Christmas at Burghley House

Christmas at Burghley House - Fine food market (c) Burghley House (p) GoUK.com

What

Christmas at Burghley

When

Thursday, 1st December to Sunday, 4th December 2011

Where

Burghley House, Stamford, Lincolnshire
www.burghley.co.uk

The Fanfare

England’s greatest Elizabethan country house plays host to a seasonal spectacle from 1st – 4th December featuring festive favourites including Crafts for Christmas and a free-to-enter Fine Food Market.

With Burghley House as the spectacular backdrop, Christmas at Burghley will offer stately food, carols in the cobbled courtyard and a crafts pavilion for some seasonal shopping.

From 1-4 December Burghley House’s beautiful parkland will become home to the ever-popular Crafts for Christmas event staged by the Rural Crafts Association with a host of unique gift ideas all under one roof in a special pavilion.

And there’s an extra touch of seasonal magic with festive food and drink on 3rd and 4th December at the free-to-enter Christmas Fine Food Market.

In association with Tastes of Lincolnshire, local producers offering regional, award-winning specialties with a seasonal twist will set-up stall in the picturesque cobbled courtyard with carols adding to the festive fun.

Special Festive Floral Workshops, will also be staged on Thursday 1st and Friday 2nd December with Burghley’s head gardener John Burrows.

He will reveal how to make either a beautiful table centre or festive garland that visitors can take home with them, with all materials and refreshments provided (booking is essential for the workshops).

But there is plenty more Christmas cheer on offer throughout December at the Lincolnshire historic house, which has been the home of the Cecil family for more than 400 years.

Although the house is closed, Burghley’s parkland – largely designed by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown in the 18th century – is open all year from 8am to 8pm or dusk if earlier and is free to all.

Offering sweeping vistas down to the spires of the Georgian stone town of Stamford, it creates the perfect canvas for a winter stroll.

Christmas also brings a truly seasonal flavour to the menu at the recently refurbished Orangery restaurant plus special shopping at the Burghley gift shop – which will host a special Christmas sale during the four days with reductions on goods ranging from Joules clothing to L’Occitane beauty products and Cath Kidston homeware.

Admission to the gift shop and the restaurant is free and both are open during the winter period, from Wednesday to Sunday 10am to 4pm (shop 11am to 4pm).

For more details: www.burghley.co.uk