Nostell Priory: Christmas has arrived at one of Yorkshire's most spectacular homes

Nostell Priory has long been hailed as one of the greatest houses in the North and it comes alive at Christmas in its own special way.

After flourishing for over 400 years the priory was surrendered to Henry VIII in 1540 during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. After various owners, Nostell, near Wakefield, was eventually sold to the Winn family in 1654, with whom it remained until it passed to the National Trust.

It was created not simply as a home, but to send out an important message about the Winn family who owned it.

The Winns made money from the London textile trade during the Tudor period. During the following century the family used their wealth to invest in property and land, which included the Nostell estate. Most of Nostell was designed and built by two generations of the Winn family between c.1727 and 1785.

A spokesman said: “The house showcases interiors by Robert Adam, a world-class Thomas Chippendale collection, a rare 18th century dolls’ house, an exquisite painting of Sir Thomas More and his family, one of the first longcase clocks made by the famous inventor, John Harrison, and the intricately decorated Hongs punch bowl.”

Many of the rooms take on a festive flavour at this time of year with gingerbread houses and Christmas trees on display.

Nostell’s Georgian house is home to a huge collection, including six of the ‘125 Treasures’ explored in the Trust’s recent book of the same name.

Nostell’s 300 acres of gardens and parkland include wildflower meadows, rippling lakes and majestic woodland, from the winding paths of the menagerie garden to the regimented beds in the working kitchen garden that supplies the courtyard cafe.

The gardens are home to the adventure play area. Retail therapy is on offer in the courtyard shop seven days a week and the secondhand book shop is open as many days as possible.