Castle Drogo’s Cracking Christmas Celebrations
The volunteers at Castle Drogo have been busy unpacking the Christmas decorations and turning the castle into a traditional festive scene ready for Christmas opening on Friday 1 December.
Local musicians from nine different musical groups are volunteering their time to create a cacophony of sound in the Castle, to get people in the Christmas spirit, with performances on most days.
Visitors are invited to join in with the music by playing Christmas carols with hand bells, or taking a partner to dance down the Service Corridor with Mr and Mrs Raynor, the former Butler and Housekeeper. The Service Corridor will once again be brought to life through installations by creative designers Mdesign.
Father Christmas will put in an appearance in the library of the castle to hand out presents and the elves will be on hand to lead a story-telling session. Sessions will be bookable in advance on select dates between 9 – 21 December. Check the website for more information on times and dates.
With the Christmas countdown ticking, the volunteer team will be busy making jellies and Christmas desserts to bring seasonal colour and fragrance to the kitchens. Jelly was a popular choice for a Drewe family celebration, with 374 jelly moulds being in the care of the castle.
A winter family snowman trail is being designed in the gardens by the team at Drogo, helped by a small group of students from Exeter College, to encourage families to get active and search for the 10 snowmen dotted about the garden.
“We’re looking forward to opening the doors once again and welcoming visitors to experience Christmas in the castle.” Says Helen Yazhekov, Visitor Experience Officer at Castle Drogo.
“With music in the Drawing room and traditional decorations throughout, there’s lots to get you in a festive mood. We’re fortunate to have an exceptional team of volunteers helping us decorate the castle, it’s a big job but with their help it always looks fantastic”.
For more information and to book to see Father Christmas, visit the website at Christmas | Castle Drogo | Devon | National Trust
