1. BE DAZZLED BY LIGHTS
Look beyond the high-street displays. Here is our alternative guide to inspiring illuminations, indoors and out
INDOORS The only surviving London residence of Charles Dickens, 28 Doughty Street ( 3) will this month be transformed with Victorian decorations – dried oranges, holly and ivy. Visit on 14 or 21 December for a performance of A Christmas Carol at dusk, or join carol singing around the piano on Christmas Eve (dickensmuseum.com). Yorkshire’s Castle Howard also pulls out all the stops for the season, festooning its grand Baroque interiors with more than 50 fresh Christmas trees and garlands of greenery and winter berries from the estate (castlehoward.co.uk).
OUTDOORS As twilight falls on 23 November, Kew Gardens ( 1) switches on its annual ‘Christmas at Kew’ mile-long installation. Our favourite part is the ‘Tunnel of Light’, lit by 60,000 bulbs (23 November–2 January; kew.org). In Buckinghamshire, Waddesdon Manor ( 2) welcomes light artist Bruce Munro’s ‘Field of Light’ into the grounds (9 November–2 January; waddesdon.org.uk). Finally, Dulwich Picture Gallery ( 4) presents ‘ Winterlights’, including two ornate trees by Nagual Creations (6–18 December; dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk).