Last Updated on 15 November 2024 by Colette
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This year sees our third visit to Christmas at Dunham Massey – I think we can safely call this a family tradition at this point?
As the kids have got older, our festive traditions have changed, trips to see Father Christmas are no longer the main focus of our seasonal adventures and watching pantomimes with kids who get all the jokes is a whole different ball game (one which Ben especially enjoys). Our festive days out now tend to focus on food and twinkly lights which is perhaps why our annual visit to Christmas at Dunham Massey has stayed the course.
Even though the kids are growing up, they still love the same things about Christmas – they love to do things we’ve done before (I get that, certain things signal Christmas for me – and it’s almost always the things I’ve done year on year) and I wasn’t at all surprised when given the choice, Ben was still keen to come with us to Dunham Massey this year. Chloe had planned to come but on the night wasn’t feeling great so chose to stay at home instead.
Whilst there’s now plenty of options for festive light trails in the Manchester area, Christmas at Dunham Massey (now in it’s 8th year) is still the original and the best.
Getting on site is smooth and painless with plenty of stewards checking you have pre-booked parking and directing you to spaces (make sure you have your parking booking details to hand to help things move quickly – your parking ticket has a scannable barcode). Do expect a bit of a queue at peak times.
Once you’ve parked, the start of the trail is clearly marked with plenty of staff to guide you. At the start of the trail is a large area packed with food stalls, fairground rides, toilets and some undercover seating – you can access this before and after you do the trail so it’s great if you’ve arrived a bit early for your timed slot or if, like us, you want to grab something to eat once you’ve finished the trail.
Entrance to the Christmas at Dunham Massey light trail is in timed slots of 15 minutes to stagger the number of people on the trail at any one time – you will choose a time when you book. We ended up being quite late for our slot this year due to some pretty horrendous traffic on the M60 and I was worried we might not be allowed in.
The trail took the same route as the last couple of years which we think works really well – I particularly appreciate that you can access the food court and toilets before and after the trail. The trail is just over a mile long (though including walking from the car park etc, my watch had tracked about 1.8 miles of walking) and I think we spent about 90 minutes walking through this year – taking time to really watch the individual displays and highlight to Amy how carefully the music and lights are linked. I don’t think she’d quite appreciated that before.
One of the things we commented on last night was that despite having done Christmas at Dunham Massey for a few years now, it doesn’t get stale. There’s a good mix of familiar installations that you remember from previous years and brand new displays to keep things fresh and interesting. One of my favourites this year was the star tunnel (appropriately accompanied by Coldplay’s A Sky Full of Stars), we also loved the colour-changing light battens which basically looked like a field of oversized glow sticks!
The attention to detail on this trail never fails to impress me – we talked last night about how much planning must go into the installations and set up to make the best use of the landscape; the lake, the trees, the open spaces. The music adds something really special to this trail, this isn’t just a load of Christmas songs pumped out on a few speakers whilst you look at the lights, everything is carefully chosen for maximum effect with the lights and music timed perfectly allowing you to really immerse yourself in the experience. Ben pointed out to Amy last night that it is so well done that you almost wouldn’t notice it, but you’d really notice it if was bad – and I think he was absolutely right.
The weather was pretty much perfect for the trail last night (though I’m not sure anything will beat our first visit when it started snowing!). Christmas at Dunham Massey is an entirely outdoor trail so the weather is always going to impact your enjoyment of something like this – and although it was cold, it was a clear, dry evening with no wind to speak of. If the weather were to present a hazard and a risk to safety then the illuminated trail may be cancelled but otherwise the event will go ahead as scheduled come rain or shine!
How long is the light trail at Dunham Massey this year?
The light trail at Dunham Massey is just over one mile long. You are told to expect the trail to take one to two hours and I would suggest that’s fair. We spent about an hour and a half wandering round, taking photos, toasting marshmallows etc. The time the trail takes will obviously be impacted by how busy it is too.
It’s worth noting that there is limited seating dotted around the trail – just the odd bench here and there – if you need to take the weight off your feet.
Is Christmas at Dunham Massey pushchair friendly?
The Christmas at Dunham Massey trail is pushchair and wheelchair friendly. The route is very flat and mostly paved or temporary hardstanding. It might be a little slippy in places where the leaves have fallen or over wooden bridges.
Can I take my dog to Christmas at Dunham Massey?
Only guide dogs and registered assistance dogs are allowed at Christmas at Dunham Massey – if you’re looking for a festive light trail that your dog can enjoy too, check out Land of Lights Festival, Warrington
Can you see Father Christmas at Dunham Massey this year?
Father Christmas puts in an appearance right at the end of the trail giving you the opportunity for a quick hello and a photograph or two but you can’t book a specific meeting with him.
You can find alternative places to see Father Christmas in Manchester this year here.
How much does the Christmas light trail at Dunham Massey cost?
Tickets for the Christmas Light Trail at Dunham Massey must be pre-booked and are charged from £26 for adult and £18 for children at peak times (off peak tickets are significantly cheaper). Family tickets are also available. Parking for Christmas at Dunham Massey costs £8 per car or is free for National Trust members when booked in advance.
Can I buy food at Christmas at Dunham Massey?
This year, in an attempt to be a little more frugal, we decided not to eat at Dunham Massey and to just have our tea when we got home however I did have a quick scan of the food huts and spotted plenty of options for pizza, loaded fries, burgers, churros and crepes. As well as the food court at the beginning of the trail, there’s stands at the fire pits selling hot drinks (including mulled wine), cookie dough (about £8.50 a portion – Ben and Amy both treated themselves and said it was amazing) and marshmallows (£2 each). There’s also another spot where you can grab a drink further round in case you need a bit more mulled wine to see you through the rest of the trail!
Is there anything else I need to know before visiting Christmas at Dunham Massey this year?
Make sure you have your parking and entrance tickets downloaded to your phone before you arrive at Dunham Massey as there is little network coverage – I had forgotten and couldn’t get my tickets to download. Luckily staff were able to find my booking but it would have been much easier for everyone if I’d planned ahead and downloaded my tickets first!
The toilets are situated in the main reception building or there are some toilets in the food court meaning you can go at the start or the end of the trail, there are no toilets on the way round.
Make sure you dress for the weather – this is an entirely outdoor event and your trail will go ahead even if it’s raining! I recommend wearing walking boots or wellies – this is definitely not a time to be wearing your best trainers.
You’ll find fire pits for toasting marshmallows part way around the trail – the fancy marshmallows cost £2 a piece this year (and are delicious) however I might have had a bag of giant marshmallows and some skewers in my bag in an attempt to be more frugal!
Christmas at Dunham Massey runs from Friday 15th November 2024 to Wednesday 1st January 2025. Tickets for the Christmas Light Trail at Dunham Massey are on sale now charged at £26 for adult and £18 for children at peak times (this is a slight increase on last year’s prices). Family tickets are also available. Parking for Christmas at Dunham Massey costs £8 per car or is free for National Trust members when booked in advance.
Have a read of these posts next:
Free things to do in Manchester this Christmas
Christmas things to do with teens in Manchester
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