Christmas Events at Wallington

This is an advertisement feature with National Trust Wallington 

I am throwing myself head first into all things Christmas this year and as the festive season begins my diary is crammed full of so many afternoon teas, carol singing and wreath making I'm not sure when I'm going to get a chance to finish shopping for presents! If there's one place guaranteed to get you into the Christmas spirit this year it has to be Wallington whose programme of seasonal treats has got me thinking I should perhaps just set up camp there throughout December so I don't miss anything.

National Trust always know how to celebrate at this time of year and Christmas at Wallington looks set to be bigger and better than ever.

Simon and I were like two excited kids on Christmas Eve when we got invited for a little look behind the scenes as Wallington prepare for the festive season. The house is currently closed as the team are hard at work carefully decorating the rooms ahead of the great reveal on 30 November so we felt very honoured to be allowed a little preview of what we can expect at Wallington this Christmas time.

Christmas at Wallington

Christmas is a really special time at Wallington and from 30 November you can fully immerse yourself in the festive season with plenty happening in and around the house.

Visitors will be greeted into Wallington by a very special Christmas Tree - the 30 ft tree has been sourced from Harwood Forest at the top of the Wallington Estate and will be illuminated with thousands of lights. The Courtyard comes alive at Christmas time and if you still have some gifts to purchase the Christmas Shop at Wallington is a beautiful Winter Wonderland of seasonal goodies and local produce which make perfect gifts.

I can't believe that this was our first ever trip inside the house at Wallington to see the Christmas decorations. Despite having been National Trust members for years we've somehow always missed it so if you're finding that your diary is already beginning to fill up make sure that you get a date at Wallington in there before you run out of days because believe me, it's the most beautiful place to get into the Christmas spirit.

Entering the house we made our way round each beautifully decorated room. There's nothing like a festive trip to Wallington to inspire you to really up your decorating skills, why can't our house look this beautiful at Christmas? Each room is being perfectly decorated with fireplaces decked with garlands, baubles and fairy lights.

My favourite was the incredible dining room decked out in white feathers, tiny little angels, paper Christmas trees and a table to be truly jealous of. Just imagine having your Christmas lunch somewhere as beautiful as this - the views over the Northumberland countryside to enjoy as you tuck into your turkey are something else.

If all that wasn't impressive enough the Central Hall truly took my breath away, it's a very impressive room at any time of the year  but with the addition of an incredible 20 foot high Christmas tree dressed with 3,000 lights it really is a sight to see.

We were so honoured to be the first people to see this years Christmas tree and it gave me goosebumps.  For someone who loves Christmas as much as me this really was quite some moment and this beauty really is a must see this Festive season.

If you want to enjoy the house dressed for Christmas yourself then you will not only discover all of the beautifully decorated rooms like we did but you'll also be able to enjoy music in the Central Hall, Christmas baking in the kitchen (if you've ever been to Wallington you'll know how incredible that will be!) and stories with Mrs Christmas.

Perhaps the most exciting part for me though, and the reason we will definitely be going back before the end of Christmas, is that the house is also open for twilight hours, giving you an amazing opportunity to see the house lit for Christmas after dark.

Experience Christmas at Wallington:

Daytime:  30 November, 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22 and 23 December 10:00 am - 4:00pm
Twilight:  30 November, 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21 December 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Admission:  Normal admission charges apply with discounted admission after 4:00 pm to £5.00 per adult and £2.50 per child.

Festive Afternoon Tea at Wallington 

A first for Wallington this Christmas is the chance to enjoy Festive Afternoon Tea in the Central Hall. A truly exclusive experience, the house will be closed to the public during the Tea allowing you the opportunity to explore the house dressed for Christmas in an intimate setting.

Settle yourself down at a table in the Central Hall and admire the beautiful Christmas Tree as you enjoy your cakestand of treats whilst listening to a pianist playing seasonal music. Such a great treat to take a few hours away from the endless merry-go-round of present wrapping and school plays.

We took our Tea in the Parlour, originally used as a sitting room its beautiful fireplace and original William Morris wallpaper made it such a special place for our Festive Afternoon Tea and we couldn't believe how special it felt to be dining in such a unique space. It's not every day you get to have afternoon tea in a beautiful country house with so much history.

