Christmas at Wimpole

Wimpole Christmas Lights | © Raymond Gubbay

For Christmas 2023 at Wimpole, we invite you to experience a new after-dark Illuminations trail that will bring the estate to life with over a million twinkling lights and seasonal sounds. During the day, the Mansion House will be decorated for Christmas, with festive food and drink in the restaurant and cafés, and local choirs singing Christmas carols.

Christmas Illuminations trail

Tickets for our evening Christmas at Wimpole event are now on sale, so book soon to secure your preferred date and time.

With new lights, a new trail and new memories to be made, Christmas at Wimpole has everything you need for an unforgettable time with friends and family, including a magical glimpse of Father Christmas along the way.

Discover huge feathers floating high into the sky, encounter a sea of light stretching out into the distance, surround yourself with sparkle in the long glowing tunnel and see contemporary Christmas trees in all the colours of the rainbow.

Book evening tickets

Essential information

This is a 3rd party event and is not included as part of National Trust membership, National Trust members do not recieve discounts on tickets.
Tickets for the evening lights event do not give you access to the estate for the daytime Christmas offer.
This is a fully cashless event.
The Christmas Illuminations trail at Wimpole will run from 24 November 2023 to 31 December 2023, with a number of booking slots available each day.
The event is outdoor and you may need to queue on busy days so please wear appropriate outdoor clothing and footwear.
It will take around 90 minutes to walk the trail and only guide dogs and registered assistance dogs are permitted.
For more information on the Christmas Illuminations trail at Wimpole, see the frequently asked questions on the booking website.

Car parking

National Trust members will get free car parking. Select parking when you buy your tickets and your membership parking will be validated on the evening of your visit.

Non-National Trust members are advised to book parking when buying tickets.

Booking Christmas Illuminations trail tickets

Tickets for Christmas at Wimpole are on sale now and it’s recommended that you book early to avoid disappointment. Each timed entry has a limited capacity and the early evening and weekend slots are likely to sell out quickly.

The Christmas Illuminations trail at Wimpole is brought to you by Raymond Gubbay Ltd (Sony Music) in partnership with the National Trust.

A family look up at a tall Christmas tree covered in decorations — Enjoy dazzling Christmas decorations | © Paul Tibbs Photography

A Sensational Christmas... at Wimpole

During the daytime, join us in delighting your senses at Wimpole this Christmas, as you spend time together with loved ones, and reflect on all the experiences that make this time of year so special.

The Mansion House will be decorated for Christmas, and Christmas is coming to Home Farm for the first time this year. The Rectory and our cafés will also be serving up some festive favourites.

The sounds of Jingle bells and Christmas carols will be circling the estate, as we’re joined by local choirs every weekend before Christmas in December.

Please note, this offer is only available during the daytime, not during the evening Christmas lights event.

...In the house

See the house decorated for Christmas, with 10ft trees and the return of the ‘Lightfall’ in the well of the Grand Staircase. Follow our specially selected Christmas Route enabling you to explore all of the feelings and sensations of Christmas; from the awe of glittering lights and sparkle and the sounds of bells and carols, to the warmth of friends and family and the nostalgia of Christmases past.

Join in with carol singing in the chapel and paper chain making in the basement, taking place every weekend and during the school holidays.

Find out more

...at Home Farm

Make your way up to the farm this Christmas to see the animals keeping warm and enjoy a hot chocolate from the café! See our all-new decorations for 2023, including lighting up the Great Barn and cozy sheltered pods in our picnic area next to the new play equipment. Take part in themed crafts using natural materials every weekend and during the school holidays, and relax on our straw-bale sofas after plenty of puddle-splashing on the walk up!

Find out more

Carols in the Stables

This Christmas, join us in the Stable Block to listen to Christmas carols sung by local choirs. Have your spirits lifted by festive tunes, sip a warming hot chocolate while you enjoy, and perhaps even sing along with, some well-known yuletide favourites, sure to leave you feeling jolly.

See the full schedule of times and performers for 2023 here

A group of people are singing, with a vaulted stone ceiling behind them, at Fountains Abbey, North Yorkshire. — Enjoy carols sung by local choirs | © National Trust Images/Chris Lacey

Christmas food and drink

Our food and beverage outlets will be serving some family-favourite seasonal treats again this year across The Rectory, Stables Café, and the Farm Café. Along with our usual Winter menu of light lunch options, we'll also be offering sweet and savoury festive treats with a selection of seasonal syrups to spice up your hand-warming hot drinks*)

On Wednesdays & Thursdays you'll also be able to enjoy a Turkey roast with traditional festive fayre or a Vegan festive lunch with traditional fayre. These will operate on a first come first serve basis between 12 pm - 2.30 pm and are subject to availability on the day.

* Subject to availablity, served until Friday 22 December.

Eating at Wimpole Estate

Christmas shopping

Forget the hecticness of the high street in the Stables Block, where our shop is stocked up with carefully-chosen Christmas gifts and food. Prioritising quality and sustainability, find both practical and luxurious presents for all the family in ranges produced exclusively for the National Trust.

Shopping at Wimpole Estate