Christmas at Hever Castle
With so many Grottos and activities to choose from in the festive period, it can feel quite overwhelming and I can definitely raise my hand when someone asks “Are you worried you’re missing out on something?” We’ve tested quite a few family friendly activities in December, but there’s only one that we return to every year. The release of the tickets is always marked in my calendar and I’m going to let you in on our little secret, so keep reading if you want to know more.
Why Visit Hever Castle before Christmas?
Hever Castle boasts beautiful grounds, plenty of parking, activities for young and old and a fantastic Santa’s Grotto. Christmas at Hever starts at the end of November and lasts till just after the new year’s. You need to pre-book tickets online as it’s a really popular time and you don’t want to be disappointed. If you want to see Father Christmas, make sure you book the visit too.
But why do we keep returning? After leaving the car park and entering the grounds, Christmas music fills your ears and sets the mood. Our children almost run down the hill to the Italian Gardens and Courtyard Shop. They love running free and deciding which path we should take and know well where to find Santa’s Grotto.
Whereas some Grottos can feel a bit rushed, we’ve never experienced that at Hever thanks to the timed entry. This year we wandered through a snowy forest trying to spot as many owls and other animals that live in the forest before we reached the Elves working hard at sorting the post. Children were invited to help the Elves and find their own Elf name. It’s quite difficult to make the children wait, so providing them with an activity was well thought through.
After leaving the Elves behind, we headed towards Santa’s house. With a bit of the queue in front of us, children played with the present machine and chatted to some Elves and finally it was our turn. We had a chat with Mrs Claus and then we met the man himself. Father Christmas (or Santa) really takes his time with each family. He talked to our children about themselves, their interests and what they wish for Christmas. He even remembered last year’s present our son insisted on bringing along. You can imagine how much joy that brought to our little boy.
What else is there?
Spending time with Father Christmas and the Elves made us hungry and we headed to Moat Grab&Go cafe for refreshments. There’s also a restaurant if you prefer a proper meal.
Every year there’s a story trail and this year, quite on trend, this was The Land of Oz. The story takes you from Kansas all the way along the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City. We have loads of fun reading the story, pressing buttons and watching light show on the trail. Everything is thought through and this year the castle itself was bathed in green to maintain the Emerald City vibe. While enjoying the grounds, keep an eye out for the characters too as they roam the area and interact with visitors.
With children, make sure you make time for the play areas. There’s a smaller one for younger children and an absolutely epic castle / climbing frame aimed at over 7s. It’s so big, we lost our children multiple times. In winter months, play areas close around 4pm due to the dark.
Every year, there’s a little fairground too and we hop onto the Ferris wheel to see the beautiful views. This year we enjoyed the funny mirrors maze, child sized rollercoaster and the carousel.
The Yew Maze is also open and closes before dark, which is currently around 15:45.
Going inside the castle is also a must because it’s beautifully decorated with tens of Christmas trees, all boasting a different design.
Once it gets dark, we can really appreciate the lights and light shows. It’s one of our favourite things and the mini Christmas disco at the Loggia this year made it almost impossible to get our children to leave.
Details
Christmas at Hever Castle, tickets range between £16 (child over 5) and £24.50 (adults) for the castle and grounds, or £16 (with Father Christmas, child 0-4), £32 (with Father Christmas, child 5-17).
Parking is free and there’s plenty of space.
Castle is situated on the Kent/Sussex/Surrrey border, Satellite navigation use Post Code TN8 7NG and what3words – ///wedge.secret.loves
If you travel by train, the nearest station is 3 miles away, Edenbridge Town Station.
