A 1930s Christmas
Step into the 1930s as Ickworth stirs up nostalgia and Christmas merriment
- Date
- 16th November 2026 - 29th November 2026
- Time
- 11:00am - 3:00pm
About this event
Join National Trust Ickorth in the Servants Quarters as we get ready for the festive season. Step into the 1930s as we stir up nostalgia and Christmas merriment. Sights, sounds, and smells will immerse you in the past.
For two weeks at the end of November, Ickworth’s servants’ quarters’ will once again be transformed with a traditional festive 1930s experience.
Visitors will step into a warm, nostalgic world to get them in the mood for December’s festivities.
Picture a Christmas tree, stockings hanging on every fireplace, ribbons streaming across windows and overhead, plenty of fresh greenery from Ickworth Estate, and plenty of traditional decorations.
There will be sensory elements, with Christmassy smells and audio recordings of Ickworth’s actual servants from the 30s and 40s discussing the festivities playing aloud.
Activities for families will include paperchain making, with the paper chains being used throughout December in the main Christmas displays on the ground and first floors.
On both weekends, the costume interpretation team will be bringing the basement to life, cooking and interacting with visitors. Chat to them about the highs and lows of working in the big house and get stuck into our Christmas preparations. Join us in a warm, nostalgic world, and enjoy some whole-family fun.
To visit November Nostalgia, please enter through the shop in the West Wing.
This event is free, but normal admission charges apply for the venue. Child-friendly, families encouraged.
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About the Venue
A Georgian Italianate palace in an idyllic English landscape.
Ickworth's impressive Rotunda - a magnificent showcase commissioned by the 4th Earl of Bristol to house his priceless treasures collected on tours around Europe in the 18th-century - is an architectural marvel.
For 200 years, the eccentric, and sometimes infamous, Hervey family added to the treasures inside and out, also creating the earliest Italianate garden in England. The exquisite craftmanship of the finest Huguenot silversmiths is breathtaking, and you can follow the family's history through outstanding portraits by Gainsborough, Hogarth and Reynolds.
After walking in the tranquil parkland, experience 1930s domestic service in the restored servants' basement, sharing the real stories and memories of former staff who kept this country estate running.
Ickworth offers a delicious selection of food throughout the year. Whether you're coming just for a meal, or to make a whole day out our West Wing, