Christmas at Cragside runs 28 November to 3 January, closed 24 to 26 December. Adults £18, no booking. Fairyland house, a 44.7m lit redwood, trail and walk.

Cragside’s Christmas season runs from Saturday 28 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027. This year the House is dressed as A Journey Through Fairyland, based on a short story written by William Armstrong himself, and the giant redwood the National Trust calls the World’s Tallest Bedded Christmas Tree is lit again. There is nothing to book: you pay on the gate.

The quick answer

  • Is it on this year? Yes. The National Trust’s Christmas at Cragside page gives 28 November 2026 to 3 January 2027.
  • Closed: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
  • Price: adults £18, children 5 to 17 £9, family (2 adults, up to 3 children) £45, without Gift Aid. Under-5s and National Trust members free. Parking is included.
  • Booking: none. The Trust says it does not run a ticketing system at Cragside: turn up, pay or show your card.
  • Quietest days: weekdays before schools break up on Friday 18 December, the Trust says.

Christmas prices

From the National Trust’s Christmas pricing table:

Ticket With Gift Aid Without Gift Aid
Adult (18+) £19.80 £18.00
Child (5 to 17) £9.90 £9.00
Family (2 adults, up to 3 children) £49.50 £45.00
Family (1 adult, up to 3 children) £29.70 £27.00

Under-5s and members are free. The Trust says there is no extra charge for parking once you have paid entry or shown a membership card, and that everything in the Christmas programme is included once you are in. Under-15s must be with an adult.

Cragside also gives 25% off entry to people who arrive by bus and get off at the main entrance, or who come by bike or on foot: show your bus ticket or pass at the welcome desk.

Opening times over Christmas

Part of the estate Hours
Entrance 10am to 4pm
House (Fairyland) from 11am, last entry 4pm
Gardens and grounds 10am to 5pm
Christmas tree 10am to 5pm
Escape from Fairyland trail 10am to 4pm
Shop and tea room 10am to 5pm
Carriage Drive 10am to 3pm

The entrance closes at 4pm, so arrive before then even though the grounds stay open until 5pm.

What’s on

A Journey Through Fairyland, in the House

The House becomes the setting for the story: Armstrong falls asleep to the sound of a train and wakes in a Fairyland of mountains, crystal caves and hot air balloons, and has to find his way home for Christmas. The visitor route takes in the Butler’s Pantry, Kitchen, Dining Room, Library, Study, Gallery, Drawing Room and Billiard Room, across two floors with carpeted stairs.

Two things worth knowing before you go, both from the Trust’s own FAQs:

  • You will not see the collection as normal. The rooms are a stage set for the season. If you want the House undecorated, the Trust suggests visiting between February half term and October half term 2027.
  • Lighting is low to protect the collection, with warm white and multi-coloured lights and no flashing lights. Photos are welcome without flash. A hearing loop is available on arrival.

The World’s Tallest Bedded Christmas Tree

A living giant redwood near the House, 44.7 metres tall and dressed in more than 1,300 lights, which the Trust says is more than twice the height of the Angel of the North. It is lit from 10am to 5pm, so the late afternoon, as the sun goes down, is the time to see it.

Escape from Fairyland trail

A family trail in the Formal Garden, 10am to 4pm, hunting for supplies for Armstrong’s kit bag. The garden is on three levels, linked by stone steps and gravel paths, with plenty of benches.

Festive 5-miler

A waymarked walk of up to three hours from Crozier car park, with a selfie station on the way. The Trust advises anyone setting off after 1.30pm to bring a torch.

Getting there and parking

Cragside is at Rothbury, Morpeth, NE65 7PX, on the B6341. The National Trust warns that sat navs can send you to the exit: follow the brown signs to the main entrance instead, or enter “Cragside” rather than the postcode in Google Maps. From the A1, take the A697 through Longhorsley and Longframlington and turn left on to the B6341 at Moorhouse Crossroads; the entrance is three miles along on the left.

There are seven car parks: two on the lower estate, including the main car park, and five along the Carriage Drive, which closes at 3pm in the Christmas season. The main car park has 12 EV charging points (bring your own cable). Vehicles with trailers or caravans cannot get up the estate roads.

By bus, the Arriva X14 (Newcastle, Morpeth, Thropton) and the 471 (Alnwick to Thropton) both stop at the main entrance. Check our roadworks and travel page before setting off, and our parking page if you are stopping in Rothbury or Morpeth on the way.

Frequently asked questions

When is Christmas at Cragside 2026?

From Saturday 28 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027. It is closed on 24, 25 and 26 December.

Do I need to book Christmas at Cragside?

No. The National Trust says there is no booking or ticketing system at Cragside: pay or show your membership card on arrival.

How much is Cragside at Christmas?

£18 for adults and £9 for children aged 5 to 17 without Gift Aid (£19.80 and £9.90 with it), or £45 for a family of two adults and up to three children. Under-5s and National Trust members go free, and parking is included.

What time does the Cragside Christmas tree light up?

The Trust lists the tree from 10am to 5pm every open day, and suggests seeing it against the winter sunset.

Is Cragside busy at Christmas?

The Trust says it is “very popular” and that weekends and school holidays are busiest. It recommends a weekday before schools break up on Friday 18 December.

More Christmas in Northumberland

Sources