Chatsworth House is one of the great gems of the UK, and now that winter is rolling around this stately home in the Peak District has been made even more magical.
For this year’s festive transformation, the grand manor house has been filled with twinkling lights, enormous Christmas trees, and light projections.
Around every corner you’ll find another magnificent hall or corridor dressed up to the nines for the season.
There are more than 20 different rooms that you can explore at Chatsworth House this Christmas, and you’ll feel a million miles away from the city.
Images: The Sheff
The house even SMELLS like Christmas, with Chatsworth collaborating with fragrance experts creating scents like chocolate, gingerbread, and the smells of a kitchen on Christmas Day.
There’s even a Christmas Market in the grounds, with more than 100 exhibitors offering themed gifts, food and drink – you can even toast marshmallows or grab a bratwurst.
This year, the Christmas event has been themed around an original new story written exclusively for Chatsworth House by former children’s laureate, Joseph Coelho OBE.
Images: The Sheff
Henry and the Lion’s Christmas Feast is inspired by the house itself and the life of Henry Cavendish, and follows young Henry and his accomplice, a little lion (inspired by the statues in the Sculpture Gallery).
You’ll spot the book’s illustrations in the scenery and decorations all around Chatsworth House, and see a banquet laid out in the Great Dining Room.
Other events this season will include pop-up theatres, and an illuminated light trail embracing its best-loved garden landmarks.
Images: The Sheff
Joseph Coelho, author of ‘Henry and the Lion’s Christmas Feast’ said: “It was such a wonderful challenge to be invited to write a new book that would inspire the Christmas decorations at Chatsworth this year.
“I was really captivated by the life of Henry Cavendish and his amazing scientific experiments, and I got great ideas from visiting the house and grounds, especially going through the Sculpture Gallery when I saw the two great lions. I thought how interesting it would be to put the Chatsworth lion and Henry Cavendish face to face and give them a little adventure together.
“I hope that visitors come to Chatsworth and, seeing the decorations, are inspired by all the Christmassy mischief that Henry and the lion get up to and leave with that excited bubbly feeling you get when you know that Christmas is around the corner.”
If anything is going to get you in the festive spirit, it’s a wander around Chatsworth House.
Leeds Christmas Markets is returning to the city centre in just two months' time and some major plans and changes have been announced.
Although Pop Princess Zara Larsson might want us to believe "Summer isn't over yet", it's safe to say that the recent downpours we've had across West Yorkshire disagree.
Leeds Christmas Markets are also ringing in the new season with a jam-packed video posted to social media announcing all the current plans and changes for its 2026 schedule.
This year, outdoor events company Thor’s Tipi are stepping up as the all-new operators of this Christmastime spectacular and are organising a celebration where 'even if you’re not from Yorkshire, you’re going to leave being from Yorkshire'.
Leeds Christmas Markets are returning to Leeds City Square from Thursday 19 November with plenty of Yorkshire-centric stalls / Credit: The Hoot Leeds
Although Leeds locals already know that Yorkshire is 'God's Own Country', the Leeds Christmas Markets team are making sure that the county is represented through its food, drinks and wider stalls.
In a video uploaded to its social accounts, foodie expert and Little Bao Boy Founder James 'Jimmy Chews' Ooi was given the honour of revealing all these exciting plans.
Informing everyone that "You best come hungry", Ooi noted that some of the phenomenal vendors taking part include La Grassa and The Savvy Baker.
Real Markets Yorkshire and Stump Cross Caverns are also getting into the Christmas spirit and setting up their own stalls at Leeds City Square this November.
La Grassa is just one of many familiar foodie faces returning to Leeds Christmas Markets / Credit: The Hoot Leeds
Rated restaurants and bars are contributing to the festive frenzy too, like Cabaret Thursdays at Italian restaurant Bibi's and beer garden destination Green Room are hosting singalongs at Leeds Christmas Markets.
There will be plenty of activities for families happening all around the unofficial capital of West Yorkshire like elf-themed scavenger hunts, various elves on various shelves and lots of live music.
If it wasn't apparent already, in the words of Jimmy Chews himself, there's about to be "So much Christmas that Mariah Carey is going to look like the Grinch".
Leeds Christmas Markets are returning to Leeds City Square from Thursday 19 November and there will be plenty of exciting announcements to the upcoming celebrations ahead of the big day.
Popular TV channel playing Christmas films 24/7 is now back on air in the UK
Emily Sergeant
Think it's too early for 'C word'? Never mind, you've already clicked on this article.
Sure, we may only be into our second full week of September, but given the fact the weather these past couple of days hasn't exactly screamed summer, it already feels like the festive season is around the corner - but whether or not you think it’s too early to be talking about Christmas, it’ll soon be too tricky to escape from.
Especially not when the famous TV channel showing festive film favourites non-stop is now back on air in the UK.
Yes, you heard that right - Christmas films, 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
If you’re ready to wave goodbye to summer, and in welcome autumn and winter with open arms, then there's arguably no better way of getting into the festive spirit than with the long-awaited and highly-anticipated return of the TV channel that's charmed audiences for over half a decade now.
GREAT! Christmas the UK’s biggest seasonal channel, and it's now live on Sky, Freesat, Freeview and Virgin Media.
You can expect almost four months of back-to-back seasonal movies.
The 24-hour feel-good and free-to-air channel will be bursting with non-stop Christmas spirit, and will be showing a heartwarming lineup of festive films - including some absolute fan-favourite classics that make it to screens every year without fail, alongside some cheesy Hallmark classics, new channel premieres, and so much more.
Viewers will find GREAT! Christmas on Freeview channel 51, Sky 319, Sky (Glass/Stream) 317, Virgin channel 424, and Freely channel 47.
Daisy Jackson -
2nd December 2024 
