubt enjoyed each of the scenes, but I actually think they enjoyed spotting the little purple ribbons just as much. Well placed, they were easy even for little people to find. They created a lovely outdoor walk that is just the right length. Long enough to feel worthwhile but not too long that you’re freezing by the end. It was a lovely end to our visit.
A lovely balance of fairy tales and festive fun, Christmas at Chirk Castle is a great way to spend half a day. From start to finish we were at there for around 3 hours, though by the end we had tired little legs and cold fingers!
Chirk Castle’s Christmas of make believe is running from 30 November – 5 January if you fancy heading along yourself. We’d certainly recommend it!
If you enjoyed this post, then why not check out the days out section of the blog for more inspiration.
Leave a Reply