After an early start this morning and Christmas shopping in York we arrived at a busy Castle Howard just after 11.00am. It was a lovely morning weather wise, the sun shone for most of the day, though it was a bitterly cold day with the overnight frost lingering throughout the day.

Our visit today was to see ‘Christmas in Neverland’ at Castle Howard. This Christmas event started on the 11^th November and runs through to the 7^th January 2024.

I always look forward to the Christmas visit to Castle Howard and today was no different. I had booked tickets for today’s visit back in October. Considering that the house has been open for Christmas since November 11^th there was a steady stream of cars coming into the carpark. As well as a busy carpark, I counted at least four single decker coaches parked up adjacent to the Garden Centre, it looked as though it was going to be a popular and busy day.

After purchasing our takeaway coffee and cake from the Courtyard café we passed through the booking office and out into the grounds. The sun was shining brightly in a blue cloudless sky as we made our way along the terrace path adjacent to the walled garden. String lights glittered gently along both sides of the footpath on route to the house. It was nice to feel the sun on your face as we reached the southwest corner of the house. I always try and stop here to take a photograph of the Southern aspect of the house, it looks so much different when bathed in the warm winter sunlight. From here we cut through the temporary Christmas marquee attached to the western side of the house to reach the main entrance on the northern side of the house. After showing our tickets we made our way up the ‘Grand Staircase’. This year’s Christmas theme was ‘Christmas in Neverland’, and we were entering the world of JM Barrie’s ‘boy who never grew up’.

Castle Howard has been transformed by CLW Event Design, the creative team behind Christmas in Narnia and Into the Woods, the designers from the previous two year. Today, we were entering into the Darling’s family home, the staircase becoming the trellis of their town garden and heavily adorned with floral decorations. After leaving the corridor at the top of the stairs we turned right into ‘Lady Georgina’s Room’, a beautiful, decorated room with a huge  Christmas tree at the side of the four-poster bed, this is where Mrs Darling has been preparing for Christmas, her sewing machine at the bottom of the bed, (I remember as a youngster my aunty having one the same). Passing through this cosy room we entered ‘Lady Georgina’s Dressing Room’, a roll top bath in the centre of the room had been filled with water, Nana the Darling’s Newfoundland was sat adjacent to the bath, and the floor is awash with the children’s toys. Next door is the ‘Castle Howard Dressing Room’ or the Darlings children’s nursery, where Wendy, Michael and John have been busy making Christmas decorations for weeks by the looks of things. ‘The Castle Howard Bedroom’ is the next room we come to in the house, beautifully decorated, and is where Peter has introduced himself to the Darling children, Tinkerbell has found herself trapped in the doll’s house whilst Peter is teaching the children how to fly.

After passing through the ‘Antique Passage’, we turned the corner and entered ‘the Great Hall’, and Neverland, a huge Christmas tree is heavily adorned with tropical animals, flowers, and plants. This is Peter’s magical home. The rope swings and ladders are for the Lost Boys who use them for getting about and sat perched on the balcony is the Wendy House. ‘The New Library’ is our next port of call and has been transformed into the writer JM Barries library, it was full of books and manuscripts as you would expect. An old-fashioned typewriter sits on the desk, and the Christmas tree to the right is laden with all his favourite characters, to the left a beautiful floral garland has been draped across the mantelpiece of the fire surround.

‘The Garden Hall’ had become the Mermaids Lagoon, where the mermaids lived and played. Continuing our journey, we came to the ‘Tapestry Drawing Room’ and the Mermaids Bedchamber, a beautiful underwater grotto, if you listened carefully, you could hear the mermaids sleeping peacefully in the chamber. On leaving the mermaids behind we entered the ‘Music Room’, one of my favourite rooms of the house, today it had become Captain Hooks Cabin, and is full of all his stolen treasures. His frockcoat was draped over the back of a chair along with his wig, in the cabinet were all his gleaming hooks, one for every occasion.

Moving on into the ‘Crimson Dining Room’ and the Lost Boys Den. Here they were preparing for a sumptuous feast with each boy’s imagined favourite meal all laid out ready and waiting.

‘The Turquoise Drawing Room’ is the next room we visited and Tinkerbells boudoir, full of pink coloured Christmas trees. Unfortunately, she had accidentally drank a cup of poison which was meant for Peter, she can be seen flitting across the room. ‘The Museum Room’ next door, is where the Darling children and the Lost Boys have all been captured by Captain Hooks pirates.

‘The Long Gallery’ is now the deck of Captain Hooks ship The Jolly Roger. Captain Hook was a fanatic about Christmas and the hall had been decorated accordingly. There is a good video graphic in ‘the Octagon’ where Peter and Captain Hook are having a dramatic sword fight on the deck of the ship, after a short fight Captain Hook meets his maker, the sequence finally ends when the Darling children are seen flying back home. Continuing through the ‘Octagon’ we entered the Darling’s family Edwardian living room, all set for Peter and the Lost Boys return. Christmas presents have been laid out on the floor under the tree, there is a roaring fire in the grate and a warm welcome awaits them.

After leaving ‘the Long Gallery’ we headed down the spiral stairway, I popped into the chapel for a few minutes to look at the nativity scene and have a quiet moment of reflection. Continuing down the staircase we came to the gift shop, which was full of Christmas gifts and lots more, after a browse and retail therapy we popped into the temporary Christmas restaurant attached to the west wing of the house for Christmas brunch. I was pleasantly surprised how busy it was for a mid-week visit, but the staff were well organised, and we were able to enjoy a very pleasant Christmas meal which set us up nicely for the journey home.