Cragside, pictured, is one of three stately homes to feature in Christmas Treasures of the National Trust (Image: BBC/Blast Films/National Trust/Sheila Rayson)
With the big day less than two weeks away, households across Britain are busy decorating their Christmas tree and preparing for guests. But spare a thought for those properties where preparations for the festive season are on a much grander, and more nerve-wracking, scale.
The National Trust has opened its doors for a behind-the-scenes peek at three of its spectacular festive openings for 2025 at Cragside in Northumberland, Cothele in Cornwall and Coleton Fishacre in south Devon. The special edition of Hidden Treasures of the National Trust on BBC Two this Friday will unwrap the stories behind the preparations of the beautiful historic homes and gardens at the most magical time of the year.
Karen Rockett takes a look behind the velvet ropes of the show-stopping rooms where the lights cannot fail, the pine needles mustn’t fall, and absolutely nothing can be left to chance…
Cragside boasts the world’s biggest Christmas tree (Image: -)
Cragside, Northumberland
High up on the Northumberland moors is Cragside, a Victorian Arts & Crafts style mansion originating from the late 19th century design movement which restored traditional craftsmanship in properties. Wealthy industrialist Lord William Armstrong constructed Cragside in the 1860s and the estate remained in his family until its transfer to the National Trust in 1977.
Each year the Trust’s on-site team takes inspiration from Cragside’s history to prepare a magical festive experience for visitors. For 2025, they are presenting the first-ever Servants’ Ball, a playful revival of a real event held more than 130 years ago. Clara Woolford, property curator at Cragside, came up with the idea after delving into the estate’s past.
“The Armstrongs were famous for their lavish A list parties,” she explains. “Heads of state and the Prince and Princess of Wales were often guests. My role as curator is to come up with a theme and it is never traditional, there’s always a twist.”
She discovered that on December 27, 1894 after working every night of the year to care for the Armstrong family and their guests, servants downed their tools to dance with a ball thrown in their honour. “For one night, everything was turned upside down. Gardeners become lords and maids become ladies.”
To celebrate the monumental occasion, Clara is turning the house into colourful chaos featuring over-sized and extravagant decorations as well as music, dancing and mingling – there is even a touch of below-stairs romance….
The result is an incredible immersive experience for visitors to enjoy this Christmas.
Outside the house is something equally incredible. Cragside boasts the world’s biggest Christmas tree after it became a Guinness World Record holder. Visitors can marvel at the Giant Redwood festooned with over 1,300 lights and which stands at a whopping 44.7 metres tall. A giant cherry picker was used to measure the tree as Guinness adjudicators stood by. Only when the lights were switched on though could it be officially classed as a Christmas tree.
The Servants’ Ball at Cragside House is on until Sunday, January 4. Usual opening times are 11am-3pm (last entry to house 2.30pm) late evening days are held on Dec 20-23 and Dec 27-28, 11am-5pm (last entry to house 4pm) to see the tree
A National Trust volunteer and gardener Kayleigh Lyle put the finishing touches to Cotehele House’s garland (Image: BBC/Blast Films/National Trust/Steven Haywood)
Cotehele, near Saltash, Cornwall
Overlooking the Tamar Valley, Cotehele is one of the best-preserved Tudor houses in the country. An atmospheric house with medieval roots, a mill on its historic quay, and a glorious garden with valley views, there is plenty for visitors to explore here.
But there is one particular attraction people travel for miles to see. Cothele is world famous for its incredible 60-foot-long Christmas garland weighing 20 stone. Christmas starts early here when every spring the gardeners begin collecting and drying tens of thousands of flowers from the estate in preparation for the building of the giant looped flower arrangement.
It’s been made every year since 1956 and forms part of a centuries old winter tradition of bringing foliage into homes at Christmas, otherwise known as “decking the halls”.
This year gardener Kay Lye has taken charge of the garland for the first time after been handed the baton (or should that be secateurs?) from head gardener, the appropriately named Dave Bough.
