Bolesworth is lucky enough to be situated in the heart of Cheshire – we’re surrounded by rural beauty, quaint towns and villages, as well as a few bustling cities!
This means that, when it comes to entertaining your family, having a romantic weekend for two, or simply getting yourself raring for the festive season, there are plenty of magical days out to choose from – and you don’t even have to leave the area to have one.
Below, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best Christmassy days out in the area – starting out with something very close to our heart. If you follow us on our Facebook and Instagram, you might have heard about it already, but we think it’s pretty magical!
Without further ado, here are the best magical days out not far from the Bolesworth Castle and Grounds…
Bolesworth Christmas Lights Trail
We’re delighted to finally be able to invite guests to our inaugural lights trail in 2021. From 3rd December to Christmas Eve, visitors can view our magical light display, visit our sculpture trail, sample some food, drinks and snacks at our Christmas market.
There’s also our unique Champagne Island. Visitors (over-18s, of course!) will be taken over a bridge and across the lake to an exclusive island to enjoy up to an hour-long champagne sipping session. All whilst soaking up the visual and atmospheric delights of our magical lights trail!
Adult entry is £19.00, with children ages 3-12 £12.50, and infants and carers go free. Adult tickets for the Champagne Island can also be purchased – head to our Christmas page to see the full list of options and make your booking.
Chester Christmas Market
Chester Christmas Market was recently rated as fifth best in the country by The Times, and it’s not hard to see why. With 60 wooden cabins selling trinkets and gifts, as well as food and drink marquees, you could spend hours walking around and soaking in the magic. This year, the Roving Moon art installation by artist Jessica Rost will also be in the sky – so, don’t forget to look up when you’re doing your circuit of the stalls!
And at only just over a half an hour drive from our grounds, you could fit both into a single day!
Chester Cathedral Christmas Festival
Running from 27th November to 4th January 2022, the annual Chester Cathedral Christmas Tree Festival is back! Roam around the medieval hallways and check out the different, beautifully-decorated, Christmas trees – which may well serve as inspiration for your own.
There are over 50 trees on display, and the cathedral is open from 10am to 5pm.
Admission is free, although a donation to the upkeep of the beautiful cathedral is always welcome of course.
Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet
Unfortunately, there’s no getting away from the fact that all of us will need to do Christmas shopping at some point in the run up to the festive season. To get you into the Christmas spirit whilst out hunting for ideal gifts, Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet, which is less than 30 minutes drive from Bolesworth, has a range of events taking place. These include its infamous 90-foot tree that you can actually go inside and a drive-in cinema where you can snuggle up in the car and watch some of your favourite Christmas films.
Find out what else it’s got planned in the run-up to Christmas Day.
Pantomimes
Not quite a day out, but something to combine with one of our other suggested activities is the fun-for-all-the-family pantomime – an integral part of Christmas tradition! And we are not short of choice here in Cheshire this festive season – from ‘Sleeping Beauty’ at the Lyceum Theatre in Crewe and Oliver at The Storyhouse in Chester, to ‘Horrible Histories Presents a Horrible Christmas.’ There’s also Rapunzel in Waverton, just outside Chester, which will be running from 11th December by the Saltmine Theatre Company.
Nothing says Christmas like a pantomime, and it’s one to keep the whole family entertained!