The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe: Christmas At Mottisfont Review

Reviewed by Lily Davis

I have always loved the Narnia stories by CS Lewis. As a child I would devour them and more recently, enjoyed discovering the stories again alongside the films with my three children. I always dreamt of discovering my own wardrobe with a secret world, hidden behind. Unfortunately I never did. So I was thrilled to be asked to review the Christmas at Mottisfont experience yesterday: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: Christmas at Mottisfont.

Mottisfont is an 18th century house set in the most picturesque location. Transformed into a beautiful neo-classical house in the 1930s, with riverside walkways and an ancient spring, magnificent trees, walled garden and seasonal planting, it has something for everyone.  From 26th November to 8th January this beautiful house is transformed into a Narnia-inspired world complete with 1940s inspired decorations and displays.

As we arrived at Mottisfont we were invited to participate in the family trail for the inexpensive price of just £1. I’d highly recommend this for all ages, adults and children alike. It guides visitors around the magnificent grounds of Mottisfont and takes them through the beautiful story of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. At each point on the trail visitors discover a magical wardrobe to open and experience with interactive tasks for the children to enjoy. It really was magical. A particular favourite of mine was the riverside walk with the frost on the ground. It felt so
Christmassy and special. My children are 8, 10 and 13 and all loved it, there truly was something for all ages. Grandma came along with us too, and she also was captivated.

The finale for us was entering the house. After a short queue outside we entered the first hall and warmed ourselves by the blazing fire, enjoying the view of the beautiful Christmas tree. As we walked through the house, the guide leaflet explained that the house had been taken over by 4 wartime evacuees, Lucy, Susan, Peter and Edmond. We discovered the rooms they had been sleeping in and the toys they’d been playing with. The highlight for us all was entering the Spare Room and discovering THE wardrobe! We opened the creaking heavy doors and stepped past the fur coats, through into Narnia, completing a lifelong dream! It was laid out so imaginatively. Creatively designed to make guests feel as though they were now in the Kingdom of the White Witch; the magic was real. I was blown away with the beauty of it all.

As we reached the upper floors of the house there are original illustrations flown in from America which are a real treat to see. Beautiful watercolour paintings vivid and enticing, all created by Pauline Baynes, the original artist for the series. We all really enjoyed taking our time looking at those.

The tour ends with a visit to the Whistler room where you can take your place on one of 4 thrones and meet the great Aslan himself.

We absolutely loved our time at Mottisfont and would highly recommend this to anyone, of all ages.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: Christmas at Mottisfont runs from 26th November – 8th January (whole property closed 24th and 25th December), 10am – 4pm.

Rating: 5/5

Tickets can be purchased from https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/hampshire/mottisfont and start at just £8.00