Until this year, Dave held the record for growing and weaving 37,000 dried flowers into the garland. Preparation work on the garland starts way back in January and February with the digging of the beds. In spring, the seeds are planted before the blooms are picked, stripped and hung up to dry in potting sheds, helped by a dedicated army of 32 National Trust volunteers who use their nails to tear off the outer layers of stem to stop rot. They are literally green-fingered by the end of it.
“This is my first year managing the whole process and it is a huge responsibility to get right,” says Kay. “People come from all over the country to see the garland.
“You are up against nature, up against the weather and plants don’t always do what you want them to do but it was a good summer and I am hopeful of beating Dave’s record.” Spoiler alert: she does!
Cotesele is open daily until January 5, 2026, 10.30am-4pm (except for December 25-26). For group visits this Christmas book via cotehele@nationaltrust.org.uk or telephone 01579 351346
Cothele’s world famous 60-foot-long Christmas garland weighing 20 stone. (Image: BBC/Blast Films/National Trust)
Coleton Fishacre, Kingswear, Devon
Ever wanted to learn the Charleston and attend the kind of Christmas party Jay Gatsby might have thrown? Well you can at one particular National Trust property as it celebrates its 100th birthday this year.
Coleton Fishacre was built by the wealthy D’Oyly Carte family (Rupert and Dorothy) in 1926 as their seaside escape from London.
“The D’Oyly Cartes were very well known in London at that time,” says senior marketing manager Lauren Hutchinson. “They were considered West End royalty. They owned the Savoy Theatre and the Gilbert & Sullivan opera.”
Few people realise that it was from one of the family’s comic operas, lolanthe, that the tradition of using fairy lights originates. They wrapped the fairy dancers in strings of little electric lights, hence the name.
Candles previously lit Christmas trees often with disastrous and dangerous consequences. Now under the auspices of the National Trust, Coleton Fishacre, a classic Arts and Crafts style house, is staging its annual Roaring Twenties themed Charleston and speakeasy Christmas party.
This year promises to be bigger and brighter than ever before to mark its centenary year.
The house has a long history of lavish parties and with its pure Art Deco style of sleek furniture, geometric patterns and minimalist yet cosy interiors, it is the perfect backdrop for visitors to rediscover the Jazz Age.
While inside the house oozes old-school glamour, outside a 30-acre garden blends tropical and English plants with coastal paths for visitors to explore.
Getting into the Roaring Twenties spirit at Coleton Fishacre (Image: BBC/Blast Films/National Trust/Steven Haywood)
For the Christmas event, all the Trust staff dress in 1920s vintage clothes in black, white and gold and wear pearls and ostrich feathers. Visitors are encouraged to sing along to Christmas classics with live pianists in the elegant and theatrical saloon.
Meanwhile vintage reels of the 1920s are brought to life in a cosy pop-up cinema in the sitting room, with card games on offer in the library. There’s even a secret speakeasy bar hidden at the back of the house, serving sample cocktails inspired by The Savoy Cocktail book.
Which is where Coleton Fishacre’s visitor experience officer Carol Caine comes in. She’s in charge of making authentic period cocktails from an original 1920s cocktail cabinet. “I am the keeper of the booze,” she laughs. “Their cocktails were American focussed so they were spirits mixed with spirits!”
Most National Trust members tend to indulge in a pot of tea so they could be in for quite the party! Visitors can stop by the dressing room and try on party accessories before posing for a vintage selfie… maybe before their cocktail.
Charleston classes are being held by local instructors from SwingOut Swing Dance and the South West Lindy Hoppers for the public on selected dates in December, times vary.
The roaring twenties party is free but normal admission charges apply for the venue. To book a dance lesson visit nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/devon/coleton-fishacre
Christmas Treasures of the National Trust is BBC2 on Friday, December 19 at 9pm
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