Pensthorpe Christmas 2021!

What’s on at Pensthorpe Natural Park this festive month? Absolutely tons but it’s no surprise that their Christmas offerings have been VERY popular and are mostly sold out. You can absolutely still soak up the festive lights and ambiance however and a visit, as always, comes highly recommended from me!

Pensthorpe really is the most beautiful day out and with a crisp walk around the lake before some major fun on the extensive playground before a warm up gift of fun in Hootz House (indoor play), I can’t think of a better festive trip even without any of the extras added on for this season. It’s a story to be created as you walk around a frosty lake and make memories for the season. We love it, just as it is and because they are open every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, I think it’s one to remember as a cosy arm chair of a day out over the holidays. One you can rely on as you can all year round – and we do with our annual passes gifting us entry whenever we like for the amazingly great value prices of £50 for adults and £45 for children and concessions. In fact, I do think this is simply such a generous annual pass that it would make the most perfect Christmas present. We’d not want to be without ours that’s for sure and we make tremendous use of them, just follow me on Instagram for our weekly jaunts!

We were also incredibly lucky and invited to try what they have been beavering away with Father Christmas this year for a festive flurry on the park which is now sadly sold out. The brand new Santa Explorer (a lit up trip through the enchanted forest) was absolutely gorgeous and as we were invited by elves to find out if we were on the nice or naughty list and presented with a ticket for the explorer if we’d been good, we loved seeing the lights in the woods and wrapping up under blankets we’d been given for the journey. Understated but no less magical for it, simply perfectly in keeping with Pensthorpe this experience is going to be back for 2022 and I’m sure next year they will release more tickets!

They will also be having to ask Father Christmas to find a few more dates in his grotto next year because this year, COVID restrictions I expect saw him with less availability, he was sold out super fast though it IS worth keeping an eye on their window JUST IN CASE some more dates become available. It was the very best Santa’s Grotto we’ve ever been to and amzing value for money at £5.95 per child (adults FREE) for an experience that could be bought as a stand alone with no park entry or on top of if you wanted to make a day of it. I don’t think Pensthorpe realised their own popularity in that rather charming way when a person doesn’t realise how likeable they are and they’ve been a bit blown away with the demand but they’ve promised next year they’ll be on it to accommodate more little fans of the park to their festive events. We crafted while we waited to see the man in red and as we were moved tojust outside his grotto we got to snowball fight with elves and pop bubbles before being seated in anticipation of the big grotto reveal. Father Christmas himself was lovely, super chatty and engaged while the children enjoyed it all! They were given a chocolate coin and then asked to choose a special gift from his workshop which I can honestly say was the most worthwhile, eco friendly and value for money grotto gift my children have even been given. Lovely things to choose from including local to Norfolk Orchard Toys games (which cost more than the Grotto entry price in Jarrolds), naturally made bug hotels and delightful soft toys. What a treat!

As Pensthorpe are also hosting late night shopping events (next one is on the 10th of December) with Hootz House open for play until 7pm we then got to go and have fun in there before returning home with massive smiles on our faces. It’s worth noting that the shopping at Pensthorpe is wonderful, a real cut above your average gift shop with Emma Bridgewater, local artisan produce and special offers galore, not to mention a fantastic Christmas offering!

You definitely don’t need the Christmas frilly bits to have a festive fun day out (or evening) at Pensthorpe though so don’t be disheartened. It was lovely and we’re glad they’ll be bigger next year so that more people can enjoy it but just being on the park is magic enough for the season, truly it is and you won’t regret a trip!

A Pensthorpe Christmas Tale is on until the 23rd of December with festive touches all over and there is a wreath making workshop on the 10th of December too.

I work with Pensthorpe year round.