The Festive Afternoon Tea at Wallington is the perfect treat with the most delicious seasonal flavours packed onto the cakestand. We began with Finger Sandwiches - Smoked Salmon with Dill and Orange Butter (Simon hasn't stopped going on about that one!), Egg Mayonnaise & Watercress, Northumbrian Cheese & Red Onion Chutney (my absolute favourite) and of course, the must have Turkey, Cranberry and Chestnut Stuffing.

The scone tier was a delight with two scones each - a Plain and a Spiced Cranberry that made me feel instantly Christmassy as soon as I bit into it. Served with sticky sweet jam and indulgent clotted cream, they were some of the best scones we've ever had on an afternoon tea.

The sweet tier was Christmas on a plate with the cutest mini Christmas Cake, Mince Pie Filo Parcel, Rose & Almond Choux Bun and the very tempting Chocolate & Orange Tart. Such an incredible feast of treats and a great pre Christmas indulgence.

Experience Festive Afternoon Tea at Wallington

Dates: 4, 5, 11, 12, 18 and 19 December from 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Admission: £30.00 per person - Booking essential on 01670 773 606
Adult Only

Christmas Crafts in the House

If the Christmas prep is all getting a bit too much for you may I recommend a couple of hours in the house at Wallington partaking in some Christmas crafts. There are two craft lessons available and you can choose between creating a book folded Christmas Tree or a Ribbon Wreath which you can then take away to make your home look truly special this Christmas time. Crafting includes a cup of a tea and a mince pie and there really is no more relaxing way to spend a morning.

Those who have been reading my blog for a while will know that crafting is definitely not my strength.  I'm really not very creative and usually struggle to follow the simplest of instructions so avoid arts and crafts as much as I possibly can. So let me just tell you that Christmas Crafts at Wallington was so much fun and I absolutely loved it.

I created my very own Ribbon Wreath and it was so easy to follow yet really beautiful and effective. Who knew you could create something so lovely with very little effort. I loved that I was able to craft and gossip at the same time and even said to Simon that I'd quite actually fancy a spot of crafting on Christmas Day after lunch, it's so relaxing!

Simon opted for the Book Folded Christmas Tree which I have to admit I was a bit scared of when I saw it, the finished decoration looks so beautiful and I wasn't convinced that I'd ever be able to create something that good, but it was actually another really fun and a simple creation using only two folds.  Simon is now hooked and I'm a bit worried that if I leave him near my book shelf at home for too long I will return to find that he has turned all of my books into Book Folded Christmas Trees!

Experience Christmas Crafting at Wallington

Dates: 29 November, 6, 13 and 20 December from 10:30 am - 12:30 pm
Admission: £20.00 per person - please advise when booking which craft you would like to do
Booking essential on 01670 773 606

Other Activities at Wallington this Christmas

There are plenty of other activities happening at Wallington this Christmas including:

Meet Father Christmas

Take a wander through the house at Wallington and admire the beautiful Christmas decorations before heading to see Father Christmas in his grotto who will be handing out gifts to children

Dates: 30 November, 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22 and 23 December between 10:00 am and 4:00pm
Admission: £12.00 per child including gift
Normal admission applies to enter the house with after hours admission discounted after 4:00 pm to £5.00 per adult and £2.50 per child.
Booking essential on 01670 773 606

Jingle Bell Jog

A nice relief after all that chocolate - partake in either a 1 mile or 3 mile jog round the grounds at Wallington sporting your favourite Christmas jumper or fancy dress. Enjoy festive tunes and receive a Santa hat to wear as you run.  A medal, certificate and goody bag await you at the end with the café open for warm drinks and breakfast afterwards.

Date: 15 December
1 mile jog - 9:00 am registration for 9:30 am start
3 mile jog - 10:00 am registration for 10:30 am start
Admission: £10.00 per child
Under 8s must be accompanied by an adult
Booking essential on 01670 773 606

With so many great Christmas events happening at Wallington over the next few weeks we are already planning a return trip before the big day.  Hopefully we'll see you there!

Find Wallington at:

Cambo
Nr Morpeth
Northumberland
NE61 4AR

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/wallington

This is a sponsored feature with National Trust.  We also received a complimentary afternoon tea and Christmas craft class 

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christmas, north east