Embrace the magic of Christmas with the National Trust in Cornwall

    Across Cornwall, National Trust places are full of warmth, magic and sparkle as the festive season approaches.

    Wrap up and embrace the chilly days with a family walk around a country estate, or get into the Christmas spirit with carols, open fires, and mince pies. There’s lots on offer this season, from a 60-foot Christmas garland to Father Christmas stopping by and festive family trails to wreath-making workshops.  What’s more, every time you experience a National Trust day out, you help care for these special places for future generations.   Here is what’s happening near you this season, please check property website for opening days and times, especially over the Christmas period:   

    Cotehele

    Creating the Garland
    Daily 11 to 21 Nov. 10.30am-4pm
    Take a look behind the scenes and meet our team of gardeners as they create this year's garland, inserting over 30,000 dried flowers into the pittosporum base.
    Price: Free (normal admission prices apply). Booking not required.  

    Christmas Garland
    23 Nov to 5 Jan (closed 25 and 26 Dec). 10.30am-4pm
    Celebrate the festive season with a trip to Cotehele to see the annual Christmas Garland in the Great Hall. For over 65 years our garden team has continued the tradition to create a 60-ft long Christmas garland using thousands of flowers grown on the estate. The Kitchen, Breakfast Room, and Victorian Library within the house will also be open. 
    Price: Free (normal admission prices apply). Booking not required. 

    A Victorian family Christmas at Cotehele Mill
    Fri/Sat/Sun from 23 Nov. Daily from 20 Dec to 5 Jan (closed 25 and 26 Dec). 11am-4pm.
    Follow the festive lights along the stream to find Cotehele Mill tucked within the Morden Valley. The mill will be decorated in traditional Victorian style and you’ll be able to discover how families, like the Langsfords, who lived at Cotehele Mill, celebrated Christmas in those times. Head to the first floor for toys to play with, costumes to adorn yourselves in, and craft activities to complete.
    Price: Free (normal admission prices apply). Booking not required. 

    Introduction to wreath making
    28 Nov, 10.30am-1.30pm.
    Make your own door wreath, guided by 2 of Cotehele's Garden Volunteers and using all natural materials direct from the Cotehele Estate. You are welcome to bring any of your own items, (i.e. ribbon, buttons, baubles etc.), to incorporate into your wreath to personalise it. Everything you need is provided to create a wreath to take home or give to someone as a lovely gift. The course is suitable for beginners and requires no specialist knowledge.
    Price: £30 per person. Booking essential via website or call 0344 249 1895. 

    Carols by the tree
    30 Nov, 7 Dec and 14 Dec. 1-1.45pm.
    Wrap up warm and get into the festive spirit with sing-a-long carols by the tree with various local groups performing. 30 November - Tavistock Warblers. 7 December - GraceNotes Acapella. 14 December - Callington Town Band. These sessions are held outside by the Bowling Green next to the house. Due to being hosted outside, the weather may scupper our plans and may be cancelled in the event of heavy rain or winds.
    Price: Free (normal admission prices apply). Booking not required. 

    Godolphin

    Trust10
    Sun 24 Nov and 22 Dec. 8.30–11am
    Join a fun, free, and friendly trail run around the beautiful Godolphin estate. Two loops of 5km with stunning views throughout. Post-run refreshments and cake available to purchase from the tea-room. And in December join us for the Tinsel10 where Christmas fancy dress is highly encouraged!
    Price: Free (normal admission prices apply). Booking not required. 

    Christmas House Experience
    30 Nov and 1 Dec, 7 and 8 Dec, 14 and 15 Dec. 10.30am-4pm (last entry to the house at 3pm)
    Get ready for the festive season with us here at Godolphin, as we open Godolphin House for our special Christmas House Experience weekends. Enjoy the performances of local music groups, as they fill Godolphin with festive songs, see website for selected dates.
    Price: Free (normal admission prices apply). Booking not required.

