The countdown has begun to Christmas at Wollaton which is soon to return for 2022, promising a bigger, and better display that ever before.
Now in its third year, after two sell-out events, Wollaton Hall & Deer Park will host the breath-taking Christmas outdoor lights trail, as the formal gardens are transformed as evening falls across the grounds.
The installation team has now started work on site to create a thrilling display, with a brand-new trail for 2023 taking elements from previous designs and creating a stunning new display, with sights and sounds.
Christmas at Wollaton opens on from Friday 2 December 2022 until Sunday 1 January 2023, with pre-bookable slots.
Wollaton Hall is one of the city’s most distinctive sites perched high above the surrounding park. Never normally open in the evening, the Christmas at Wollaton outdoor trail, is a unique festive experience for all ages and has become an annual tradition for many visitors and for many marks the start of the festive season.
Manchester-based dbnAudile, known for their art installations across the country and beyond, have designed the atmospheric trail, in the formal gardens around the hall.
The lighting display will accentuate the flora and fauna and shows the stunning historic landscape in a new light, with many new aspects honouring the nature of Wollaton Hall. Firm favourites will return such as the majestic deer, celebrating the ancestry and the real live inhabitants of the park. There are more than 500 acres of landscaped deer-park, where herds of red and fallow deer roam freely, who have been a feature since the first enclosure in the middle of the fourteenth century.
There is also a specifical emphasis on celebrating the noble and ancient cedar and oak trees which sit in the formal gardens. Their grandeur will be honoured with delicate under lighting to bring the trees to life.
Other new features this year will include “I saw three ships” – a wonderful sea of lights and inspired by the Wollaton stars which were a major hit at last year’s display. A rainbow “geometric tunnel” of light will feature a modern twist on the avenue of lights with a wall of shapes and bursts of colour.
The “festive finale” will illuminate the hall itself, one of the finest examples of an Elizabethan Renaissance House which was designed and built by the Robert Smithson for Sir Francis Willoughby.
Stephen Page, Director of, DBN Audile, who has recently worked on Blue Dot Festival in Cheshire comments:
“We’re really excited to be back at Christmas at Wollaton this year, working with Kilimanjaro and the team to create the best and most spectacular event yet.
“We’ve taken inspiration from the unique landscape at Wollaton Hall to create another show-stopping trail. We’re lucky to have such an amazing backdrop and we’re looking forward to welcoming visitors to experience our all-new seasonal trail design, created to inspire all ages, at this unique venue.”
As well as enjoying the dazzling lighting display there will be the opportunity to enjoy festive food and drink with traditional mulled wine, marshmallows, and treats positioned in the courtyard at the end of the trail.
Christmas at Wollaton has pre-bookable slots staggered every 30 minutes and runs from Friday 2 December 2022 until Sunday 1 January 2023 (and will be closed on 5 and 25 December).
Tickets are priced from *£21.45 for an adult and *£15.40 for children *Including booking fee. Nottingham residents discount available (for council taxpayers).
For full ticket details visit. www.christmasatwollaton.org
Facebook @wollatonhall
Twitter and Instagram – @wollatonlights
Posted on 22 November 2022
