From 22 November to 5 January 11am-3pm, immerse yourselves in the magic of best-loved fairy tales. Explore the ground floor of the house aglow with sparkling Christmas trees and atmospheric lighting. There are eight stories to discover. Free with usual admission (closed 24 & 25 December). Collect timed tickets for house on arrival - no pre-booking.
The Sandys and Chute families made The Vyne their home for over 500 years. They accumulated beautiful and important objects and made significant changes to the house during their lives. Come back after Christmas to enjoy the collection in opulent state rooms and humble servants’ quarters.
Which parts of the house are open?
Sat 22 Nov - Tue 23 Dec and then Fri 26 Dec - Mon 5 Jan: Ground floor open daily decorated for Christmas 11am-3pm. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐲𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝟐𝟒 & 𝟐𝟓 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓.
Tues 6 Jan - Sun 1 Mar: Ground floor open weekends only 11am-3pm.
𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲.
A Fairytale Christmas at The Vyne
Explore ground floor rooms illuminated by twinkling trees and atmospheric lighting.
A world of enchantment where treasured fairy tales sparkle to life.
Aglow with dazzling trees and magical scenes, on the ground floor of the house discover The Snow Queen’s icy realm and sit in her regal chair. Look out for Little Red Riding Hood’s wolf lurking in the drawing room and beautiful decorations inspired by Beauty and the Beast. Rapunzel’s golden braid cascades from a tower and in the historic kitchen the Three Bears are getting ready for Christmas.
A free family trail runs in the house and gardens. Normal admission applies. 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐍𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭-𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞-𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭-𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞.
After 5 January, enter the house through the door on the South Drive and discover intriguing stories about The Vyne's former residents. With Grecian pillars, sweeping balconies and plasterwork like royal icing, the 18th-century staircase hall is a sight to behold.
Tucked away in a ground-floor ante-room, examine the intricate detail on Lattimo plates handpainted with 18th-century Venetian scenes. In the stone gallery, you’ll find a Tudor roundel that emulates the style and grandeur of the ancient world. The Vyne's pre-Reformation chapel showcases the earliest depiction of Henry VIII in stained glass.
2026 'must-sees' at The Vyne
Whether you want to see the house’s surviving examples of Tudor craftsmanship or admire the exquisite taste of John Chute, here are key things to look out for after Christmas.
Part of an Italian Old Master work, see a rare-surviving 17th-century sketch by one of the most celebrated painters in Italian art. Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, who was known during his lifetime as il Guercino (the squinter) because of his crossed eyes, drew this preparatory sketch for the altarpiece of the Church of San Marco Evangelista in Osimo, Italy.
Created using red chalk on paper, the sketch is part of an album of 28 drawings bought by John Chute during his Grand Tour (1741-46). John Chute was an early collector of Guercino’s works, which became increasingly popular in the later 18th Century. The complete album was sold in 1949 and broken-up with each sketch then separately sold. Returning to its former home for the first time in 70 years, The Vyne purchased this sketch in 2020.
In July 1741 John Chute and his friends commissioned these hand-made plates while visiting Venice. In a time before photography, these decorative souvenirs were a way of displaying their visit, featuring different painted views of the city. Made using a technique named lattimo, tin oxide was added to the glass to give it a white appearance. The images were copied from paintings and engravings.
What really makes this set special is its survival. The sets belonging to John’s friends Walpole and Pelham-Clinton were sold after their deaths and are now dispersed. The Vyne is the only place where you can see a large, intact set of these plates (16 of the original 24 survive) which are still displayed in the cabinets made for them in the 19th Century.
This 18th-century ebony Italian casket has panels of pietra dura mounted in ormolu and encrusted with semi-precious stones. It was purchased at great expense by John Chute on the Florence leg of his Grand Tour, as a tongue-in-cheek ‘apology’ to his older brother Anthony, who had asked him to curb his spending.
John Chute was under pressure from his close friend Horace Walpole to make improvements and alterations to The Vyne. Mostly, he made drawings and then never acted upon it. An exception to this was the new entrance hall which he built in 1769 and 1770. Richly decorated with classical features, it gave a real ‘wow’ factor for visitors to his home and still provides a dramatic entrance today.
We don’t often look too closely at what’s beneath our feet, but take a look at the 16th-century tiles in the chapel and you’ll see lots of different designs, from people to animals.
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Discover more at The Vyne
Find out when The Vyne is open, how to get here, the things to see and do and more.
Available to book for weekdays Mon 24 Nov – Wed 17 Dec 12pm-2pm in the Brewhouse tea-room. 2 courses, hot drink and mince pie £25 per person. 3 courses, hot drink and mince pie £30 per person. Click through to see menu and book. Normal admission applies.
Open 22 Nov 2025 - 5 Jan 2026 inclusive (Closed 24 & 25 Dec) re-live the magic of best-loved fairy tales. On the ground floor of the house discover The Snow Queen’s icy realm, Red Riding Hood’s cunning wolf and Beauty and the Beast's elegant tea set. A free family trail runs through the house and gardens. House ground floor open 11am-3pm, gardens 10am-4pm. 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐭 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐍𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭-𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞-𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭-𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞. New for 2025, book your Christmas lunch in the Brewhouse tea-room available on weekdays 24 Nov - 17 Dec at 12pm. Click through for the Christmas Lunch Menu and to book your Christmas Lunch.
