Christmas for families at Mottisfont

An Enchanted Christmas with the Flower Fairites runs from 23 November – 5 January, 10am-4pm (excluding 24 and 25 December). Normal property admission price only.

The Winter Flower Fairies will guide you through our decorated grounds with a festive family trail. The mischievous woodland creatures that live in our gardens have stolen Father Christmas’ to do list - can you help the fairies find it for him?

Along the way you'll meet some of the Flower Fairies and complete fun, festive activities: make a Christmas wish, create natural decorations and add to a flower display in the Shepherd's Hut. There's a simple spotter activity for younger children, too, with fairies to tick off at each trail point.

Don't forget to visit the house to see our decorated rooms and the original Winter Flower Fairy illustrations.

All our decorations are inspired by the natural winter world the fairies inhabit. Indoor and outdoor spaces are dressed with swags of holly and ivy from our own woodlands, creeping moss and twinkling lights.

The winter garden has been transformed with little fairy dwellings, tucked secretively among the flowering plants. There are pixie-sized scenes in the lower corridor, too, leading into a festive ‘forest’ in the Cellarium, with hints of Father Christmas himself.

Inside the house, each room is decorated for a different fairy. The Old Man’s Beard Fairy is tucked up in the White Bedroom, while the Red Room is the perfect setting for the Holly Fairy’s glossy colours. A 14ft tree provides the grand finale in the Whistler Room.

Planning your family visit

• There’s plenty of space to run, jump and play around our grounds, and always something for families to do. Bring along your wellies to try out our climbing bog while you visit, and remember to wrap up warm for your run around the grounds.
• An Enchanted Christmas with the Flower Fairies runs from 23 November – 5 January, excluding 24 and 25 December when the whole property is closed. The grounds (including the trail), shop and cafés open at 10am; the house and gallery open at 11am. We close at 4pm - last entry into the property and house is 3.30pm. 
• Normal property admission price only (free for National Trust members and under 5s), plus £1 per trail. If you’re visiting with a carer or essential companion, they visit for free. For paying visitors we offer discounted entry from 3pm.
• It's free to park here - our car park next to the Welcome Centre has around 400 spaces.
• We're expecting to be busy, particularly during the Christmas holiday period - please be aware we may be staggering entry into the house with a queuing system. This will help prevent overcrowding, to give all our visitors the best possible experience.
• If you arrive at 10am you might find the grounds a little quieter before we start to get more busy from 11am. Or, if you have the flexibility, a weekday visit is generally quieter than a weekend, even during school holidays. If you can only visit over the weekend, Saturdays are usually less busy than Sundays.
• Due to recent weather conditions the car park and pathways through the grounds are uneven and muddy in places - stout footwear, sturdy pram tyres and weather-ready clothing advised.
• Baby-changing facilities in access friendly toilets.
• Pushchairs admitted around the grounds and in all cafés. We ask that prams/pushchairs into the house are left outside the house - we will have a buggy park with some spare rain covers available. We have hip-carrying infant seats for loan in the house.
• Children’s menu available from The Old Kitchen and Coach House Café.
• Highchairs and baby food warming facilities available in The Old Kitchen and Coach House Café.
• Pocket money gifts and children's books available in the shop. There are children's books in our second-hand bookshop, too.