Christmas at Dunham Massey

Christmas at Dunham Massey is the tenth year of the light trail through the National Trust gardens. Projections wash the house, Father Christmas is in residence, a fairground sits on the estate, and about a mile of lights joins the lot together. The route is outdoors, on paths you walk at your own pace, with the hall appearing through the trees when the trail turns back toward it.

Tickets start at £19. The trail runs from 20 November to 2 January, with timed entry, so the hour you book is the hour you should arrive. Allow one to two hours once you are in. Dog-friendly sessions are on the programme, and the earlier slots are quieter if crowds are the part you would rather skip. Altrincham is the nearest town. Wrap up. A garden in December is a different temperature from the photographs, and the best stretches are the ones where you can still feel your hands enough to hold a hot chocolate.