Herefordshire events venue Crumplebury is well-known for taking the party outside.
But this year, it’s going one step further with a series of magical outdoor Christmas events.
On December 20, 21 and 22, the Crumplebury woods will come alive with daytime and twilight experiences to delight the whole family.
Wrapped-up warm, little guests and their grown-ups will embark on an enchanted woodland trail to find Mr Cuddles the Christmas turkey, Jocelyn the Tamworth pig and their farm friends.
Then it’s time to settle down in Crumplebury’s outdoor theatre space for a fabulously festive pantomime before heading deeper into the woods for delicious, seasonal treats cooked on the back of the farm Landy and served at candlelit tables in a secret glade.
Keeping eyes peeled for forest fairies, Santa Claus will wander from table to table, wishing everyone a very merry Christmas, while carols ring out from the Grand Piano.
Head back to Crumplebury for hot chocolate, cocktails and homemade mince pies around the fire pit. Leave the shire with baskets of festive treats to take home and enjoy over the holidays.
“We love to take the party outdoors,” says Keeley Evans, founder of Crumplebury, which sits at the heart of the historic Whitbourne estate.
“And while our summer woodland feasts are always magical, there will be something so special about coming together in the great outdoors at Christmas.”
Always up for an adventure, the Crumplebury events team styled a festive photo shoot in Longfield Woods, the venue for the Christmas experiences, to launch the events.
And while their secret Santa couldn’t quite muster up reindeer and a sleigh, his sack of presents fitted perfectly into the Crumplebury Land Rover Defender 90.
This estate antique, which used to work in the woods and has been witness to generations of evolution in Whitbourne, has been converted into a mobile bar and kitchen. Parked up at the edge of Longfield wood, the big man popped the Champagne corks, fed apples and pears foraged from the orchards to Jocelyn and played piano among the western red cedars – all captured on camera by Robin Bradshaw of Cheltenham-based Bullit Photography.
“We’re no strangers to wild and wonderful ideas here,” adds Keeley.
“But it was rather fun to watch visitors’ faces as Santa wandered out of the woods and through the estate on a sunny October morning, whizzing around in the Landy waving to everyone.
“We can’t wait for Christmas at Crumplebury. It’s going to be incredible.”
Tickets for Crumplebury Does Christmas For The Kids start at £35pp.
Other Christmas events at Crumplebury include a Black Tie Christmas Feast on Saturday, December 4, and a festive performance by the world-renowned English Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, December 18.
Find out more and book all three events at www.crumplebury.co.uk.