    Candle making workshop
    3 and 10 Dec. 10.30am-12.30pm and 1.30-3.30pm
    Come and join our resident beekeeper in making beeswax candles using wax harvested from her hives and take away your festive creations. Watch a demonstration on making other beeswax products that you can try at home. Price includes tea, coffee and sweet treats and access to the rest of Godolphin site.
    Price: £25 per person. Booking essential via the website. 

    Winter decorations workshop with Leach Pottery
    5 and 12 Dec. 10.30am-12.30pm and 1.30-3.30pm
    Take inspiration from the patterns and designs of Godolphin to create a collection of ceramic decorations. In this 2-hour workshop, gather ideas from your surroundings, cut to shape the decorations, and experiment with different slip decoration methods including feathering, combing and painting with slips and oxide. You will make 8 pieces that will be glazed and then fired in the Leach Pottery electric kiln and will be ready for collection at Leach Pottery in St. Ives, or can be posted to you.
    Price: £30 per person. Booking essential via the website. 

    Pentire

    Wassail at Pentire
    5 Jan. 12noon-3pm.
    Join us in a traditional ceremony to awaken the cider apple trees to ensure a fruitful harvest in the autumn. We're delighted to be joined by Jolly Good Music who'll be hosting the ceremony and playing traditional music. There'll also be apple-themed activities. Why not combine with a refreshing coastal walk and enjoy a treat from the café?
    Price: Free. Booking not required.

    The Dodman

    Hemmick beach cleans
    7 Dec and 4 Jan. 10-11am
    Can you spare an hour or so to help us keep Hemmick beach looking beautiful, and safer for wildlife? Gloves, bags, and litter pickers provided. Please also feel free to bring your own gloves if you'd like.
    Price: Free. Booking not required.

    Trelissick

    Christmas at Trelissick
    Daily 7 Dec to 5 Jan (closed 25 and 26 Dec). 11am-4pm
    Trelissick is celebrating a Cornish Christmas, with the house richly decorated with the black and gold of Cornish tartan. A tipi will cover the stable yard providing a cosy space for choir performances, and a pop-up cafe will be serving hot drinks and mince pies.  Price: Free (normal admission prices apply). Booking not required.

    An audience with Father Christmas
    7 and 8 Dec, 14 and 15 Dec, 19-23 Dec. Multiple time slots during the day, see website.
    Father Christmas returns to the stable yard this December where he’ll tell a special story of a Cornish Christmas at Trelissick. Once the storytelling has finished he’ll hand out a small gift at the end to each child. The story is aimed at children 3 years and older.
    Price: £6 per child and £2 per adult. Booking essential via the website. 

    Relaxed sessions with Father Christmas
    7 and 8 Dec, 14 and 15 Dec, 21-22 Dec. 4.15-4.45pm
    This is an accessible session aimed at providing Trelissick’s ‘An Audience with Father Christmas’ with a more relaxed and calmer Father Christmas experience. With reduced noise levels and crowds, we hope to create a less stressful environment with Father Christmas. The festive story of a Cornish Christmas at Trelissick will last approximately 20-30 minutes with time at the end to receive a small gift from Father Christmas. A limited number of ear defenders and sensory toys will be available for use in the quiet sessions on the day and an access statement is available from our website.
    Price: £6 per child and £2 per adult. Booking essential via the website. 

    Trengwainton

    Trengwainton’s Winter Lights
    29 Nov-1 Dec, 5-8 Dec, 12-15 Dec. Timed entry slots every 15 mins from 4.30-7pm.
    Stroll through the walled gardens and orchard lit by hundreds of fairy lights and creative lanterns made by local schools, community groups and local artists. Make a Christmas wish by hanging a bauble on the wishing tree and gather your family and friends there for a picture. Pop into the bookshop for some winter reading, where children can make a Christmas craft.
    Price: Adult £8, child £4 (under 5s go free). Booking essential via the website.

