Chawton House will open its doors for the festive season on December 1 with a beautiful display celebrating Christmas traditions of days gone by.
With hand-crafted decorations throughout the house and wreaths and foliage taken from across the estate, Christmas at Chawton House honours the tradition of manor houses being decorated with arts and crafts.
Following on from the success of last year’s festive installation The Twelve Knits Of Christmas, Chawton House’s volunteer Christmas committee has been busy crafting an exciting new display for 2022 – Once Upon A Pantomime.
Celebrating the Christmas tradition of visiting the theatre, Once Upon A Pantomime brings to life much-loved fairy tales, including Peter Pan, Cinderella and Jack And The Beanstalk.
Created using materials found around the home, this magical festive display is a homage to craft and will delight visitors of all ages.
Chawton House will be open from December 1 to 9, with winter opening hours of 10am to 3.30pm.
The house and gardens will then remain open late to visitors from December 10 to January 1 as The Glimmering Gardens returns to Chawton House. Following the popularity of last year’s trail, The Glimmering Gardens will be even bigger and will bring the gardens to life.
Follow twinkling lights around the moonlit grounds, spot woodland creatures that call Chawton House home, and enjoy the gardens after dark.
The Old Kitchen Tea Room will have a special festive menu, including delicious home-made mince pies and mulled wine, and the shop will be filled with seasonal delights and stocking fillers.
Chawton House will be closed on December 5, 6, 12 and 13, and on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Seasonal events at Chawton House include weekday Christmas-themed modern calligraphy for beginners (Thursday, November 24 and Thursday, December 8, 5pm to 7pm), a Christmas embroidery workshop (Friday, November 25, 6pm to 8pm), the Christmas Fayre (Saturday, November 26 and Sunday, November 27, 11am to 4pm), a festive supper (Friday, December 2, 6pm to 8pm or 7.30pm to 9.30pm), a weekend version of the Christmas calligraphy session (Saturday, December 3 and Sunday, December 11, 10.30am to 2pm), Christmas ghost stories (Saturday, December 3, 7.30pm to 9pm), and a festive wreath workshop (Wednesday, December 14, 5pm to 7.30pm).
For more information, or to book places or tickets for any of these events, visit https://chawtonhouse.org/