Castle Howard get ready for Christmas
Castle Howard is getting ready for Christmas, installing a 26-foot tree in the Great Hall, and a 19th century carriage in the Garden Hall, as part of their Victorian-themed event ‘A Dickens of a Christmas at Castle Howard’.
The Charles Dickens theme draws creative inspiration from the works of the great British novelist, bringing his beloved tales to life through installations, soundscapes and projections. The displays will incorporate collection items and draw on other connections from Castle Howard’s history.
Preparing for Christmas at Castle Howard. Photos by Tom Arber (3)
Castle Howard’s previous Christmas events are multi-award-winning and drew record-breaking visitor numbers in 2025. This years’ experience opens to visitors from the 12th November.
The Christmas tree is from York Christmas Trees in Wiggington. Castle Howard’s team, including staff from the Forestry, Gardens and Building Services departments, used a specialist forklift and winch system to install the tree safely before it is decorated with over 3000 baubles.
Preparing for Christmas at Castle Howard. Photos by Tom Arber (5)
A Victorian carriage will be on display inside the House for the first time as part of the displays. Castle Howard records show the carriage was made by Barker & Co of Chandos Street in 1879 for Rosalind, 9th Countess of Carlisle, and cost £190. The carriage has been restored by Castle Howard’s team, and was specially winched inside the House, before being dressed as part of the festive installations.
Castle Howard Curator Matthew Wood explains: “We’re very excited to display this beautiful piece of history as part of the Dickens-themed installations – perhaps Dickens himself may have travelled in something similar. The carriage is a Brougham, a type of enclosed carriage developed in the 1830s by Lord Brougham which was designed to be light, fast and economical, requiring only one horse. The carriage has yellow and black livery which was used by the Howard family on their carriages in the Victorian era, and the doors are further decorated with the Howard lion.”
Preparing for Christmas at Castle Howard. Photos by Tom Arber (2)
A Dickens of a Christmas at Castle Howard runs 12th November to 3rd January, with tickets on sale now. The installations are created by CLW Event Design, with soundscapes and projections by imitating the dog.
