Stourhead festive celebrations add new date

Christmas at Stourhead is back with a host of new installations and features.

The experience has begun its five-week run at the National Trust property, and tickets have been in such demand that a new date - Thursday 7 December - has been added to the schedule. 

One of the much-anticipated new features on display is Mycelium Network, by Stevie Thompson of Custom Fibre Optics.

He said: “Apart from being completely obsessed and passionate about fibre optic lighting, I’m also very interested and inspired by mushrooms too, with their magical and medicinal properties.

“It was the perfect opportunity to collaborate both of my hobbies into a work of art.”

Also new to Stourhead is Meadow of Light, by Lightworks, another design using fibre optics to create thousands of twinkling lights moving in waves across the ground.

Crystal Tree, by French lighting designers Pitaya, has a magical effect when the crystals light up as if animated by a glow of their own, whilst Tree Halos, by Event Design, is a series of glowing rings which appear to float in mid-air around the tree’s trunk at different heights.

Selfie favourite Christmas Cathedral is 24 metres long and around 100 people have been involved in the trail build. There are 40 tree halos and 100 crystals hung in the trees. The trail itself is 100 percent powered by renewable biodiesel.  The spectacular Sea of Light installation is 2,000 square metres.

A spokesperson for the event said: "Buy a seasonal snack from one of the hand-picked street food vendors who bring an indulgent twist to tempting treats on offer.

"Complete your walk under the stars with a perfectly festive spiced winter warmer, hot chocolate or toasted marshmallow and share it with someone special.

"Christmas at Stourhead provides a special way to celebrate the festive season with an unmissable after-dark experience. The trail is designed for visitors of all ages and is accessible for everyone to enjoy."

Full details including booking information and prices can be found at christmasatstourhead.co.uk