Christmas Light trails

[redskytonight]

Interesting in hearing about your favourite Christmas light trails. How long were they and did they have the "wow" factor?

Chatsworth is the one to beat for me. I am considering Kew or Blenheim as ones of a similar size. Are they worth the cost?

Or alternatively perhaps going to a more local and cheaper display.

Yes, we went last year and the year before, after a few Wisley trails before they. Really liked Windsor - it was lovely. Plan your route there carefully as they change the access roads.
Another one off to Guildford castle for a look this weekend.

Wisley was our first glow experience and that was 2021. Have they got poorer in their offering, or has the element of surprise diminished?

Think it’s a combination of the two. They’ve pared back the pyrotechnics which took away some of the awe! And it seems far busier but that may just be me.

Glow Wild at Wakehurst place is absolutely outstanding. I’ve been every year for the last 9 years.

The Torquay Bay of Lights is completely free and because of that, it's always going to be my favourite!

Warwick castle is lively, been twice, very festive with lots of variety. Good length and feels value for money.

Wasn’t a fan of National Memorial Arboretum - it was not at all Christmassy or even joyful. There was a nice woodland bit, but the main part was very somber with a memorial speech being piped over speakers.

Not sure if Kew has changed but the hot chocolate DH got me cost about 5 pounds and seemed to be in an Americano cup it was so small.
I was staggered and vowed to take my own.

I think everything served at Kew is tiny and expensive. I paid £10 for two very small tacos there last summer at a street food cabin in the grounds.

I agree with you about this, I also hate having to plan a day weeks in advance around a half hour arrival window, especially when half the time they don't give any information about their 'slot' rules. What does 12 pm mean? I can arrive between 12 and when? Or if its after 12, I'm too late and you won't let me jn?

Having said that, we've been to the Yorkshire Wildlife Park 2 or 3 times for the winter lights between Christmas and New Year and wouldn't book more than a day or two ahead because what if the weather is bad or we want to see family or friends?

We've always been able to book at a discount making entry to the park and the lights less than the full price of either separately. So we've been able to arrive after lunch, spend a couple of hours in the park and then see the lights after dark, perhaps going back to the car in between for snacks as we've never been able to get it right with food there.

Once we planned to buy food there and make it part of the day but there wasn't much available so we ended up spending more than we'd like on sugary rubbish. So we took our own food the next time only to find a really nice looking street food stall after we'd eaten the food we took in.

Trentham in Stoke on Trent. First time I have been and it was lovely, well worth the money. Just don't buy any of the over priced food from the stalls. We decided to buy some marshmallows to toast on a open fire -- they were £3 each!

National Memorial Arboretum just off the A38 near Lichfield has a 1.5 mile walk.