Christmas at Castle Howard – Neverland 2023

Posted on by Fee Hudson

Christmas at Castle Howard is more than just a few decorations it is a journey through a beloved children’s story with all the Christmas magic and sparkle you could need. If you’ve ever watched Christmas films and dreamed about Christmases of the past when decorations were traditional and copious and houses were dressed with greenery and twinkling lights, then a Castle Howard Christmas is what you have been dreaming of.

A very large skull and crossbones is hanging from the ceiling and wearing a tiny Santa hat. It is illuminated in yellow in an otherwise dark room.

This year’s theme is Neverland and is the most magical journey from the nursery of John, Michael and Wendy, out over the rooftops of London and then second star on the right and straight on until morning. When you reach Neverland you will encounter the mermaids in the Blue Lagoon, Hook and his band of pirates, the Lost Boys, a ticking crocodile and most importantly Tinkerbell. The story is subtly told through objects in each room giving you lots to look and listen out for as you follow the trail around the house.

The playroom. In front of a fireplace there is a wigwam tent, a rocking horse and a toy red double decker bus. The room is decorated with fairy lights.
John, Michael and Wendy’s playroom
A wooden grand piano covered in toys and candles. Behind the piano is a fireplace decorated with a huge Christmas garland and fairy lights.
Bath time with Nanna The room is decorated with dark red wallpaper and gold framed portraits. In the centre of the room is a freestanding bath filled with water. Next to the bath is a large wooden St Bernard dog wearing a maids cap. The room is decorated with garlands and fairy lights.
Bath time with Nanna

If you have watched any of the Channel 4 programmes about the making of Christmas at Castle Howard you will know how much work goes in to the Christmas event and this year the decorations are all as sustainable as possible and they have avoided using plastic. The decorations include traditional decorations as well as objects from the House archives, specially designed sound scapes and lighting which combined, create the most stunning experience.

The House

The Neverland trail in the house takes around 30 minutes although there is no rush and you can take as much time as you like. Each room is decorated as a different scene from the story with lots to look for and spot as you walk around. There are volunteers on hand to talk you through the decorations if you are interested in a bit more information.

The 27ft Christmas tree in the main hall, decorated with pink and purple decorations and butterflies. The floors is black and white tikes and the ceiling above is painted with frescos and has a domed window.
J.M. Barrie's study. A old typewriter sits on a wooden desk with various antique men's items around it. Behind it is a Christmas tree decorated with fairy lights and red baubles.
A white stone fireplace with a huge Christmas garland handing above it with red and blue flowers and fairy lights.

For the younger audience there is an Activity trail around the house with a list of things to spot as you go through each room. This can be picked up from the house entrance along with a pencil for filling it in.

Half way around the trail is the Christmas tree in the main hall which at 27 feet tall is particularly impressive. The volunteer at the tree had a basket of decorations to pose with and was happy to take a family photo. There is also the most beautiful roaring fire.

The trail finishes with an optional visit to the family chapel which really is worth a visit and then ends at the house gift shop which has some beautiful items.

In addition to the house gift shop there is a marque set up next to the house which holds the Bauble Emporium where you can buy some of the Christmas decorations that you have seen in the house as well as other Christmas gifts. The marque also has a cafe where you can have Christmas dinner or snacks.

One of the rooms in the house decorated with 2 Christmas trees to the right of a fireplace and one to the left. The fireplace is covered in a floral garland over it and inside it. Everything is covered in fairy lights and lit in a low pink light.
The dining room set for a feast for the lost boys with foliage, candles and fake food.
The balcony part of the main hall decorated with greenery and flowers. In the middle in a wood and rope ladder. The domed ceiling can be seen in the top of the photo.

Food and Drink

There are lots of options for food and drink. On arrival there is a small cafe in the Stables Courtyard selling cakes and hot drinks. The actual Courtyard Cafe has a lovely Christmas menu of hot food and there is also a ‘horse box’ selling hot drinks and marshmallows for toasting on the courtyard fire pit.

At the house there are food options in the marque or you can treat yourself to the Darlings Afternoon Tea (this needs to be pre-booked). The is also a fire pit for marshmallow roasting outside of the house.

If you manage to fit in a visit to Skelf island then there is also a cafe there where you can get hot drinks.

Accessibilty

The house is fairly accessible for those with mobility needs, there are steps at the beginning and then end of the trail but there is a lift. Full Accessibility Information can be found online as well as a list of BSL interpreted events.

There is a fairly big walk from the car park and Stables Courtyard to the house and then even further for Skelf island but there is a Kelly Train (Land train) that you can hop on between the Stables, the House and the Boathouse.

The Kelly Train (Land train) in front of Castle Howard. A yellow tractor pulls two carriages painted in red and yellow.

Tickets

Tickets need to be pre-booked online along with car parking. The ticket is an entry time for the house and you can choose to arrive earlier to take advantage of Skelf Island, the outdoor play area or for some food first.

Skelf Island

Skelf Island is Castle Howard’s outdoor play area which has been designed with imagination in mind. A series of interconnected tree houses which are home to fairy folk along with slides, swings and zip lines, you could definitely lose your little people for hours. As play areas go this is a particularly impressive and well done one.

One of the tree houses at Skelf Island. A slide can be see coming out of the treehouse on the right and the is a wooden walkway to the treehouse on the left.
Pip, a 9 year old girl wearing purple wellies and a navy coat with a fur hood stands on a small tire on the end of a black pole.
Pip, a 9 year old girl wearing blue jeans, purple wellies and a blue coat is sat on a zip line. Behind her is one of the wooden walkways at Skelf Island.

Top Tips

We visited in 2021 and had tickets for the end of the day and had drinks and a visit to Skelf Island before visiting Narnia in the house. This had two advantages; The house was a lot quieter at the end of the day and because it was dark outside it made it a little more twinkly and magical. However if this isn’t an option for you then the experience will still be just as much fun.

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