Hever Castle Christmas Light Trail 2020: In Photos

If you know me even slightly, you know how much I love a light festival. All year, my dread for the darkening nights is balanced with eagerness to see whichever light and illumination trails are promised for the upcoming festive season. Christmas at Kew is a perennial favourite of mine - it's always so well executed, with displays to make even the most curmudgeonly of adults gasp in delight.

But thanks to the hellfire that is 2020, I won't be going to Christmas at Kew this year, and I'm devastated. The event is going ahead for anyone that fancies it, but I can't justify making the journey into London to see it - particularly as my local area is going into Tier 3 when the current lockdown ends.

Instead, I booked a ticket to the Christmas light trail at Hever Castle, a venue much closer to my home, and accessible by car. As you'd expect, it's a smaller affair than Christmas at Kew, and is aimed more towards the kiddies, but I take my kicks where I can this year. 

Several aspects of the extensive grounds are included in the trail. The Loggia terrace overlooking the lake, and the walls of several of the formal gardens, are floodlit in ever-changing colours. Hanging disco balls add a fun twist to some of the arches, and neon poles light a winding trail through the gardens.

Instagram's bound to be awash with pictures of the long light tunnel, a great alternative use for trellises which are covered in colourful flowers in the summer. The Peter Pan theme comes into play halfway around the trail, when mini models of London landmarks lead visitors into Neverland, with its Tinkerbell projection, and pirate ship, and Lost Boys. The trail winds cleverly around to give visitors a full-frontal view of the castle itself in its floodlit finery.

Directly opposite the castle itself, a flashing arched light tunnel draws plenty of attention. Walk across it to get a closer look at the towering Christmas tree, plus flashing orbs on the lawn. 

My favourite installation, and one that was getting plenty of attention when I visited, was the strings of lights hung above the Half Moon Pond in a web effect. The bulbs flashed in an ever-changing sequence of colours and lights, reflected in the still, dark water below for double the effect.

There are two entrances to the trail, which helps to keep things moving. I booked for 4pm on a Sunday and was impressed with how uncrowded it was - Hever have clearly had to limit ticket numbers to comply with social distancing, and it really felt safe and enjoyable. 

There are a few bottleneck areas, such as the bridge outside the main castle entrance, but as long as you're willing to be patient and wait for crowds to clear, it's easy to complete the whole trail at a comfortable distance from other visitors. 

One questionable aspect was how poorly lit some of the waterside areas are - in almost pitch black, it would be easy for an excited child or distracted adult to step straight into the moat, river or pond, not realising that solid ground has ended.

But as long as you keep your wits about you, Christmas at Hever offers a safe and enjoyable night out this winter - and a great way to support a local venue which has seen its revenue take a hit this year.

Although Hever Castle & Gardens is in Tier 3 when lockdown ends, the Christmas trail is outside, so can continue. See the website for further details and to book tickets.