Town & Country Town & Country
THE time for sipping mulled wine in the cold night air and trying not to burn your fingers opening roasted chestnuts has arrived. Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire is among the first of a number of venues around the country to open its gates for an extravaganza of after-dark illuminations. Until January 2, 2019, the grounds will be alive at night with a light show by the Guildhall School projected onto the stables and an Aviary Garden light trail; the Rothschild manor’s façade is experiencing a similar colour explosion and the Christmas fair runs until December 16 (www.waddesdon.org.uk).
From tomorrow until January 5, 2019, giant trees dating back to the 18th century and everything underneath at Kew Gardens will be festooned with multicoloured lights, in a trail that leads to a spectacular soundand-light show over the lake at the Palm House, with water-screen projections and jumping light jets. The Fire Garden is back by popular demand and new this year is a Laser Garden and moonlit woods (www.kew.org).
Next to light up is Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, from November 23 to January 1, 2019, with its Illuminated Christmas Lights Trail. There will be lasers, projections and the evereffective pea-lights, plus a new Field of Light, scented Fire Garden, Canopy of Light and the mesmerising Singing Trees. In addition, a Christmas market, new to Blenheim, starts on the same date and runs to December 16 (www. blenheimpalace.com).
A day later, Shadows and Light kicks off at the Eden Project, Cornwall (November 24 to December 30), promising a Magical Rainforest, an Antarctic garden, a laser forest with live music and interactive light sculptures. The spectacle, along the Zig Zag path, culminates in Invisible Words at the Core, by the huge, vapourbreathing ceramic sculpture Infinity Blue. There’s also an ice rink and Father Christmas and his elves (www. edenproject.com).
Cheshire’s Georgian Dunham Massey, with its ancient deer park and Edwardian pleasure gardens, is next (November 30 to December 30), featuring a new winter trail in which ‘fairytale meets fantasy’. The decorations include a tunnel with 100,000 pea-lights, a scented fire garden and musical trees (www.nationaltrust. org.uk/dunham-massey).
From December 1 to 21, Blickling Hall, Norfolk, presents an enchanting garden of lights, through its Temple Walk, parterre and walled garden (www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ blickling-estate). Westonbirt Arboretum, Gloucestershire, joins the throng on December 1 with Enchanted Christmas— expect interactive displays among the trees, plus a Christmas village with choirs, arts and crafts and fairground rides (until December 23, www.forestryengland.uk/westonbirtthe-national-arboretum).
Last, but not least, RHS Wisley’s Glow 2018 (December 1 to January 2, 2019) promises fantastical illuminated flowers, floating lights and rippling reflections. The Glasshouse will become a magical Woodland Realm, home to elves and reindeer, and the view of the Laboratory and Jellicoe Canal is not to be missed (www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley).