Castle Howard transformed into Alice's Christmas wonderland

Castle Howard, near Malton, has been given a makeover for the festive period themed around the story in Lewis Carrol’s 1865 novel.

Preparations were underway earlier this month which included a 27-foot fall Christmas Tree being installed in the stately home’s Great Hall.

Children with the 27-foot fall Christmas Tree in Castle Howard's Great Hall (Image: Charlotte Graham) And now work is complete, with the 300-year-old home ready for the festive season.

Over the last two weeks the creative team CLW Event Design, led by Charlotte Lloyd Webber and Adrian Lillie, have been putting the finishing touches on the project, which they have been working on since January.

Light displays beam through Castle Howard as part of the Alice's Christmas Wonderland event (Image: Charlotte Graham) Thirty-thousand baubles are on display across the house, with the team reusing and recycling products where possible and favouring more sustainable materials like paper and glass.

Projections and soundscapes, by Northern theatre company, are on show around the stately home with different music for each room.

Alice in Christmas Wonderland has transformed Castle Howard (Image: Charlotte Graham) There is even a pop-up Bettys shop in Castle Howard’s historic Stable Courtyard for the duration of the Christmas event, offering festive food to go.

Castle Howard is also offering an expanded series of accessible events to open the experience to even more people, including British Sign Language interpreted guided tours and Calm Sessions.

Alice in Christmas Wonderland has transformed Castle Howard (Image: Charlotte Graham) A spokesperson for the stately home said it has employed an additional 130 Christmas staff from the local area to facilitate their festive event as well as their year-round staff.

They added that the home is supported by an “invaluable team” of 200 volunteers.

Bettys staff as the much-loved café and tea rooms plans to host a pop up at Castle Howard over the festive period (Image: Charlotte Graham) Abbigail Ollive, Castle Howard’s visitor attraction director, said the team is “thrilled to launch Christmas at Castle Howard for 2024”.

“So many of our visitors come back every year for a special festive day out with their family, and we have pulled out all the stops this year to make Alice’s Christmas Wonderland our most magical yet.

“The incredible creative teams, CLW Event Design and imitating the dog, have done an amazing job bringing the installations to life, with the support of the Castle Howard staff and volunteers who have worked so hard to transform the House into Wonderland.

“We hope the extra festive surprises, like the beautiful Bettys pop-up shop, Mad Hatter-hosted afternoon teas, and the bespoke soundscapes, will delight everyone who passes through our doors to deliver a truly unique and magical day out.”

She thanked sponsors LNER and the North York Moors – which funded the accessible performances and sessions – and said their efforts help “make our events more inclusive and welcoming”.

• Alice’s Christmas Wonderland runs from Saturday, November 15, to Sunday, January 5.
• Tickets start at £21 and can be pre-booked from Castle Howard’s website: castlehoward.co.uk