Christmas at Waddesdon Manor
Tradition and history meet modern art
Built by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild in 1874 to entertain guests and house his fine art collection, Waddesdon Manor continues to host guests today. The French Renaissance-style château is one of the National Trust’s most popular properties and it is not hard to see why.
There is something to appeal to everyone: the sheer size of the Manor’s parkland setting makes it ideal for weekend walks and the large (and very fun!) adventure playground provides somewhere for children to play while parents sip coffee from one of the property’s many cafés. There are even regular treasure hunts and events for children. A tour of the house gives visitors an insight into the lives of the wealthy and famous Rothschild family. Personally, perhaps unusually, I enjoy the long uphill walk from the car park to the manor house (there is a shuttle bus available for anyone who does not fancy this), as well as seeing the seasonal flower displays once I reach the top of the hill.
However, it is at Christmas that Waddesdon Manor takes full advantage of its majestic setting to host a large Christmas fair and spectacular lights show.
The long driveway in front of the Manor is transformed into a market with over 50 stalls, selling everything from Christmas decorations to luxury handbags to craft beer — basically providing a one-stop-shop for high-quality, unique Christmas presents. The château’s imposing façade is illuminated with wintry scenes and the accompanying music (somewhat reminiscent of the Nutcracker suite) made me feel like Christmas is truly here for the first time this year.
On the day I visited, the temperature hit -2°C, so I couldn’t help feeling rather sorry for the poor sellers out in the cold all evening. However, the queues for hot drinks suggested that the refreshments stands would be benefitting from this cold weather with everyone keen to have something to warm up their hands. There was an impressive variety of warm drinks available within the Christmas market, everything from hot chocolate to mulled cider, and this is not even including the Food Village around the corner where visitors can choose from a variety of rather up-market street food stalls.
In previous years, I have visited at the weekend when, predictably, the market is at its busiest. This year, however, I visited late on a Friday evening. Although this meant I had less time to spend admiring the market and lights show, coming at a quieter time gave me the chance to really talk to the sellers and find out more about their products.
I was able to try out the scarily sharp knives at Flint & Flame’s stall. Unfortunately, being clumsy, it didn’t seem wise to take home one of the sharpest knives I’ve ever seen, but I could imagine them making an excellent gift for a chef or cooking enthusiast.
I was delighted to find Wiltshire Chilli Farm at the fair again this year. An award-winning company, Wiltshire Chilli Farm sell sauces ranging from mild to extremely hot, the spicier sauces sporting names like God Slayer and Regret, so you can’t say they didn’t warn you! These products are the ideal present for the spice-lover in your life (or someone on whom you wish to exact chilli-fuelled revenge).
What makes this market so special is the abundance of hand-crafted items available, ranging from handmade olive wood products, such as crosses and nativity sets, carved in Bethlehem (From The Olive Tree) to beautiful jewellery, like Park Road Jewellery’s minimalist silver necklaces inspired by Britain’s mountains. One of my favourite stalls this year was Little Creative Woodcrafts, selling hand-carved coasters, cute children’s plates in the shapes of animals and chopping boards with designs inspired by William Morris. It was a pleasure to speak with the carver himself about his work process and the ideas behind his designs.
The Manor itself is open to visitors, who travel through a series of rooms, each decorated according to a particular theme. The overarching theme this year is childhood tales and rooms include the Mad Hatter’s tea party and Captain Hook’s treasure cave. Unfortunately, I did not have time to explore inside the house this year, but I expect it is as equally dazzling and magical as in previous years. It is important to be aware that tickets to the grounds do not cover entry to the house, so to visit you must purchase the pricier grounds and house ticket.
The lights trail snakes around the gardens, featuring both returning favourites and new installations. The many interactive elements, including button-controlled colour-changing flowers (or lollipops? see below) and projections which respond to being walked over, are popular among both children and adults. Overall, the display is rather minimalist this year, with a relatively small number of artworks of simple design. Personally, I prefer this to an overly busy and chaotic show full of flashing elements that all clash together.
Every year artists take advantage of the steep hillside at the start of the trail to create a river of light. This year the slope is blanketed by a sea of small swinging light bulbs which look rather like fireflies and photographs do not do justice. Disco balls spaced out along the walkway are a returning favourite from previous years, scattering light over the trees.
I could talk more about the various installations, but I would not want to ruin any surprises and I would highly recommend that you check out Waddesdon Manor yourselves this Christmas.
Waddesdon Christmas fair runs until the 17th of December and the light trail until the 1st of January.
For more information and to book tickets, visit: https://waddesdon.org.uk/whats-on/christmas/
Disclaimer: this post is not sponsored and expresses the author’s own opinions.
