Discover more at Cotehele
Find out when Cotehele is open, how to get here, the things to see and do and more.
Christmas at Cotehele
Celebrate Christmas with a festive day out to Cotehele. Step into the hall to adore this year's Garland, grab a festive hot drink and enjoy the lights along the path to the mill, join in with a festive sing song by the tree and visit Cotehele Mill for crafts for all the family.
Cotehele’s Christmas Garland
Every year Cotehele’s gardeners build a 60-foot garland from thousands of flowers grown on the estate. A tradition since 1956, the garland adorns the Great Hall throughout Christmas. The number of flowers varies each year depending on the growing season.
Preparations for the garland began in January when the flower seeds are sown in the Cut Flower Garden. Our team of garden volunteers and staff then start picking flowers from late April which are then dried over the summer and autumn before the garland is put together over two weeks in November.
Dates for your 2026 diary
- Building of the pittosporum base starts outside on Monday 9 November from 10.30am-4pm,
- Work then moves inside the hall from Tuesday 10 - Thursday 19 November, 10.30am-4pm,
- See the garland completed in all its glory within the Hall, as well as the Kitchen, Breakfast Room and Victorian Library decorated for Christmas daily from Saturday 21 November - Tuesday 5 January, 10.30am-4pm. (Closed 25-26 December).
- The Christmas through the Decades Family Trail runs from Saturday 21 Novmeber until Tuesday 5 January, 10am-4pm. (Closed 25-26 December)
- Family Christmas Crafts can be found at Cotehele Mill on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Saturday 21 November and then daily from Friday 18 December until Monday 4 January, 11am-3.30pm. (Closed 25-26 December)
You do not need to book to visit Cotehele, for groups with a party size of 15 or more booking in advance is essential. Contact our team to book your group visit to Cotehele this Christmas via cotehele@nationaltrust.org.uk or calling 01579 351346.
Christmas through the Decades Family Trail
Explore how Christmas has been celebrated during the past 70 years of the Cotehele Christmas Garland.
There are eight activites around the garden at Cotehele. Learn about a 1950s Christmas dinner in a post-rationing Britain, discover the most popular toy of the 1960s, open the Cotehele advent calendar, create your own Christmas advert and so much more with this family-freindly Christmas trail.
The activites are avaliable from Saturday 21 November 2026 until Tuesday 5 Janaury 2027, 10am-4pm. (Cotehele is closed 25-26 December)
The activites are free of charge, normal admission applies.
Father Christmas's Office, Mrs Claus's Bakery, and the North Pole Post Office
Inisde the house you will discover Father Christmas's office, adorned with letters, toys and presents for children across the world. Don't forget to take a family photo while Father Christmas is busy checking on his sleigh.
You can also discover Mrs Claus's Bakery as she prepares a Tudor inspired Christmas feast for all the hard working elves. Can you spot the treats for the reindeer?
Pop by the North Pole Post Office in the Second Hand Book shop and post your own letter to Father Christmas in the Christmas post box.
The house is open daily between Saturday 21 November 2026 and Tuesday 5 January 2027, 10.30am-4pm. (Closed 25-26 December).
A Family Christmas at Cotehele Mill
Follow the festive lights along the stream to find Cotehele Mill tucked within the Morden Valley.
The mill will be decorated in traditional Victorian style, and you’ll be able to discover how families like the Langsfords, who lived at Cotehele Mill, celebrated Christmas in those times.
Head to the first floor for toys to play with, costumes to adorn yourselves in and craft activities to complete.
The Mill Path festive lights are open daily from Saturday 21 November.
Cotehele Mill is open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Saturday 21 November and then daily from Friday 18 December until Monday 4 January, 11am-3.30pm. (Closed 25-26 December)
Christmas Treasures of the National Trust
Back in December 2025, Cotehele was featured on the Christmas special of Hidden Treasures of the National Trust. The episode unwrapped the festive stories behind some of the country's most beautiful historic homes and gardens and gave viewers the unique chance to see places prepare for three very different Christmas celeberations.
For six months, film crews went behind the scenes to see the work our team does to create the garland, as well as other work that happens behind closed doors.
Christmas Treasures of the National Trust is a Blast Films production (1x60) for BBC Two and BBC iPlayer. It was commissioned by Amanda Goodman for BBC Arts. The Executive Producer for Blast Films is Sarah Spencer and the Comissioning Editor for the BBC is Amanda Goodman.
Places to stay at Cotehele this Christmas
Miller's House
A woodland cottage by a stream on the Cotehele estate, near the Victorian watermill and quay.
Cotehele Dairy Cottage
A quiet and luxurious cottage, with access to Cotehele's house and garden.
Hall Court
An apartment in Cotehele’s atmospheric Tudor house, with stacks of historic charm and all-hours access to the gardens, river and estate.
Elbow Cottage
A pretty former gamekeeper’s cottage perched next to woodland on the Cotehele estate.
Malt House
A unique house on the Cotehele estate with a tower room and stylish interiors.
Cotehele Quay Lodge Cottage
This snug gate lodge, perched near the Tamar River on the Cotehele estate, is especially cosy in the evenings when the stove is lit and the shutters closed for the night.