A truly historic Christmas awaits visitors at Nunnington Hall, from Friday 26 November until Sunday 19 December.
The National Trust property near Helmsley will be decorated for Christmas as it could have been throughout history, from the fashionable Georgian period and the iconic Victorian, to the memorable war years and 1980s parties. There’ll be handmade decorations including over fifty metres of paperchains, ten-foot towers of gifts, a 13-metre lit garland winding up the oak staircase and seasonal floral displays.
Many of the rooms have been brought to life with authentic decorations, food, memorable games, music and antiques. The Oak bedroom will feature a community forest, with paper Christmas trees decorated by pupils from Slingsby Community Primary School, Helmsley Community Primary School, Norton Community Primary School and Rosedale Abbey Primary School.
Hannah Highsted, visitor experience officer said:
“We’re extremely excited to be celebrating not only one period from history, but five iconic eras. Every room is a surprise and shares fascinating details of how some of our most beloved and iconic Christmas traditions were established and are still celebrated today. Particular favourites for this year are the Tudor feast laid out in the Oak Hall, an imposing Victorian Christmas tree in the Stone Hall and a 1980s buffet in the Drawing Room.”
On Saturday 4 December, Nunnington Hall will be hosting a Festive Evening from 6pm-8.30pm. Visitors can see the house dressed for Christmas, enjoy a hot drink from Van Chaud and a pizza from The Bistro Guy. Local choir leader Jessa Liversidge has brought together singers from nearby villages to bring festive cheer to visitors.
The hall is also showing a new exhibition; ‘Diverse Threads’, which features work from a group of York based artists and friends. They all have a passion for textiles so have come together to celebrate all aspects of the season for this rich and heart-warming display in the hall’s gallery. The exhibition features work inspired by lockdown walks, family and friends, and the North Yorkshire landscape. A proportion of all sales help towards conservation work at the hall.
Nunnington Hall is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday for Christmas visits until Sunday 19 December, 10.30am – 4pm. Last admission will be 3.15pm.
