Christmas at Hatchlands

Visitors enjoying the Christmas decoration in the house at Hatchlands Park, Surrey — Visitors enjoying the Christmas decorations in the house at Hatchlands Park, Surrey | © Natonal Trust Images/Arnhel de Serra

Soak up the magic of Christmas at Hatchlands this winter. Inspired by the carol ‘I Saw Three Ships', look out for nautical touches in the beautifully decorated rooms in the house, and enjoy family activities on the festive parkland trail.

Christmas in the house

1- 31 December (except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) 12-3pm

Inspired by the Christmas carol ‘I saw Three Ships’, and Hatchlands first resident,18^th century Admiral Boscawen, notice a sprinkling of sea-faring touches as you soak up the atmosphere of a traditional country house Christmas.

Wander through the festively dressed downstairs rooms of this family home and enjoy the sparkle of the beautifully decorated trees, the festive fireplaces and the glow of the Christmas lights.

As you step into the Music Room, see the carefully wrapped presents waiting for the Admiral’s crew on Christmas day and be transported back across the oceans with some festive shanties.

Visit the house

Close up of Christmas tree decorated in a nautical theme with a large wooden anchor in the foreground — See the sea-inspired Christmas tree in the Music Room | © National Trust/John Miller

Christmas in the parkland

1 Dec - 5 Jan (except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) 10am-4pm

The magic of Christmas continues outside. Don’t forget to visit the donkeys Callum and Morris in their stables and then follow the festive trail though the parkland. Families will love taking part in the 'Three Ships' inspired activities.

Christmas trail

The festive parkland trail

With seven activity stations around the parkland, there's plenty for all the family to enjoy. Have a go at loading the cargo on the boats, guiding the ships through the maze or, our personal favourite, defeating the sea monsters with the sprout trebuchets!

Boy in woolly hat, using a miniature wooden trebuchet, loaded with a sprout to hit wooden sea monster targets — Enjoy sprout fun on the family festive trail | © National Trust/John Miller

Step 1

Load the sprout on to the trebuchet. Concentration is key..

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Christmas food and drink

And a winter's visit is not complete with out a festive treat or two from the café. Warm up in our cosy dog-friendly cafés found in the cobbled courtyard, and choose from festive bakesand hot drinks, sweet treats or hot seasonal lunches.

The cafés are open daily 10am-4pm (except 24 & 25 December).

Girl sipping a large cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows on the top — Enjoy a warming cup of hot chocolate at Hatchlands | © National Trust Images / John Millar

Planning your visit

Entry: There's no need to book your visit. Normal property admission price applies (free for National Trust members and under-fives). If you’re with a carer or essential companion, they visit for free.

Parking: there's free parking in the car park next to the visitor reception.

Planning your visit: Christmas can be a busy time at Hatchlands. Most of our visitors tend to arrive between 11am and 2pm, which can cause congestion in the car park. If you arrive at 10am you might find the grounds a little quieter and if you arrive after 1pm, there’s still time to enjoy all that Hatchlands has to offer. Please note that the last entry to the house is 3pm.

If you have the flexibility, a weekday visit is generally quieter than a weekend, even during school holidays. If you can only visit over the weekend, Saturdays are usually less busy than Sundays.