Where to see a good Santa in the North East

[Nutellawithporridge]

Does anyone have any good ideas? Might seem early but I've just visited Alnwick Gardens website (where we went last year) and all weekends are sold out!

We've done kielder winter wonderland twice before and it's good but expensive and would like to go elsewhere.

Probably look at northumberland, North yorks and Cumbria if anyone has any ideas. A good santa is essential!! (Friendly, believable and can't see elastic on beard)

Thanks!

It depends on the type of experience you are after. These are not as wow as kielder but are nice santa experiences - Shildon, Down at the farm (between Durham and Sunderland), Adventure Valley. Kielder is still the best.

my cousin did beamish last year and loved it. We did 2 tea with Santa and Fenwick Newcastle they probably do this everywhere if it was nive food and santa spent time with every child and we also did one at rising Sun which is a country park and they have a little cabin with a log fire and saw Santa in the cabin and then have hot juice and chestnuts on a fire outside. You can also make reindeer food while you are there. I don't really know any closer to you but how about looking at the national trust property's? or lots of places do a train rides which look fun

Thanks for replying - some good suggestions. I'd forgotten about beamish. DS1 is 8 now so I need it to be a very convincing santa!

stephensonrailwaymuseum.org.uk/whats-on/santa-specials-2018

mine loved this

Sorry but we did Beamish Santa one year, and thought it was awful. Enormous queues for everything, over an hour waiting for Santa in the freezing cold. And then an extra charge for the photo or gift I can't remember which. We really like beamish and go regularly but never again at Christmas.

Oh there is some sort of Santa train in county durham somewhere where you go in your pyjamas. Someone on here will remember where it is!

Tanfield Railway do a Polar Express even throughout December which is good.

We did Beamish Santa last year and DD really enjoyed it, especially feeding the reindeer afterwards.

I’ve done Fenwicks twice. First time DD was 3, it was a magical grotto and a really believable Santa. The year before last though was awful. They’d moved the grotto, it was no longer in a cabin just behind some curtains and he had a cheap fake beard. It’s free but you have to book due to the demand but i wouldn’t recommend it now.

Rising Sun Park gets a lot of recommendations from my friends, we will probably do that one this year.

Fenwicks is great . There’s also a good Santa at Down At The farm.
I don’t think they do the Polar Express any more.

Tanfield railway do North Pole Express. We've booked for this year so hoping it's good.

We went to 'Train to Christmas Town' last year which replaced the Polar Express that people had raved about previous years. It was actually really good, but the prices for this year have shot up and I really can't justify it for the price.

We've also been to Down at the Farm but found it really crowded and rushed. It was a couple of years ago now so might've improved.

What a lovely thread...

My daughter, who is almost 7, absolutely loved the Polar Express Santa (in Stanhope) as well as the Santa at Kielder Winter Wonderland too. Every year since she's been 1, we've taken her for tea with Santa Claus at Gosforth Garden Centre. Last year, the Santa was too much of a fat, red-faced, rough spoken Geordie (although daughter loved him), but the previous year he was absolutely fantastic. Had a real beard and everything.

This year we'll take a look at The Rising Sun as that's had lots if recommendations. The Sage in Gateshead usually have a nice grotto, and combined with a visit to The Snowman, could make a lovely day out.

Belsay Hall, Seaton Deleval Hall, Wallington Hall etc all usually have lovely festive things on too.

We've tried to get tickets for Alnwick's Santa for 3 years running and it's always a sell out!

We've watched the snowman at the sage before and I think I liked it more than the kids! Very magical.

We've been to the tanfield railway twice before and it was nice, but perhaps the santa wasn't realistic enough for older ones (although it was a few years ago now when we went). I've also heard the national trust santas aren't convincing enough either so I've decided to avoid them. Kielder and Alnwick were definitely the most convincing but I think it's a shame kielder doesn't allow one-to-ones with the children and it's just a group chat. Feels a bit strange talking about Christmas now but if you're not organised, you miss out!!

One year we went to the Snowman at the sage and we came out and it was snowing! It was wonderful! I would love to keep going to the Snowman but my oldest child feels he’s gone enough years .

We are going to Alnwick again - I booked on 2 July and there was very limited availability as there go on pre-sale to friends of Alnwick first. I love the Alnwick Santa.

I agree with the comments on Fenwicks Santa - I avoid now it’s free - it’s a bit pants and my DC were distinctly underwhelmed.

Not sure if this is too far south for you (we're monkey hangers so perfect for us!) but I've heard good reports and looks like a cheaper version of Kielder enchanted-christmas.com Plus you can pop over to Hardwick Park either before or after which is one of my all time favourite parks.

We've done Alnwick for the last few years and I really don't think that Santa can be beaten! I think the tickets are released in June, (I'm not a friend of Alnwick garden). If you follow them on Facebook they tell you the date and time they will be released and you go go go when that time comes.

None of this is helpful for this Christmas so I'll offer that my friend had done the enchanted Christmas that MarmaladeTeepee mentioned and they thought it was great. That's one I'm considering for a change and also Kielder that you have already done.

Crook Hall in Durham has a nice event with Santa if you're down that way.

Might be too far south but we do the Santa train in Pickering on the North York Moors Railway. Last year The Santa had a real beard and was very believable. We’ve booked to go back this year. There are real reindeers to see, the children are given an activity pack to colour/do whilst they wait to see Santa. And there is always something magical about a steam train as well.

We had a lovely time at Washington Wetlands last year. Crafts, singing and good Santa.

We did enchanted Christmas last year, but it hammered it down. It’s all done in teepees, so you go in groups to each different activity. Would have been lovely if the weather was nice, but it was freezing rain, the car park was icy and there was no shelter until you got going and inside the teepee. We had wrapped up well, but ended up leaving early because of the cold and the rain had got in everywhere (was truly awful weather!) If I could guarantee better weather I’d like to try it again.

We do down at the farm Christmas Eve - become a bit of a tradition now since we live nearby. It can be a bit busy, but the Santa is good and the gifts are canny.

Yeah I saw a lot of people saying the same thing on their Facebook page ipswichwitch I'm hoping they take the feedback on board and get better heaters this year as I've booked it for the beginning of December.

Fingers crossed for you Marmalade! Definitely invest in some base layers . We would have been fine if the rain hadn’t got into the kids boots, unlike one poor little girl who was wearing a party dress and thin jacket ☹️