Looking for advice for a Christmas trip to England with a 5 year old🎄

[BlackFlowers]

Hello lovely Mumsnetters!
I’m originally from Northern Ireland but live abroad now, and I’m absolutely desperate for a proper UK Christmas this year! We’re planning a trip from Christmas Eve to January 4th and would love some local recommendations.
Our itinerary:
• Christmas Eve to New Year’s Eve: Cotswolds area
• New Year’s Eve/Day: North Oxfordshire
• January 1-4: London
I’m particularly looking for advice on:
Christmas Day food: Should I brave the food shopping after we land on Christmas Eve, or does anyone know of restaurants/pubs doing Christmas lunch in the Cotswolds area? We’re a family of 3 including one very excited 5-year-old.

Child-friendly activities: DC lives in a hot climate city and is absolutely desperate to see “proper countryside” and farms. Any recommendations for places that might be open over the Christmas period? Thinking farm visits, nature walks, maybe somewhere they could see sheep/cows up close?

General cosy recommendations: We’re after that quintessentially British Christmas experience - cosy pubs with log fires, Christmas markets if any are still running, beautiful villages to wander around, that sort of thing.

Any suggestions would be absolutely wonderful! I just want to give DC (and myself!) a magical Christmas
Thanks in advance! 💚

No specific advice, but get looking at accommodation now - they will be getting booked up for Xmas, if not already gone.

Yes I heard that! Thankfully I booked a few months ago but thank you for the heads up! 😊

My favourites would be the Cotswold wildlife park and Birdland in Bourton on the water.
Other recommendations would be easier with some idea of where your staying, it’s a large area with lots of nice pubs!

Thank you so much! The Cotswold Wildlife Park and Birdland both sound perfect - exactly what DC would love!

You're absolutely right about it being a large area. We're staying in the general Witney area so anything within reasonable driving distance would be brilliant. Really appreciate the suggestions! 😊

Sudeley Castle in Winchcombe do a fabulous lights trail at Christmas. It’s normally fairytale/story based rather than Christmas themed but it’s nice to get out for a wander after Xmas food binge

It’s not very Cotswolds but have a look at Crocodiles of the World, that’s near Witney. DC will love it, and it’s mostly indoors…
Lechlade is lovely and not far from there.

Oxford is beautiful at Christmas. Natural History museum, the Story museum. If you do decide to go do not drive in if you value your sanity. Get the bus from the park and ride. Blenheim Palace go all out at Christmas.

The Story Museum looks amazing - I'm so excited to visit there! And Crocodiles of the World sounds brilliant, especially being mostly indoors in case the weather's not great( which it mostly likely won’t be🫢). Thanks for the tip about parking in Oxford too - definitely taking the park and ride! 😊

More generally, how about ice skating?

I hadn't thought of this but it could be a great idea! My daughter (or husband) have never been ice skating but she's very good at roller skating 😊
Is there somewhere you would recommend?

Ice skating - Warwick Castle wont be too far from where you are.

Another random one - somewhere that way there is an aeroplane where you go to meet Santa as though you are flying to the North Pole! Can't remember what it's called but sure someone else will.

The Christmas tree in Bourton on The Water is quite famous and such a lovely place to wander.

Oh and Blenheim how could I forget! Book the house then a break then the light trail!

Blenheim Palace at Christmas is not to be missed - stunning decorated house and usually a Christmas market. Lovely village around the area

I’d definitely do Blenheim Palace if you’re staying near Witney. Not sure if the Christmas market bit will still be open after Christmas, but the light trail, skating and decorated palace will be.

I’m guessing most shops will close early Christmas Eve and most Christmas food will be well and truly sold out. I’d be booking a meals sooner rather than later as also Christmas lunches also get booked out quickly. I’d also be checking what convenience store are local, co-OPs etc but be prepared not to have a huge selection of food to hand until after Boxing Day. I used to live overseas where everything was open all year round 24/7 and it as a massive shock coming back to the uk to find shops actually closed especially small businesses, some will close over the Christmas period.

I can't advise on the specific area but I've done similar trips in the past.

I wouldn't leave shopping until Christmas Eve, Eating out will be possible, but if you did want to cook - you might be able to arrange an online food order to arrive around the same time as you do. Although slots near Christmas seem to book up early.

As for that UK feeling... I've been exactly in the same place as you. National trust houses are often pretty good, very nicely decorated with stuff happening - great for that UK Christmas feeling.

Markets have been a bit hit and miss for me - they can be very commercial and not british at all, and also quite chaotic depending on what country you are living in/have gotten used to. My experience is that the smaller the better.. the more town/village/small you cand find, the more likely to actually have a good christmassy time at a market.

I don't know if you are religious, but Church services, especially carol services are also something that brings back "U.K." type feelings for most of us who went to school here. Christmas eve will have midnight mass in most places - but that might be too much after just arriving.

You could also look at a visit to see Santa - Do they do that where you live? They don't where I live, so when I come back to the UK for Christmas it is always early on my booking list. 24th is late, but places still do it. Garden centers, national trust houses etc. Or you could look to see if there is a nearby steam railway. Sitting on an old steam train having a hot chocolate while your kid meets santa gives me that "U.K." Christmas feeling.

If you want a proper English Christmas, you have to let the kids get up at 5am, start drinking and cooking at 7am, moan all morning, eat and drink too much, fight all afternoon, and then spend the evening sulking and contemplating divorce while you wash up.

I would expect most shops to be closed early on Christmas Eve - apart from the small express type shops - then you have the bank hols of course, so I’d be booking places to eat , or it could be slim pickings!!

You don't mention budget but for your London trip would anything at the theatre appeal to your DD ?

Thinking - The Nutcracker, The Snowman at The Peacock or there's a new musical opening Paddington Bear

Blenheim palace seems to be a clear winner for Christmas vibes! Thank you all for this recommendation. I will try and see if I can buy tickets for those dates!

I had thought about online shop but I was a little worried about getting bruised veg and a sad looking turkey 🫢 or a very funny substitution that will leave me stuck on Christmas Eve with no alternative but I think I’m being dramatic with that.
i think you are right that it might be best to book somewhere for peace of mind.
No Santa isn’t really a thing, we celebrate 3 wise men on the 6th of January here ( well I celebrate both, so DD gets the best of both worlds) but she has only visited Santa as a newborn before we moved. I’m hoping I can find somewhere that might have a Santa activity on the 24th but I’m not too hopeful for that. I will definitely look at old stream trains as that sounds like a magical way to spend Christmas Eve. Thank you for that recommendation

Those are lovely suggestions, I do want to take her to the theatre but I had only seen Matilda and lion king as suitable options, I will definitely have to look again as your suggestions appeal to me a lot more! Thank you

Cotswold Farm Park is really lovely and I'm sure they'll have something on for Christmas! Plenty of sheep and goats to feed, and indoor play options if the weather is miserable

You can order food from Marks and Spencer - turkey and all the trimmings and deserts - and pick up on Christmas Eve at an M and S near to where you are staying. It’s usually fabulous quality. If you decide to do this, do book the pick up slot early as the Christmas Eve times go fast!

I didn’t realise it was an option to click and collect from m&s . That’s a great idea! I also don’t know if the rental property has a ton of kitchen equipment so it would be handy to have things to just pop in the oven.

As for me.. I’m dying to go to a supermarket to get all the Christmas magazines. I know it would be too late to do anything with them but I love buying them and having a cuppa tea and reading them during the Christmas period