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Liverpool Echo

Entertainment

Amy Browne

'Christmas trail with thousands of sparkling lights I want to visit again and again'

Dunham Massey (Facility)

Light trails are popping up all over the region in the run up to Christmas and last weekend I visited one that's so popular, the tickets get booked up months in advance.

Dunham Massey is around a 45 minute drive from Liverpool, depending on where you live (and motorway traffic) and its Christmas light trail illuminates the gardens right up until Christmas and beyond, finishing on January 2. If you haven't visited before, or aren't sure what to expect, let's just say you're in for a real treat - just cross your fingers it doesn't rain too much.

Getting there is fairly easy, it's around a 20 minute drive from Junction 20 on the M6 and once you've parked up, it's only a short walk - clearly signposted - to start the experience. Before you begin walking the trail, there's an area with some small, charming fairground rides - though these are more suited to toddlers and younger children, rather than thrill seekers.

In this area, there's also food and drinks vendors selling tasty treats including churros, fast food and mulled wine. It's worth spending some time here to make the experience that bit longer, though there are other places to get a drink along the way.

We tucked into huge churros and chocolate dipping sauce (Liverpool Echo)

Once on the trail, there's no chance of straying off track as it's clearly marked out. It can get busy at times, with people stopping to take plenty of pictures, so it's worth trying to adopt a relaxed mindset and be patient so you get the best views when those in front of you have moved on.

The installations really are stunning and set to Tim Burton-esque music along the way. The whole experience is a feast for the senses, whatever your age. I don't want to give too much away about the content, but having visited last year I can say there's plenty of new things to enjoy this time round, so it will feel like a different experience if you've been before.

I particularly loved the flickering fire garden, which you can spend time gazing at while toasting giant marshmallows over huge fire pits, with Christmas music playing in the background. The twinkling cathedral is stunning, but trying to get a photo in there without other people in the background is a tricky task as it's clearly one of the most popular Instagram spots on the trail.

The singing tree was a real highlight (Liverpool Echo)

My personal favourite was the singing tree, which was so enchanting I couldn't take my eyes off it. And, spoiler alert, if you've got children, keep an eye out for Father Christmas along the way.

But while there are nods to the festive season (the twinkling reindeer being a personal favourite) this trail is more of a subtle way to celebrate Christmas. You won't see any over-enthusiastic elves jumping out and there are no stalls selling plastic tat that the kids will nag you into buying.

The sparkling reindeer are one of the festive touches (Liverpool Echo)

It's a beautiful way to get into the spirit and even though we did have some rain during our visit, it just made the lights sparkle that bit brighter. I'd happily visit this event time and time again.

Christmas at Dunham Massey runs from November 18, 2022 to January 2, 2023. The trail is approximately a mile long and the experience lasts for around 90 minutes depending on your pace. You can book tickets here.

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