Striking Winter Lights & Lasers 2022
Waddesdon Manor’s light show makes an impression
Every year we go to Waddesdon Manor’s Christmas lights display, in Buckinghamshire, England, to be immersed in a fairy tale environment of illuminations and good cheer.
The house belonged to Baron Ferdinand De Rothschild, from the famous Victorian banking family. It was a place to show off his collections of art, sculpture, and furniture. He held weekend parties at the Manor, and it was visited by Queen Victoria in 1890. Today, it’s open to the public and has Christmas light displays every year.
This year there were lasers dancing to music on Miss Alice’s Walk, which was an entirely new experience, and lots of fun.
Below is the start of the illuminations, with Waddesdon in Lights. The colours changed as we stood and watched. We followed an enchanting route through amazing gardens.
Children wrote their favourite things on these hanging trees — inscriptions included, I love deer, unicorns, running, swimming, football, and decorating the Christmas tree.
They created lanterns to illuminate part of the route, with pictures of an enchanted woodland, with owls, squirrels, trees, and weird and wonderful creatures.
These illuminated creatures were pretty cool too.
There was a photography competition among local schools and a selection of the photos were on display. When we reached the stables, changing lights and moving water created a whole new experience inside the building.
On the route back to the manor house, there were illuminated chandeliers hanging from the trees.
Then we followed the main light trail around the formal gardens…
Through an illuminated tunnel…
And onto a musical keyboard where you walk on the keys to play a tune…
There were more illuminated walkways…
A mirror ball created a fabulous snowy effect among the trees…
And a Christmas market sold all sorts of festive fayre, including chutneys, decorations, warm clothes, chocolates and fancy brews.
Finally, we watched the projected light show on the manor itself. The lights change and dance to music, alternating between two different Christmassy melodies.
The Illuminations opened on 12 November and continue until 2nd January 2023. The house is also open to visitors with Christmas decorations inside. Find out more here: www.waddesdon.org.uk
Last year’s display…
