Hear a Ho Ho Ho at Hockerhill with its special guest this festive season

The attraction in Brewood, Staffordshire, will be decked out in plenty of Christmas splendour as it welcomes Father Christmas and his merry band of elves from Saturday 22^nd November and every weekend until Christmas Eve.

During the experience, guests are welcomed to a magical grotto decorated with snowy scenes, piles of presents, special trinkets and is most importantly, full of festive cheer. Here, families are entertained by the mischievous and chatty elves and meet with Father Christmas to share all their hearts’ desires for the big day.

Once they’ve received a special present and divulged their wishes, little ones can enjoy a hot chocolate and time at a biscuit-decorating station where they’ll ice their own design on to a gingerbread biscuit, ready to savour once they reach Hockerhill’s majestic play area.

Tessa Giffard, custodian of Chillington Hall and co-founder of Hockerhill with her husband, Charlie, said: “We are very honoured that Father Christmas is returning to our one-of-a-kind play area this year. During our first Christmas event in 2024, families had a wonderful experience meeting him and made some special festive memories by enjoying everything that Hockerhill has to offer after their session.”

The centrepiece of Hockerhill Adventure Playbarn is a giant mock oak tree, modelled on the one that King Charles II hid in at Boscobel House as he fled Oliver Cromwell at the Battle of Worcester. Turrets, bridges and high-level walkways break away from the oak tree and offer both exploration, and physical and mental challenges with a bird’s eye view of the playbarn.

For added excitement, the Hockerhill pedal go-kart track starts indoors before heading outside on a winding tarmac track where thrill seekers can channel their inner Formula 1 driver and set their best lap time. Also open in the winter months, the spacious outdoor area at Hockerhill includes zip lines, swings, slides, a sand pit and a bespoke toddler area as well as outdoor seating and picnic benches for those who don’t mind the chillier weather.

To fuel families for their big day out, a seasonal menu will be served at Hockerhill’s cafe. Popular for its extensive menu for both brunch and lunch, it will serve a selection of warming soups and crusty bread, hearty toasties and sandwiches, handmade burgers and wood-fired pizzas, as well as festive treats to suit everyone’s tastes including mince pies and other sweet treats.

“Everything we do at Hockerhill is rooted in imagination, creativity and having family experiences that shape childhoods, so we take the same approach to planning our festive event and inject as much magic into it as possible. We keep our grotto cosy, relaxed and personal, whilst ensuring families get some time with Father Christmas to chat about the big day and what they’d like to see under their Christmas tree,” added co-founder Charlie Giffard.

Hockerhill’s Christmas event will take place across 22^nd, 23^rd and 29^th November, as well as the 6^th, 7^th, 13^th, 14^th, 20^th, 21^st, 22^nd, 23^rd and 24^th December. 10-minute sessions are available between 10am – 1pm and 2pm – 4pm, with SEN sessions also available on selected days.

Early bird tickets to see Father Christmas are available from 1^st September to 31^st October for £25, with standard tickets available from 1^st November for £30.

Each ticket admits one child to see Santa and includes their gift, hot chocolate, biscuit decorating session and access to Hockerhill’s play areas. Accompanying adults pay Hockerhill’s standard adult entry and can enter the grotto with their children.

To book, please visit Hockerhill’s website: hockerhill.com