A Victorian Christmas experience at Muncaster Castle
Muncaster Castle in the western Lake District is turning back the clocks to a Victorian style Christmas this year, with a series of specially-themed tours on offer to visitors over the festive period.
Throughout December, Victorian Christmas Tours will transport visitors back to 1885, with the Castle atmospherically lit only by candlelight and log fires.
The tours will be guided by servants from the Victorian era, who will dish out tasty titbits of gossip about life below stairs, before serving mulled wine and mince pies in the Castle’s splendid dining room.
The tour will also include a chance to see the Castle decorated in all its festive glory complete with a light show on the front of the Castle.
Peter Frost Pennington, whose family own Muncaster becomes a footman during the Victorian Christmas tours. He says:
“Muncaster’s Victorian Christmas Tours are a great way for people to get into the festive spirit and experience the Castle at its most atmospheric.
“The servants from the Victorian era will give visitors an insight into what Christmas was like in homes at the time, as well as giving people the chance to find out more about the Castle itself.”
It was in the Victorian era that the Christmas celebrations as we know them today really became established.
Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert first made Christmas trees popular in Britain, and by the 1880s the fashion was for increasingly larger and more decorative trees.
Christmas cards had really taken off in the previous decade when the introduction of the halfpenny stamp made postage cheaper, while increased industrialisation and availability of cheaper mass produced toys meant more people could afford to give gifts.
The Victorian tours will be available every Sunday in December as well as December 28th, 29th and 30th, and advance booking is essential as the number of places is limited. Tours are every half an hour from 4pm until 7pm.
From Sunday 22nd November, the Castle will open between 1pm and 3pm every Sunday until the end of December for visitors to see the Castle decorated at this festive time of year.
The gardens will also be lit up on each of the evenings, as part of ‘Darkest Muncaster’. The historic castle will be transformed by lights, music, sound and special effects into an enchanting feast for the senses.
Last entry to the gardens is at 8pm. Creeping Kate’s Kitchen café serves hot food including mulled wine and mince pies until 8pm, and the gift shop will also be open late for last minute Christmas shopping.
Combined full day tickets for the ‘Victorian Christmas Tours’, plus entry to the Castle, Gardens, Owl Centre, MeadowVole Maze and Darkest Muncaster cost only £14.50 for adults, and £8.00 for children.
The early bird special (book by 22 November) allows entry for £12.50 for adults and £6.00 for children.
For ‘Friends of Muncaster’ there are further reductions on the cost of the Victorian Tours if booked in advance. This scheme offers Friends unlimited access to the Gardens during normal opening times, as well as other benefits making it a great Christmas present. For more information on how to become a ‘Friend’ of Muncaster, visit muncaster.co.uk/friends-muncaster.
For more information on Muncaster’s ‘Victorian Christmas Tours’ and ‘Darkest Muncaster’ visit the website, muncaster.co.uk, or email info@muncaster.co.uk during office hours.
