Biddulph Grange at Christmas

In Brief.

In common with several other gardens, Biddulph Grange near Congleton hosts a ticketed evening event in December, which primarily consists of a walk through the garden, where trees and plants have been lit up in bright colours.  In addition to this, Biddulph Grange had various themed areas, such as a decorated cottage, and areas with illuminated deer and penguins.  Our experience of these events is that the weather really matters, so with tickets sometimes selling out ahead of time, some risk-taking is involved. The weather for our Biddulph Grange visit was somewhat cold but clear, so the garden looked good and there was no need to rush back for a hot chocolate.

The lake, illuminated.

What's Here?

Biddulph Grange, as reported in an earlier blog in this series, is a collection of diverse, engaging and sometimes quirky gardens that is well worth a visit. The festive lights follow a trail through the garden, which includes the lake (illustrated), a wooded area and several of the formal gardens. This leaves parts of the garden unexplored, and the overall experience would complement a daytime visit in the spring or summer.

A tree from the Woodland Walk.

Illuminated garden events have different characters. For example, Dunham Massey features substantial installations, whereas RHS Glow mostly illuminates the plants. Biddulph Grange is closer to the latter; although there are some lit-up animal sculptures, the focus is on coloured lights highlighting trees, bushes and paths through the garden. Overall, this is a civilised, if undemanding, activity that can be nicely topped off with hot drink in the cafe afterwards.

Practicalities.

Distance from Manchester Town Hall: 30 miles

Drive Time: 1hour 15 minutes.

Price: $$ with tickets for specific times purchased in advance. Not included with National Trust membership. 

Parking: Free onsite parking.

Food and Drink: Drinks were included with the tickets for the Festive Lights, and the cafe was also serving cakes.

Retail therapy: There is a compact gift shop at the entrance, with assorted gift food, some books and accessories.

Child Friendly: Other than a howling toddler, the kids that were there seemed to be having a decent time. There were a few games, such as a coconut shy, though the adventure playground was out-of-bounds.

Toilets: Yes.

Do it justice in: 90 minutes.

Inside-Outside: 10:90


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