Of all the Christmas light trail reviews I’ve done this year Ashridge House Illuminated is the review that I was most nervous about. I hadn’t heard great things about the Halloween trail last year, and the Christmas one hadn’t gone down much better. I have no problem saying when a somewhere is rubbish, even if it’s gifted (take Silverstone light trail as an example), but I didn’t fancy schlepping the kids around in the cold and dark if it was going to be awful. However they told me they were using a new company so I thought I’d give it a try.
We were invited to the press night of Ashridge House Illuminated to do this review of the Christmas light trail but they had no input into its contents and didn’t see it prior to publication. To see my review of the gardens at Ashridge more generally have a look here.
What’s the trail like?
Do you remember back in 2019 when Waddesdon Manor was still good? Well Ashridge House Illuminated has got lots of the elements of that Christmas light trail, with plenty of its own additions as well. At the beginning of the trail there’s a small food a drink village. You’ll find pizzas, hotdogs, burgers, cakes, and drinks. There’s also some very yummy waffles that you really should try!
It’s on a flat, accessible path that took us about an hour to do. They have dog friendly nights every Wednesday after 7pm. The trail doesn’t include access to the house though.
Not more flood lit trees?
I recently had a bit of a moan in a review about a Christmas light trail that relied on flood lit trees, and Ashridge House Illuminated started with flood lit trees. I had a sense of foreboding if I’m honest. But that instantly disappointed when I saw the greenhouse. They had the light in motion globes, just on a smaller scale. They dance around to music and it’s really cool.
Side note – I think I missed a bit of the trail because we came and of the greenhouse and turned left but I think we could also have turned right. I saw some people standing in a section of the garden I’ve just realised we never went to. Also it mentions on the website that there are strobe lights on the trail, but we didn’t see any. Maybe check that bit out for yourselves.
Outside they’ve got interactive buttons to make the garden lights glow different colours. Actually, this is just the first of several interactive elements in the gardens. Plus there’s massive disco balls in the trees so it looks like there’s fireflies everywhere.
The rose garden has got hundreds (probably) of rose lights that change colour. This is another one of the elements that used to be at Waddesdon, and actually they had it at Blenheim last year as well, but I think they’re beautiful.
The big showstoppers
As you walk through the rose garden you can see glimmers of the light tunnel. They actually used this bit really effectively for their Easter trail as well. This is probably your first big photo op. You can see from this photo that actually parts of the trail do get quite soggy. It’s not like we’ve had loads of rain, so if it has been wet I’d probably take wellies for the kids. I’m glad I did!
The house itself is lit up to music which is always pretty. And then there’s the giant bauble (another Waddesdon remnant) which gives you the chance for some really cool photos! Actually, they might not be from there, it could just be a coincidence. I do wonder what happens to these things when they’re no longer used?
Interactive elements
I haven’t gone through all of the things in this review that you’ll see as part of the Christmas light trail at Ashridge House Illuminated because they’ve actually managed to squeeze a lot into not particularly big gardens. As you get to the end of the trail though you’ll find most of the interactive elements. There’s a piano you play by stepping on the lights, trees you can change the colour of by tapping a button and ones that look a bit like a laser trail to change the colours of the trees. I imagine these bits will be really popular.
Admission cost
£61.50 (super peak) / £57.50 (peak) / £52.50 (off-peak): Family (2 adults, 2 under 12). Pre-book online.
Parking / How to get there
Parking – Parking on-site. £3 charge, pre-bookable when you book your tickets
Address – Ashridge House, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, HP4 1NS
Toilets
Port-a-loos
Food
Food and drink village on site
Our Ashridge House Illuminated Christmas Light Trail Review
I was pleasantly surprised by this trail. We were there for an hour (although possibly longer if we did miss a bit!) and really enjoyed it. It felt like every few steps there’s another feature of the trail, and they’re decent ones as well. I’d definitely do this again in future years. This is the third light trail we’ve done this year and the kids said it was better than Waddesdon Manor, but not as good as Blenheim Palace (mainly because it doesn’t include the palace decorations apparently).
For lots more ideas of things to do over the Christmas period have a look at the Christmas pages here.
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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.
You’ll find the essential information you need to know before your visit that can be surprisingly hard to find out. Where do I park? How much will it cost me to get in? Are there any discounts available? Are there loos? Can I take a picnic or get food? My aim is to be your go-to guide for all your free and cheap family days out across Bucks, Beds, Oxon, Herts & slightly beyond. I really hope you find the reviews helpful. If there’s anywhere that you’d recommend please get in touch contact@freetimewiththekids.com or get in touch via Facebook