Stonehenge
Longleat’s hugely successful Festival of Light will brighten up even the darkest of wintry days . It’s on from November 5 2017 to 7 January 2018.
The Wiltshire estate was the first place in the UK to hold such an event back in 2014 and remains the biggest; with thousands of giant Chinese lanterns transforming the estate into a winter wonderland.
Drawing inspiration from tales new and old, this year’s festival see svisitors transported into a world of fantasy – a mythical land where mermaids swim in the lake, princesses live in castles, firebirds fly and dragons roar.
Wander through magical settings depicting famous scenes from Snow White, Rapunzel, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, The Snow Queen and Beauty and the Beast.
At 25.5 metres Rapunzel’s tower is the largest lantern ever constructed for the Festival of Light and a total of 30,000 metres of silk have been used to create the displays – enough to wrap around Longleat House 124 times.
Other displays features a giant 30 metre long floating galleon on the lake, fire dragons, the Ugly Duckling and the Little Mermaid.
All the lanterns have been created by a team of highly-skilled artists from Zigong in China’s Sichuan province, which has been staging lantern festivals for more than 2,000 years.
The giant enchanted animated musical Christmas Tree returns with its tale of festive joy and the Santa Trains transports visitors to Father Christmas’ wintry woodland home; where elves welcome you into his grotto.
Visitors can also experience a winter safari and the illuminated hedge maze.
Longleat House is decorated for an authentic, grandiose Edwardian Christmas complete with live characters dotted throughout to make you really feel like you have travelled back through time.
For more information on the Festival of Light go to www.longleat.co.uk/whats-on/seasonal-events.
