Share the Adventures of Toad, Mole, Ratty and Badger as they Celebrate Christmas at Chatsworth with Mr Toad

7 Nov 2015 to 3 Jan 2016

For its much anticipated festive season Chatsworth has once again taken inspiration from a children's classic. Christmas at Chatsworth with Mr Toad takes visitors through the adventures of those best of animal friends; Mole, Ratty, Badger and Toad as they get ready to celebrate Christmas.

Now available to be booked online, tickets for visits at Christmas now offer timed entry into the house. Visitors planning to make a trip to the house this festive season are advised to book in advance to secure the time slot of their choice. Free parking is included with all online bookings. The new system will ensure visitors are able to make the most of their day and minimise queuing times to enter the house.  

With the lower floors of the house transformed into scenes loosely based on Kenneth Grahame's much-loved classic Wind in the Willows, the Painted Hall serves beautifully as the Baronial Toad Hall dressed with sumptuous garlands and a magnificent Christmas tree, while the house itself is generously decorated with festive flowers and giant Christmas trees throughout. 

The enchantment continues with scenes of the riverside folk getting ready to celebrate Christmas at Toad Hall before they come in for a shock. Visitors will discover Mole helping to dress Ratty's Christmas tree before loading up his little boat with gifts to take to Toad Hall. With many charming scenes unfolding on the journey through the house, this year's festive celebration is sure to enchant all that come under its magical spell.

Chatsworth, this year, is also transforming the Great Chamber and the Guest Bedrooms into the scenes from the evergreen story to extend the festive route throughout more of the house.

Children will enjoy discovering the hiding places of the little mice all along the route; placing their wish on the Wishes Trees and dressing up in the costumes made especially for Christmas with Mr Toad  by the in house textiles team.

Once again, it's been a huge effort from the talented Chatsworth in house team with staff from Textiles; Housekeeping; Joinery and Gardening coming together to create the costumes for characters and guides; painting backdrops; making scene-setting items such as Ratty's jetty and Badger's house and putting together the garlands and other festive flower displays. 

The house, garden, farmyard and adventure playground, restaurants and gift shops are open until 3 January 2016 (closed 24, 25, 26 December and 1 January), with Christmas at Chatsworth with Mr Toad opening on 7 November.

Tickets for the Christmas season will be available to be booked online. This year there will a timed ticketing system in operation, so all tickets should be booked in advance to ensure a time slot is allocated. www.chatsworth.or