Christmas at Buckland Abbey
From 1-20 December, Christmas arrives inside the abbey as the ground floor is transformed into an Elizabethan inspired Christmas home. Imagine the pots and pans in the kitchen bubbling away with delicious winter feasts, enjoy a moment of peace in the chapel and immerse yourself in the magic of the season in the great hall. On Tuesday 1, 8 and 15 December see our costumed guides prepare a festive dinner in the kitchen between 11.30am-3.30pm. Olde Father Christmas comes home over the weekends, giving children young and old the chance to rediscover the Christmas magic within the great hall.
Throughout the last few days of November the elves from the National Association of Flower Arranging Society have been busy preparing the Christmas celebrations within Buckland’s great barn. Join us from 1-20 December as the society unveils their grand interpretation of the twelve days of Christmas.
Add a personal touch to your festivities with a series of drop-in workshops at Buckland. Highlights include creating felt decorations with the Wet Felting Company on 6 and 13 December (normal admission plus £3 per person) and indoor woodland craft making with the Naturemake team on 19 and 20 December (normal admission plus £2-£8) per person. Please visit Buckland Abbey’s website for more details of our festive schedule.
What could be better than a walk through the woods on a frosty winter’s day? Buckland’s four way marked trails across the estate are available as usual during December and offer some spectacular views across Dartmoor and the Tavy valley. Four legged friends are welcome on the walks too – just ask for a map when you arrive at Visitor Welcome.
The gardens are also open, and are a wonderful place to enjoy a moment of peace and quiet, surrounded only by bird song and the crunch of leaves underfoot. If you need a haven of calm away from packed shopping centres and queues of traffic, look no further.
Our restaurant will be running a festive menu throughout December this year. Treat yourself to a mince pie or a warming mulled cider, or meet friends for a home cooked lunch before adventuring out on a woodland walk. Head upstairs to pick up some extra special gifts in our shop before you go. With beautiful items to suit all budgets, we have everything from cards and decorations to food and drink, books and homeware, so no matter who you're buying for, you're bound to find that perfect present.
Buckland Abbey re-opens between 27 December – 3 January (closed New Year’s Day) for post-Christmas walks with family and friends around the gardens and estate and for warming hot chocolates within our restaurant.
For more information about Christmas at Buckland Abbey please visit our website www.nationaltrust.org.uk/buckland, call us on 01822 853607 or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.