Christmas at Dunham Massey Review
DISCLOSURE – THIS EXPERIENCE WAS GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST/S FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW.
Reviewed by Deborah Banasko
It may be the 13th November but it is never too early for Christmas in our house, so my three kids and I dug out the Christmas jumpers and drove to the beautiful National Trust location of Dunham Massey for their festive light show.
Dunham Massey is located in Greater Manchester and features a lovely 17th century Georgian house surrounded by a vast deer park. Whilst you can’t visit the house during the Christmas trail it is worth a daytime visit in the future as we are National Trust members and visit regularly.
On arrival we were directed to the carpark with ease, however they do check that you have reserved a parking spot so make sure that you do this beforehand. The main Dunham Massey entrance is still open and has a lovely gift shop and toilets, but there are more facilities as you walk into the light event.
The Christmas event entrance is beautiful with two giant lit-up reindeer and a huge food court. Whilst the car park was full, it didn’t feel overcrowded inside and queues for the food were small. The was some undercover seating, possibly not quite enough but the weather was fine so a lot of people were standing to eat. You can buy anything from loaded fries to pizza or Greek food, and there were crepes and various sweets and drinks. You may want to wait to toast a marshmallow half-way around the trail so take that into account before you eat. It cost us £7.50 for three large marshmallows on a stick with sauce and sprinkles so factor that into your spending.
My kids made a beeline for the beautiful carousel which was £3 per person but a decent ride duration so I felt worth it. There was also a helter-skelter, double swing and a toddler ride.
This was all wonderful, but the light show is what we really came to see, and it was amazing. As a general comment, we loved the flow and mood changes created as particular light displays were coupled with atmospheric music. One minute we were dancing away to “Step into Christmas” with rainbow lights (I believe that we were the only family dancing, but who cares!) and the next we had a more eery wintery scene listening to Disney’s Anastasia “Once Upon a December”. There were plenty of upbeat classics, a couple of more religious numbers giving a lovely nod to the season plus some more haunting tunes. This meant there was something for everything and it never felt repetitive or boring. There was even a dance floor area (or at least we assumed it was) towards the end. It was meticulously planned, and they really pulled off something quite special.
All the usual favourites were there, hanging lanterns, the white light tunnel and Christmas trees. However, the light up projection was unlike anything I have seen; the mansion house had a light show projected onto the walls whilst a well know classic belted out (cue more dancing). Yet juxta positioned around the other side of the house there must have been over a hundred eery flamed torches arranged in rows.
My kids loved the little extras which you don’t usually get with a light show; a smoke machine, and Santa was there in his little log cabin waving to everyone who passed by and huddled in for a photo. There was a bubble machine with a twist… let’s just say that the mixture works well under the accompanied fluorescent lights so have your camera ready for when the bubbles pop! We laughed a lot!
Our visit lasted two hours, and that included marshmallows and drinks plus the carousel ride.
A ticket for myself and three children tonight (off peak) would have been £52.50 (peak would cost £78.50 for the four of us). The off-peak price feels like a real bargain for such a fantastic evening out and we do feel ready to write our letters to Santa this weekend now. The peak price even feels fair in honesty. More details on the pricing is shown below.
I want to mention the staff as they were wonderful. We arrived very late for our time slot due to a series of incidents on our journey, but the staff were wonderful and understanding. Members of the team were positioned throughout the trail but at a distance should you need assistance, and there were a few benches should you need to rest.
I have been to several Christmas trails, some longer and some shorter, but as a family we felt this offered far more in terms of variety, music and fun. The atmosphere was amazing, and the backdrop with the lake and swans was something quite unique and special. We saw families, groups of teens and adult groups of all ages having a fantastic evening so this isn’t just an event for children. A wonderful 5 stars out of 5.
Rating: 5/5 stars
Price: Adult £19- £27.50 each
Child £12.50- £18.50 each
Family ticket £40- £88
You can visit Christmas at Dunham Massey from 14th November until 3rd January, and book your tickets here: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/cheshire-greater-manchester/dunham-massey/christmas-lights-at-dunham-massey