This post is purely about the Christmas displays at Hughenden Manor. For my main review of Hughenden Manor (including lots of photos) click here. Don’t miss the new playground – it’s brilliant but slightly hidden so easy to miss. The house and gardens at Hughenden Manor have now opened for the Christmas season and we’ve been down today to have a look.
Currently only the rooms downstairs (including the WW2 exhibition) are open. There are not as many decorations as there are in a normal year. Last year it was understandable, but I’m not sure why this year. They’ve got trees in every room downstairs, plus in the cafe. Just stick a couple of those upstairs and open it up? To see what it’s like in a normal year, just click the image below.
The Christmas decorations inside the house at Hughenden Manor this year are mainly just the tree and the odd garland. But they do have a theme of the “Twelve days of Christmas” and so each room also has elements to tie in with that. So in one room there are ten top hats and next to the Christmas tree is a mannequin in a suit. In another room the tree is covered in gold rings etc.
The gardens
There are a few decorations around the grounds of Hughenden Manor that also tie in with the Twelve Days of Christmas theme. In fact you’re greeted with pipers piping as soon as you walk down the main footpath from the car park.
It wasn’t until I was looking at the website that I realised the wicker things by the front door were supposed to be five gold rings! Doh.
And then there’s more in the garden (these are swans a swimming not geese a laying BTW).
Christmas events at Hughenden Manor
There’s no nationwide Christmas trail this year. Instead each property is doing their own events but Hughenden isn’t doing a Children’s trail. There are various other events though**; Christmas story-telling sessions, seasonal crafts, and twilight tours.
Our Hughenden Manor at Christmas review
The visitor numbers at Hughenden Manor are always significantly less than at other local NT properties, just because it’s smaller. Having been to Christmas at Waddesdon Manor the week before, it was quite refreshing to be somewhere quieter.
Admission Cost
Entry – Free for NT members, £35.80 for a 2 adult family ticket, £21.50 for a 1 adult family ticket. Admission to the house is included.
Parking / How to get there
Parking – Free, on-site. There is a bit of a walk from the car park to the house along a sometimes muddy track.
Toilets
Yes – including baby change.
Food
Currently the cafe is open and there is both indoor and outdoor seating available. Picnics are allowed in the orchard.
Hi, I’m Vicky. My husband and I live in Aylesbury with our three children; a 14 year old son, an 12 year old son and a 6 year old daughter. I (mostly) love spending time together as a family. We visit all kinds of places and we’re quite happy to drive a fair distance for a decent day out. A few years ago I decided to set up Free Time with the Kids as a way to share our experiences of these family days out.
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