Alice's Christmas Wonderland at Castle Howard: Yorkshire’s 300 year old stately home has been transformed into a wonderland and it felt like I stepped into Lewis Carroll’s 1865 novel

I went down the rabbit hole at Castle Howard’s event Alice’s Christmas Wonderland and here’s what I thought.

I love the festive season. Yes, I’m that person.

I was invited on behalf of The Yorkshire Post to Castle Howard’s event Alice’s Christmas Wonderland and the elaborate displays made it feel like I had stepped into Lewis Carroll’s 1865 classic tale.

As I arrived at the 300-year-old stately home, I instantly felt the Christmas spirit with many of the trees decorated in twinkle lights in the courtyard. This was the first time this year I felt like Christmas was here.

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Liana Jacob with GBBO 2019 baker Helena Garcia.Liana Jacob with GBBO 2019 baker Helena Garcia.
Liana Jacob with GBBO 2019 baker Helena Garcia. | National World

After I left the ticket office, I bumped into Helena Garcia, who captivated viewers when she showed off her spooky-inspired baking skills on the Great British Bake Off in 2019, and we had a memorable chat.

Since she left the show she had gone on to do incredible things such as publish six books, collaborate with Castle Howard on various events and make a cameo appearance in the HBO series What We Do in the Shadows.

We hopped on a carriage that took us to the Christmas Marquee Entrance where they set up a gift shop that looked like the toy shop in Home Alone 2. It sold many inventive Christmas baubles with Alice in Wonderland themes, as well as books, children’s toys, artificial flowers and plenty of decorations.

Walking down the rabbit hole at Alice's Christmas Wonderland.Walking down the rabbit hole at Alice's Christmas Wonderland.
Walking down the rabbit hole at Alice's Christmas Wonderland. | National World

With the elaborate decorations, the smell of apple and cinnamon, the sounds of jingle bells and the delicious taste of all the festive treats, the Christmas extravaganza elevated all of my senses.

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We first heard a speech by Castle Howard’s visitor attraction coordinator, Abbigail Ollive, and the brains behind the immersive installation Charlotte Lloyd Webber and Adrian Lillie.

While the first group began their tour, we were taken to the pop up market where we indulged in a crumble that we got to assemble. I had an apple and cinnamon crumble with biscoff and vanilla ice cream - it was heavenly! Didn’t take into account how filling it was until later.

The Queen of Hearts sculpture.The Queen of Hearts sculpture.
The Queen of Hearts sculpture. | National World

As we made our way to the entrance of the castle, we were guided through each of the rooms in the stately home which have been transformed into an immersive Christmas experience, dressed in set pieces, decorations, floral arrangements, projections, lighting and sound provided by owner of Castle Howard, Nicholas Howard.

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There were around 30,000 baubles on display, with the creative team at CLW Event Design reusing recycled products and sustainable materials such as paper or glass wherever possible. I was shocked at how realistic the floral displays were.

My favourite rooms were the reimagined home of Lewis Carroll, the Lobster’s Rehearsal room, the Mad Hatter’s Attelier, the Great Hall with the 27ft Christmas tree as the centrepiece, the Tea Party preparations room and the Long Gallery where they displayed a very tall Alice sculpture.

The 27-foot Christmas tree at Castle Howard's Great Hall.The 27-foot Christmas tree at Castle Howard's Great Hall.
The 27-foot Christmas tree at Castle Howard's Great Hall. | National World

The attention to detail was incredible in each themed room especially when it came to the sculptures of the Caterpillar, Queen of Hearts, the White Queen and Alice herself. All the sculptures were created by Mandy Bryson.

I didn’t think it could get more elaborate but every room was more intricate than the one before. It felt like you were part of the production and one of my highlights was going down the ‘rabbit hole’ that was dressed in multi-coloured lights in arch shapes.

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What I loved about it was the fact that you don’t have to have a family with children to appreciate and enjoy it, you can visit with friends too. 

Tea Party preparations at Castle Howard.Tea Party preparations at Castle Howard.
Tea Party preparations at Castle Howard. | National World

None of us could prepare for the feast finale they had in store for us at the end, once we found Alice we walked through to the Mad Hatter’s afternoon tea party and the whole room was filled with treats and drinks of the alcoholic and non-alcoholic kind.

It was a shame that I felt quite full after eating the crumble cake, otherwise I would have devoured the entire room with no regrets.

I’ve always been told to visit Castle Howard’s Christmas events and I’m glad I did. It was a very memorable and nostalgic experience. For a millennial like myself, I always love an excuse to look back at my childhood and reflect on days gone by. It was a special experience and I would recommend it to anyone.

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Mad Hatter's Afternoon Tea Party at Castle Howard.Mad Hatter's Afternoon Tea Party at Castle Howard.
Mad Hatter's Afternoon Tea Party at Castle Howard. | National World

Castle Howard has employed an additional 130 Christmas staff from the local community to run their event, as well as their year-round staff.

Alice’s Christmas Wonderland will run from Friday, November 15, 2024 to Sunday, January 5, 2025 and tickets can be purchased on the Castle Howard website.

I’ve always been told to visit Castle Howard’s Christmas events and I’m glad I did. It was a very memorable and nostalgic experience. 

For a millennial like myself, I always love an excuse to look back at my childhood and reflect on days gone by. It was a special experience and I would recommend it to anyone.

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