A stunning Christmas display at an iconic stately home is now available to watch in a virtual tour.
North Yorkshire's Castle Howard created 'Into the Woods: A Fairytale Christmas' this festive season, transforming the home into a dazzling Christmas wonderland.
But now, for the first time, Castle Howard has created an online tour of the display so that people who can't visit in person, as well as international tourists still facing travel restrictions, can visit from the comfort of their own homes.
The 37-minute online video is a detailed exploration of Castle Howard’s fairytale Christmas, which brings to life the stately home's grand rooms with decoration, soundscapes and projections.
The tour is presented by CLW Event Design artistic director Charlotte Lloyd Webber, who reveals behind the scenes details and the creative team's inspirations room-by-room.
CLW designed and created the Into the Woods installation, plus previous events bespoke for Castle Howard including Narnia and Masquerade.
Abbigail Ollive, head of marketing, sales and programming, said: “Christmas at Castle Howard is famous for its wow-factor, and we welcome thousands of visitors through our doors this time of year.
"We wanted to create an enchanting virtual tour that allowed people to experience the magic from their own homes, including: local people who can’t get to us; people across the UK who can’t travel to us; and international tourists who are still limited by travel restrictions.”
Organisers say The Into the Woods: A Fairytale Christmas in-person event has seen record-high bookings this year, after last year’s Narnia experience.
Profits from the Into the Woods in-person and Virtual Tour experience go towards Castle Howard’s conservation funds to restore and protect the historic buildings and landscape around the estate.
The Virtual Tour is available via Castle Howard’s website here - and costs £8, which allows viewers unlimited access to watch the video.
Castle Howard is 15 miles north of York. Set in the Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it is a private residence and has been home of the Carlisle branch of the Howard family for more than 300 years.
Castle Howard was commissioned by the 3rd Earl of Carlisle in 1699 and took more than 100 years to complete.
Successive generations have welcomed visitors to the house and it was first opened to the public by George Howard in 1952. Visitors can expect dramatic interiors and world-renowned art collections. The Gardens offer extensive woodland walks, temples, lakes and fountains with an adventure playground, Skelf Island, for the younger visitors to burn off steam.
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