Castle Howard’s Charles Dickens-themed event opens its doors to visitors, with more than 80 trees, 2000 metres of lights and 30,000 baubles

A Dickens of Christmas at Castle Howard is open to visitors, with Yorkshire’s iconic stately home transformed into a traditional Victorian festive extravaganza.

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, with each room representing a Dickens story.

CLW Event Design and imitating the dog have created the displays, with many of the creatives from the local York area. A team of over 50 volunteers have supported the preparations.

Charlotte Lloyd Webber, Artistic Director at CLW Event Design, said: “It has been a pleasure to imagine the stories of Charles Dickens, the British writer most synonymous with Christmas, inside Castle Howard’s historic interior. We’ve had so much fun creating the world of Oliver Twist, Ebenezer Scrooge, and other beloved Dickens characters. The creative teams have been working on the experience since January this year, and we have dressed over 80 trees, used 2000 metres of lights, 30,000 baubles and over 2000 velvet and tartan bows. Our teams have worked closely with the Castle Howard curators and are presenting collection items as part of the displays that haven’t been seen by visitors before – that’s very exciting for me, and will be a delight for visitors.”

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 in 1879 for Rosalind, 9th Countess of Carlisle. The carriage has been conserved by Castle Howard’s team. Curious objects from the 18^th and 19^th century, including wax figures, historic clocks, model ships and busts of family members will also be display, some for the first time.

Castle Howard’s Stable Courtyard is open to Christmas shoppers from 12^th November. It’s hosting a Jellycat Shop, the beloved soft toy brand, open daily during the Christmas period. The Farm Shop has a Christmas food-to-order service of local produce, the Courtyard Café is serving a seasonal winter menu, and the Garden Centre is selling British-grown Christmas trees and wreaths.

Castle Howard has employed almost 200 additional staff to deliver their Christmas event, alongside a team of over 300 volunteers. Castle Howard’s previous Christmas events are multi-award-winning and drew record-breaking visitor numbers in 2025.

A Dickens of a Christmas at Castle Howard runs 12^th November to 3^rd January.