I was so excited to learn about the light trail taking place at Warwick Castle. Not only was I excited, but one of my daughters and her two daughters were also eager to see the lights. The main attraction for them was Stories with Santa, followed closely by ice skating. For me, it was the light trail around the grounds of the castle. On a cold night we set off to the Castle, the children talking non-stop during our journey there.
We have visited the Castle many times and parked as usual at the Stratford Road car park. My granddaughters always love the shrieks of the peacocks who live on the grounds. Tonight the peacocks were in bed, but the lights lit up our short walk to the entrance. The Castle looked amazing, lit up in purple with yellow lights surrounding the walls. We could see the ice-skating rink where we were booked later in the evening. This first sight of the Castle really ramped up the excitement levels. We also met the elves, who were checking whether we had been good. Much to my granddaughters’ disbelief, my daughter was told she had been naughty!
We had underestimated how much there is to do at the Castle. Although we were scheduled for ice skating and Stories with Santa, we also needed to allow time for the light trail and getting food. As always as a family, our planning was not perfect, but we had great fun trying to do everything.
First, we did the light trail backwards! Early on we encountered a loud voice tempting us to “push the button, push the button.” When we did, it unleashed a sequence of events across the River Avon. A light-activated trebuchet fired, followed by a flame explosion not far from where we were standing. It was a loud bang which made us all jump. We marvelled at all the light displays but realised we had to hurry back to the ice-skating.
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At the ice-rink, I stood on the side to take pictures. We were treated to a spectacular display of ice-skating by a group of young people who gave a beautiful demonstration of the art of skating. Ice Angels UK have a number of British Champions in their group and showed the art of ice dance. Their illuminated cloaks at the end were stunning. My granddaughters and daughter loved the ice skating and used both a penguin figure and a whale as helpers on the rink. As a keen roller-blade skater, my eldest granddaughter took to the ice straight away. It was a wonderfully Christmassy scene with the Castle as the backdrop. Eventually I grew restless—and had a go at skating myself!
We had worked up a healthy appetite and went to find food. The vendors catered for all tastes. As I was not driving, I enjoyed a pint of my favourite pale ale from the Purity brewing company. There was so much choice. For my granddaughters, toasting marshmallows was an essential item on their list. On a cold night, the hot food was very welcome, and we were serenaded by Christmas singers as we sat.
Then it was back for another go at the light trail—this time the right way! I loved the light tunnels, my granddaughters loved controlling the colours on the Christmas tree, and we all loved Holly the horse with her rider and handler.
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We rushed back to be in time for Stories with Santa, our final scheduled event of the evening and a major highlight. I have visited the Castle on many occasions and the majestic Great Hall always takes my breath away. We were treated to a cup of orange juice for the children and prosecco for the adults. The elves were waiting in the dining room and introduced themselves. They asked the children to help sort out the presents. When this was done, Mrs Claus appeared followed by Santa himself, arriving via the chimney. There was much excitement and laughter as Santa settled to read us a story, Holly the Horse Who Saved Christmas. When it finished, all the children received a Holly soft toy and a picture with Santa, while the adults received a mince pie from Mrs Claus.
By now my grandchildren were very tired and we slowly made our way back to the car. I took the opportunity to climb up the steps leading to walk along the castle walls. This allowed me to take pictures of the inner circle of the Castle in all its grandeur. We left in high spirits and the journey home was very quiet as the two girls fell asleep, dreaming of the evening’s adventures.
I would highly recommend a visit to the Castle. Everything about the experience is first class, well organised, and full of smiles from the staff. The lights were amazing, the ice skating was lovely to watch, and the food and drink hit the spot. Finally, a magical light trail. In my blog I have overused the words fun, magical, and excitement—but they truly sum up the evening.
The images online do not compare to walking through and taking part in the events. As a keen photographer, I was mesmerised by the lights and the creative ideas behind the trail. In truth, there was so much to do that we need a second visit to experience it all properly.
Thank you to everybody at Warwick Castle for such a wonderful evening.
If you enjoyed this blog then stay a while and also explore Warwick. Here is a blog that I wrote in 2020 and little has changed since then. Warwick Castle and the town has so much to offer.
