Have you been somewhere really magical (in the UK) at Christmas and never forgotten it?

[pickwickcrocus]

DD is nearly 3 and we are expecting a baby in April. As this should be our last Christmas just the three of us (all things being well), we wanted to take her somewhere amazing for a little break in December.

We love longleat at christmas and go every year, so initially we thought we could stay at longleat centre parcs and combine the two. However, I visited a friend who was staying at longleat recently and hated it, so we've scrapped that idea.

We'd love to go and stay somewhere for a few days which feels magical, not contrived or spoilt. A little town or pretty hotel or something like that, with lots of lights and generally lovely Christmas feel to it. Has anyone ever found something like this?

We are in the south but don't mind travelling for something really special. I love Christmas and want to make some happy memories for our little girl. Thank you very much in advance for any suggestions.

Thanks , and sorry for the thread hijack op!

I spent Christmas Eve in Edinburgh once and it was so lovely - large christmas market, skating, music, some carnival rides and tonnes of people out and about. I am not from the UK though so I can't compare it with other UK town/city Christmas celebrations.

I agree with everyone saying Edinburgh. The market, the castle, the lights - and it gets proper cold. It may even snow.

Cliveden is amazing at Christmas but £££££!

I enjoy London at Christmas as there are lots of events going on.

The southbank has a Christmas market & most of the museums do free kids events & inexpensive grottos.

Best things is to take a bus down regent & oxford st to see the lights.

I am planning on visiting Kew gardens as they have an illuminated walk amongst the trees.

www.kew.org/visit-kew-gardens/whats-on/christmas-at-kew-2014

www.somersethouse.org.uk/ice-rink

These suggestions are great - I would love to visit kew and some of these ideas we may be able to just do as day trips. Chatsworth also sounds wonderful, if we don't get to do things we want to this year I'm going to note them for the future when we can do amazing Christmas trips with our little family of four

We did the kew trail last year and it was dire. A few trees with crappy lights, nothing spectacular, overpriced hot chocolate half way round and Father Christmas was about twelve. Never ever again!

We also did kew light thing last year and it was bloody awful. Can't believe we travelled across London to look at dimly lit trees. Syon park one was much better which we did the year before although not particularly Christmassy. I don't think that is a Christmas one, just pretty lights. Kew was awful, it has really put me off kew gardens which is a shame as we used to like going there.

We had 2 amazing pre-Christmas breaks before DC2 came along-one at www.ickworthhotel.co.uk, near enough to Cambridge for a day out but what made it special was that it snowed and it looked absolutely magical. The other we stayed at www.bruern-holiday-cottages.co.uk in the Cotswolds and visited Burford and Cirencester which were lovely for Christmas shopping and we also went to Westonbirt Arboretum which was beautiful with all the trees lit up although I have to say it was lost on DD who I think was 2 at the time. All she wanted to do was go on the carousel and wasn't impressed that Santa had a green outfit on. We've also been to www.thursford.com/santas-magical-journey.aspx a couple of times which is lovely for small children.

Thanks for the warning about kew, maybe I'll just go in the summer instead (in a few years time!)

Fishes I'm just looking at those holiday cottages now and they are so beautiful! I haven't looked at the prices yet though...

Edinburghchristmas.com went live with this year's programme today for anyone interested.

Hmm bucking the trend a bit but I'm not sure I would mix Christmas market like Bath and a 3 year old! The market is lots of little sheds selling pretty stuff but it is hard to see in if you are an adult. My 3 year olds would have nagged for treats and then lost the plot.

Things that have worked well with younger kids have been a theatre show aimed at young ones. We saw a production of "stick man" by Julia Donaldson which was lovely.
Could be combined with icecream parlour and iceskating? most rinks outdoors have big plastic penguins that small kids can push or stand on while an adult pushes them.
Train rides combined with seeing Santa.

I hated centre parcs the first time I visited someone there too! we have had some nice family breaks there though once I got my head round it. not saying you will come to like the posh butlins but you never know LOL
We have 4 DCs now though who love centre parcs and the older ones like cycling around, the outdoor pool and rapids, the tree walks and zip wire.
We once booked a weekend at centre parcs and accidentally went on the first weekend of their winter wonderland. We all enjoyed cycling through trees with twinkling lights, real reindeer and the best fireworks display at the lake we've seen.

where is THURSFOOD?

OH GOD IT looks amazing and its bloody miles away , what a shame.

Chilly I agree about bath too! We love it but the only time I take dd to any christmas markets (anywhere, not just in bath) is if she asleep in her pram! Or if we are whizzing to a stall for something yummy to eat and then heading straight back out. They can be hard work even for adults, crowded and mostly over priced too! (though very atmospheric and lovely to wander round)

Thank you for the other suggestions - our local theatre has advertised some lovely looking Christmas productions in the past so will look into that - maybe even a pantomime!

Thanks also for the advice re centre parcs, I haven't ruled it out ever but for the time being I still feel quite negative (and sick) when I think about it so think we will avoid for the moment!!