A Christmas Enchantment at Petworth House and Park:
Saturday 29 November 2025 – Sunday 4 January 2026
This Christmas, the National Trust’s Petworth House and Park in West Sussex invites visitors on an enchanting midwinter journey through its grand state rooms. The house will be filled with towering trees and twinkling lights, celestial skies and roaming woodland creatures. Mice scurry beneath gilded furniture, foxes watch from shadowed corners, and the sparkling stars gently reconnect us with the quiet beauty of winter. A festive makers market, creative workshops and atmospheric late openings will round off a truly magical Christmas experience.
Each room in Petworth House glows with wonder. The path through Oak Hall, lined with snow and hand-painted birch trees, transports visitors to a world inspired by nature. The Somerset Room is festooned with dried flowers and the natural colours of the garden’s pictorial meadows. Take a seat or recline in a moss beanbag in the Square Dining Room while you soak up the atmosphere. Watch the ethereal light projections above as stars and meteor showers dance across the high ceiling.
An enchanted forest comes to the Marble Hall, where a delightful bridge over the reflecting pool is the perfect place for a photo opportunity. A wishing well and many woodland creatures are waiting to be discovered amongst the lofty trees.
The mice of Brambly Hedge, Jill Barklem’s beloved book series, are making a special appearance at Petworth this Christmas. They have made their home in the Little Dining Room, taking shelter from the snow in the trunk of an ancient oak tree, filled with cosy rooms and tiny furniture. The magnificent Carved Room is a celebration of midwinter feasting, where handmade garlands and copper leaves surround the marvellous tree growing out of a grand dining table.
The Red Room hints of dawn breaking and nature renewed, with a showstopping tree, warm lights, and owls emerging from the branches. And in the North Gallery, the towering wish trees are ready for visitors to hang their Christmas wishes, and families can enjoy a welcoming Brambly Hedge reading nook surrounded by the grandeur of the magnificent art collection.
Petworth’s very own Nativity scene takes centre stage in the chapel, where one of the most spectacular paintings in the art collection, Hieronymus Bosch’s ‘The Adoration of the Magi’, will be on special display. A perfect place to pause and reflect at the end of the dreamlike journey through the house.
But that’s not all. There will be an ‘Advent House’ game in the courtyard, and don’t forget to visit the Historic Kitchens where the Brambly Hedge mice are busy with their own festive preparations.
Choirs will sing in the courtyard on special late openings when visitors can experience the house’s winter transformation in a magical evening atmosphere, with an extra sparkle to the lights after dark. There will be a Christmas makers market on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 November, featuring stalls lined with high quality artisan gifts including jewellery, homeware, textiles and art. This event is being held in partnership with Petworth Pop Up.
Molly Norman-Lynch, Senior Programming Officer at Petworth House says: “This is a very special Christmas at Petworth House. We’ve brought the beautiful natural world that surrounds us into the house, and we can’t wait to welcome visitors to this midwinter celebration. From the wonderful trees, hand-crafted decorations and magical evening openings, it’s a chance to be immersed in the festive season like never before.”
A Christmas Enchantment at Petworth is open from Saturday 29 November 2025 to Sunday 4 January 2026, 10:30am-4:30pm, last entry 4pm. Closed 24 and 25 December. The garden and main car park are open from 10am-5pm. No advanced booking needed, but visitors are required to purchase a ticket to the site to enter, free for National Trust members. For more details visit the Petworth House and Park website.