SANTA CLAUS is COMING to town
SANTA’S CAVES BY 4X4, Shropshire
If you like your grottos looking, well, cave-like, then the Hawkstone Park Follies is the place for you this Christmas. Adventurous families will find it a hoot to book a Land Rover to whisk themselves away beneath a stone wishing arch and up to caves that were once used as a filming location for The Chronicles of Narnia. Dressed in fairy lights, tunnels will lead through the sandstone cliff to a proper Santa’s grotto, where echoes of “ho, ho, ho” bouncing off the rocks will reveal the man himself, surrounded by presents. Wear cave-appropriate footwear.
Dec 3-23; £145 for a vehicle for up to six people; hawkstoneparkfollies.co.uk
REINDEER SAFARI, Flintshire
At a time when flying abroad is problematic, it is good to know that there is no need to schlep all the way to Lapland. Reindeer safaris are possible in Mold, Wales, and children can enjoy surveying Santa’s herd in paddocks from the comfort of their car. The herd can be seen in the daytime, against a backdrop of the frosty Welsh countryside, or at night, when there are illuminated trails to discover. The site also offers a drive-through Santa’s grotto, one of a few that have been created this year for families who would rather maintain a safe distance while enjoying some festive spirit. Every child will receive a toy, plus there is a drivethrough theatre show promised and an elf workshop to see, too.
Nov 27-Dec 24; from £39.50 per car; reindeerlodge.co.uk
FESTIVE OWLS AT LONGLEAT, Wiltshire
As the nights darken, families can combine meeting Longleat’s wild animals with a walk around the park’s outdoor lantern display and a miniature train ride to meet Santa. Children can find the bearded chap in his woodland grotto where he will have a present for them, as part of a separate ticketed event. Other seasonal highlights at the park include a singing Christmas tree and a new storytelling experience called the Flight before Christmas. Owls interact with a festive tale as it is being told, by swooping over the audience’s heads. There is also a new theatre show taking place in the Longhouse, where the Elf show sees two elves preparing for a Christmas like never before.
Until Jan 3; from £36.95 (child £27.70), Santa train £6 (child £19.95); longleat.co.uk
STORYTIME WITH MRS CHRISTMAS, Northumberland
Father Christmas just does not have the great taste in footwear Mrs Christmas possesses and children will be able to see her and her sparkly shoes once more at Wallington this year. Father Christmas’s wife will be reading stories from a comfy chair at the house, which will have its grand rooms decorated in a festive style. Pass by the servant’s parlour to take part in various Christmas crafts on December weekends, tap your toes at live music in the central hall or gaze up at the giant tree in the courtyard. Father Christmas will occasionally be dropping in, too.
Various dates; entry £15 (child £7.50); nationaltrust.org.uk
SANTA’S FAIRGROUND GROTTO, Edinburgh
The Scottish capital is magical at Christmas and, in the heart of the city at West Princes Street Gardens, families will find Father Christmas’s grotto amid the bustle of classic fairground rides.
Children can sit and listen to the man in red tell a fairy tale, before he hands out gifts and then poses for a photograph with them. Afterwards, children can burn off their excitement by racing around a Christmas tree maze, or by taking a ride on a chair-oplane or a big wheel.
Nov 20-Dec 24; Santa’s Grotto from £8.50; edinburghschristmas.com
SANTA’S STEAM TRAIN, Norfolk
Thomas and Chuggington fans will love the idea of journeying to meet Father Christmas on a full-size steam train, and adults might find a ride on the North Norfolk Railway quaint too. From Sheringham station, passengers board Santa’s steam service and after a toot, the train pootles off to Santa’s grotto at Weybourne. A hot chocolate or mulled wine is included and children will receive a gift from Santa before heading back to Sheringham. Alternatively, after dark, the Norfolk Lights Express travels from the same station. Covered in thousands of coloured lights, it passes different illuminated scenes alongside the tracks.