‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse…
So begins the much-loved children’s Christmas poem A Visit From St Nicholas – but at Rotherham’s Stately home Wentworth Woodhouse plenty has been stirring for over 10 months, in readiness for its home-spun festive event inspired by the story.
Its Yuletide experience ’Twas The Night Before Christmas is open from 4th to 29th December (excluding Mondays and statutory holidays), along with a spectacular light trail in the West Front Gardens.
The familiar story of St Nicholas’s arrival unfolds for visitors in the mansion’s State Rooms. The State Corridor will be transformed into a snowy tundra and the Van Dyck Room will become a Christmas Eve bedroom scene, complete with a beautifully dressed antique bed.
Other rooms will feature a gift-laden Christmas morning scene and a Victorian Christmas feast.
A trail of smartly-dressed character mice, plus gingerbread men, toy soldiers and sugar plum fairies awaits. Christmas stockings will be hung by the Whistlejacket and Statuary Room chimneys, exactly as Georgian poet Clement Clarke Moore described in the poem he penned for his children.
The most stunning scene will take up the mansion’s famed Marble Saloon. A giant Nordic sleigh will stand in a moonlight forest beneath a starry sky. Families can climb aboard the sleigh for a magical festive selfie.
This will be Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust’s second ‘home-spun’ festive spectacular. 2023’s event, A Tale as Old as Time, was inspired by classic fairytales. Over 16,000 visitors flocked to see the Grade I Listed mansion in an enchanted slumber.
It was such a resounding success that in January its creative directors, Head Gardener Scott Jamieson and Events Manager Helen Flower, re-assembled their 12-strong workforce to start planning Christmas 2024.
Helen said: “The Christmas event is the Trust’s biggest financial commitment of the year and great effort goes into making it truly spectacular.
“Many stately homes have far bigger pockets than we have and can afford to hire external companies and all the props and scenery required. At Wentworth Woodhouse, we always make every penny count and harnessing the amazing talent of our volunteer and staff teams means we can really make the most of our budget.”
‘Twas The Night Before Christmas will see Scott Jamieson, a former florist who for many years has dressed the house for Christmas, raiding his gardens to create stunning indoor settings and enlisting his army of gardening volunteers.
Neil Power, who began as a Trust volunteer and is now an Events and Filming Officer, is in charge of construction – everything from scenery and toy soldiers to Victorian-style lamp posts.
Volunteers bringing a wide range of skills to the festive table include Julie Vickers, who is drawing on a background in textiles to create a mouse trail for children, and is embroidering coverlets for the bedroom scene. Victoria Nowell is carefully stitching the giant Christmas stockings and Robin Linkens is creating illuminated ballerinas for a sugar plum dream scene.
Visitors can book combined tickets for both events at a discounted price, Light Trail only or ’Twas The Night Before Christmas only. For more information visit www.wentworthwoodhouse.org.uk/whats-on/twas-the-night-before-christmas.
Ticket prices
Combined tickets for ’Twas The Night Before Christmas and Light Trail (includes booking fees):
Adult (17+) £25.00
Child (3-16) £19.00
Family (2 adults and 2 children) £80.00
Accompanying carers and infants aged 2 and under – free
Tickets for Light Trail only or ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas only (includes booking fees):
Adult (17+) £20.00
Child (3-16) £14.00
Family (2 adults and 2 children) £55.00
Accompanying carers and infants aged 2 and under – free.