Hillsborough Castle opens doors to Christmas past for festive tours throughout December

Throughout designated days in December, visitors will find household staff preparing for festivities on arrival, and with the help of costumed, character guides, will discover the origin of some of Hillsborough Castle & Gardens’ long-standing Christmas traditions and the festive feast.

Learning Producer for Schools and Families, Maria Magill who has developed the tours with the team at Hillsborough Castle says they have been designed to delve into the past and understand what Christmas was like in the Castle over 170 years ago.

Maria commented; “Christmas has always been a grand and wonderful event at Hillsborough Castle and we’re so excited to be opening it up for families this festive season.

“Back in 1850, the Hill family were getting ready to celebrate the fifth birthday of the Earl of Hillsborough. Our records tell us that during celebrations that year, the Earl was treated to a performance of Tom Thumb in the dining room – the star of the show was a real cow which had been brought in from the estate farm for the occasion! Our guests will be invited to explore the origins of panto with a short extract from the story of Tom Thumb, while also learning about the parlour games that would have been played in the Drawing Room.”

Crafters can also enjoy a weekend of Christmas wreath making on Friday 9 and Saturday December 10, where ivy, holly berries and festive foliage will be plucked from the royal gardens and weaved together to handmake a wreath for the season.

Hillsborough Castle is also home to the Christmas at Hillsborough light trail. The spectacular trail will provide an enchanting walk throughout the royal gardens, with over a million twinkling lights and seasonal sounds creating festive magic for the whole family.

Butterfly Effect, by Masamichi Shimada, courtesy of Light Art Collection is an exclusive installation for Hillsborough Castle at this year’s trail, which portrays how something as delicate as a butterfly can hold a huge amount of power.

For further information and to book tickets visit hrp.org.uk/Hillsborough-Castle.