    Trerice

    Craft fair
    16 and 17 Nov, 11am-4pm.
    Visit Trerice for a weekend craft fair and start your Christmas shopping early. The small fair will be held in the Elton room at the back of the barn and make sure you bring cash for the stalls.
    Price: Free. Booking not required.

    Christmas wreath-making workshops
    23 and 24 Nov, 30 Nov and 1 Dec. 11am-1pm and 2-4pm
    Embrace the spirit of the season and unwrap your creativity with our Christmas wreath-making workshop. Guided by our experienced wreath-maker Laura, you will learn how to make your own wreath to take home and hang on your door, with lots of natural Christmas themed decorations. To put you in the festive spirit, you will be greeted with a free welcome drink of mulled wine or a non-alcoholic alternative, followed by mince pies and tea or coffee throughout the workshop. All materials will be provided. Price: £40 per adult. Booking essential via the website. 

    Father Christmas at Trerice
    7 and 8 Dec, 14 and 15 Dec, 19-23 Dec. Multiple time slots during the day, see website.
    This festive season, Father Christmas will be stopping by Trerice to share tales and traditions of Christmases past. Join him in the Drawing Room, where you will find him in his familiar robes of red, for 30-minute sessions throughout the day. All children will go home with a small gift.
    Price: £5 per child and £4 per adult. Booking essential via the website. 

    Choir performances
    7 and 8 Dec, 14 and 15 Dec, 17, 19, 21 and 23 Dec. 2-3pm
    This Christmas, Trerice will host a selection of choirs in the barn, as they spread some Christmas cheer by performing a variety of Christmas carols. The local choirs are Trerice volunteer choir, Halwyn a Gan choir, Perraners choir and inTune choir, see website for which dates they’re each performing.
    Price: Free (normal admission prices apply). Booking not required.

    Botallack

    Traditional Dance and Folk Music with the Penzance Guizers
    7 Dec. 4-6pm
    This traditional Cornish folk dance workshop offers you a chance to learn about the work of the Penzance Guizers, their current repertoire and the relevance of costumes including the wearing of 'Scoots'! You will be guided through basic steps, learning some Troyl and Furry dances and learn the meaning of the language used across Traditional Celtic Folk Dance. The workshop lasts one hour and is then followed by a demonstration of set and step dances, set to Cornish tunes played by live musicians.
    Price: See website. Booking essential via the website.

    Tir Ha Tavas
    8 Dec. 4-6pm
    Join Dee and Dave Brotherton, Tir ha Tavas, on a seasonal journey of songs and words about Cornwall. Inspired by the beauty and wildness of Cornwall, they will perform songs and offer readings in both the Cornish language Kernewek and English, with sacred and secular themes of snow and ice, Feast, Christmas, and Wassail.
    Price: See website. Booking essential via the website.

    Storytelling with Alasdair Hoswell
    14 Dec. 4-6pm
    Alasdair Hoswell is an author, illustrator, and storyteller from Cornwall. He will be offering a storytelling and interactive workshop based on his book Cornwall, The Land You Can Count On. The session will include a reading of the book in English & Cornish, followed by activities that tie into the story. These activities will include Cornish-themed arts and crafts, counting games, singing, and imaginative play. The workshop is designed to be both educational and fun, appealing to children and families who want to experience the magic of Cornwall through stories and hands-on activities.
    Price: See website. Booking essential via the website.

    Hark! The Glad Sound of Cornish Carols
    15 Dec. 4-6pm
    Enjoy an evening of stories and song about Cornish carolling with Sally Burley and Hilary Coleman. Learn about the continuity and revival of the Cornish carolling tradition and how they are part of Cornwall's rich heritage of communal singing. Hilary will be telling tales of their adventures as well as ‘illustrating’ the talk with carols by the Red River Singers who sing the traditional songs of Cornwall.
    Price: See website. Booking essential via the website.

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