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Christmas 2023 at Tyntesfield

Tyntesfield Hall at Christmas
Tyntesfield Hall at Christmas | © Bob Fowler

Take a step back in time and immerse yourself in nature with our very Victorian Christmas. Between 2 Dec and 3 Jan, you can follow the family reindeer trail, try your hand at craft workshops, experience a festive horse and carriage ride and soak in the Christmas spirit with festive decorations across Tyntesfield Estate.

Christmas events and activities

More events will be added to this page as information/booking becomes available, so be sure to revisit for the latest activities!

Please note that you do not need to book for General Admission to the House. House entry tickets will be collected from the Welcome Building upon your arrival at Tyntesfield. Horse and Carriage rides can be purchased from the front of Tyntesfield House throughout December.

Gibbs' Family Christmas

2 December to 31 December (excl. 4, 24 and 25 Dec)
10:30am to 2:30pm

This special time of year gets off to a magical start as we step back into Christmas past. Join us as we take the season's best loved traditions and bring them to life with our immersive Victorian experience. The Natural Theatre Company return to play the part of the Gibbs family and staff, and will guide you through nature-themed decorations crafted by Tyntesfield’s volunteers.

With stockings full of festive family fun, traditional decorations, storytelling and games, soak up the atmosphere as the Gibbs family and their servants did.

Further information on the Gibbs' Christmas Experience

Children's Christmas House Trail

2 December to 3 January
10:30am to 3:30pm

Some mischievous gingerbread people have escaped from the kitchen and are causing mayhem. Can you find the missing gingerbread and the Christmas decorations they have sneakily been swapping into the display.

More information on the Children's Christmas House Trail

Christmas carriage rides

2 and 3 December, 9 and 10 December, 16 December to 1 January (excl 24 and 25 December)
11:00am to 3:00pm

Get into the festive spirit this Christmas with a ride from Tyntesfield house to the stable yards (and back) in a Victorian horse-drawn carriage.

Carriage rides will begin from the front of Tyntesfield House, with carriage tickets available to buy at the front of house in the gazebo.

More information about Christmas carriage rides

Christmas lino printing on Christmas cards

2 December, 5 December, 7 December, 13 December and 15 December 2023
10.30am to 1.15pm / 2pm to 4.45pm

Fancy something festive and crafty? Lino printing your Christmas cards is the perfect activity to get you feeling Christmassy. Come and enjoy the grounds of Tyntesfield and take inspiration from the festivities at this time of year. These workshops will demonstrate each step and at the end of the day you'll have some beautiful handmade cards to wow Father Christmas with under the tree.

Book a ticket to one of our lino printing workshops here

Pop-up Christmas Music Performances

2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 22, 23 and 30 December 2023

A variety of local musical groups are coming to Tyntesfield to spread festive cheer during the day. They will be performing throughout the estate for all to enjoy over the month of December. Information of timings and locations will be available from the Welcome Building when you arrive.

We'll have performances from Mendip Folk Choir, Chandeliers, North Somerset Rock Choir, Bristol Male Voice Choir, Axbridge Singers, Ladye Bay Handbell Ringers, Clevedon Choral, Cheddar Male Choir, Weston Brass, Occasional Brass Filton Concert Brass, Weston-super-Mare Operatic society, City Voices Bristol, Arnos Vocale, Harlequin Singers, Cheddar Vallery Singers & Joyful voices, Free Range Acapella, Worle Community Choir, Cosmos Children's choir and Cathedral Primary School.

Further information on the pop-up musical performances


Wreath making workshop - SOLD OUT

8 December to 12 December 2023
10.30am to 1pm / 2.15pm to 4.45pm

Make your own stunning Christmas wreath using fabulous foliage gathered from the Tyntesfield estate. With oodles of festive cheer and guidance from expert florist, and Tyntesfield's own decorating angels from local florists Barley and Mabel. Tickets include hot drinks, mince pies and all materials. Suitable for beginners, no experience required.

Book a ticket to one of our wreath making workshops here

Make a festive reindeer with the Somerset Bodgers - SOLD OUT

16 December and 17 December
10:30am to 12:30pm / 12:30pm to 2:30pm / 2:00pm to 4:00pm

Join the Somerset Bodgers for this family favourite where you can make your own festive reindeer, complete with a red nose and winter scarf. Working in pairs, as an adult and child, you will make a festive reindeer using local timber. Under the careful tuition of the Somerset Bodgers, everyone will go away with a festive reindeer complete with a red nose and winter scarf. This event gets booked up very quickly so we recommend booking early if possible.

Further information on the festive reindeer making workshops

Tyntesfield reindeer trail

16 December to 1 January
Available daily between 10:30am and 4:00pm

The reindeer have escaped from Tyntesfield stables and are running riot across the estate! Father Christmas needs your help to track down them down so he can round them up to pull his sleigh. Using a map of the locations they were last seen, explore the Tyntesfield estate and see if you can find all 9 reindeer.

Further information on the Tyntesfield reindeer trail

Christmas wreath being made using winter foliage at Gibside in Tyne and Wear, North East
Christmas wreath making workshop | © National Trust Images/Frances Warnell

Christmas decorations

How will the estate look this year?

There'll be decorations from 2 December 2023 to 3 January 2024, handmade over the past few years by our Christmas volunteer fairies scattered across the outdoors. Wherever possible, they've used recycled items or elements from the estate. The grandest Christmas tree of all will be outside the house, and there will be more dotted around the estate for you to spot.

Christmas nature scene through the orangery windows
Christmas nature scene through the orangery windows | © Bob Fowler

Christmas shopping at Tyntesfield

The shop will be open and is filled to the rafters with beautiful gifts, stocking fillers and treats for the table on Christmas Day. We'll be managing numbers inside to keep everyone safe, so if your trip is shopping focused, we'd suggest planning your visit for the afternoon when things are a little quieter.

Visitors exploring the Christmas decorations inside the house at Killerton, Devon

Get into the festive spirit

From wreath-making workshops and carol concerts to winter illuminations, find Christmas days out near you.

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