Follow the colourful lights across to Bridlington this Christmas, and you’ll find Sewerby’s Winter Woodland setting the Yorkshire coast a-twinkle in its second outing. Once again it’s fully sold out (we did warn you that it would – it’s popular!) but we were lucky enough to be invited along to check out this year’s event.
The magic began as soon as we arrived, with a cheery greeting from an elf who pointed us in the direction of the illuminated hall, bathed in colour and sound. Although the children were keen to get to the woodland, we persuaded them into the house to admire the Christmas trees and decorations and find out a bit about the traditions of Christmas past. We could have done a trail, too, but the impatience was too much so we followed the music to the trees.
Although visitors have to book a timeslot, this year’s woodland walk is self-guided, which we preferred. We enjoyed being able to slow down and look at all the details without worrying about whether we were slowing anyone down or marching ahead too quickly. The trail is just the right length for little legs, and it seemed to be flat and smooth enough for buggies to manage without difficulty. And the even better news is that even the most walk-allergic child is unlikely to even notice that they’re putting one foot in front of the other because it’s probably the most enchanting walk they’ve ever done.
From the sparkling rainbow tunnel to the illuminated, ever-changing lights in the trees, it’s a stunning sight. We laughed and danced our way around, enjoying every minute of the musical soundtrack. The whole experience culminated in a fabulous five-minute finale, hosted by a real-life elf! There was a short wait for our turn, so we took the opportunity to fill a bag of reindeer food (free) and we could have bought some marshmallows to toast, too.
After the walk, we headed to the courtyard where we warmed up with a drink and snack. There were some tempting hot food options, too, all of which could be enjoyed in a cosy covered area. We were blown away by Sewerby Winter Woodland last year, and we’re so pleased that this year lived up to our expectations too. It’s a wonderful Christmas event on the coast: fun, friendly, memorable and really well organised. It’s definitely worth travelling to, and makes a nice change from the Santa-related experiences. Just remember to buy your tickets well in advance for next year, and don’t blame us if you miss out!
