THE TREE AND LIGHTS
SPECTACULAR CHRISTMAS TREES
Before you choose a spruce, visit the 20 decorated Christmas trees that will light up the medieval cloister of Lacock Abbey this year, each designed by a community group, school or charity. Another fine tree will be found in Lacock’s Great Hall. The UK’s tallest Christmas tree stands 118ft high and will be fully lit for
Glow Wild at Wakehurst, Kew’s botanic garden in West Sussex (on our cover). Lacock Abbey £14.50 (child £7.20), trees Nov 30-Jan 5; Glow Wild £15 (child £9), Thursdays to Sundays, Nov 21-Dec 22; nationaltrust.org.uk, kew.org/wakehurst
WOODLAND WONDERS
as oak, yew and holly. Entry £12.50 (child £3.50), Dec 21-Jan 5; kew.org
CHRISTMAS LIGHT TRAILS
Trip the light fantastic on one of the UK’s festive sound and light trails. The landscaped gardens at Stourhead, Wiltshire, will feature tree canopies festooned with lights. Longleat’s
Festival of
Light, in Wiltshire, features hundreds of giant Chinese lanterns depicting myths and legends. Westonbirt arboretum, Gloucestershire, is home to 15,000 trees and an enchanted woodland, while Dunham Massey’s trail, in Cheshire, features installations including festive projections on the house and captivating reflections of fire. Admission charges apply, various dates; nationaltrust.org.uk, kew.org, forestryengland.uk
TORCH PARADES
For something less hi-tech, Burning the Clocks in Brighton sees willow and paper lanterns light a community procession that winds down to the beach, where a bonfire burns as a tribute to the passing year. Flames will be seen from a long way off in Dorset, where Corfe Castle will be lit up by beacons, braziers and more contemporary lighting. A torchlit parade in Conwy, north Wales, borrows from medieval times, with armoured knights carrying flames down from
Castle Square. Burning the Clocks, free, Dec 21, samesky.co.uk; Corfe winter lights, £10 (child £5), Dec 14-29, nationaltrust.org. uk; Conwy parade, free, Dec 14, conwytownevents.co.uk
CANDLELIT TOUR
Flickering candles will give the exquisitely decorated state rooms of 18th-century Holkham Hall, Norfolk, a magical air, as part of intimate 45-minute tours. After a glass of prosecco and a mince pie, a guide will explain how the decorations and settings in each room were made. In the chapel, a moving-image artwork by Martha Fiennes called Nativity will be shown and visitors can make festive wreaths using greenery collected from Holkham park. Tour £25 (child £12.50), various dates; holkham.co.uk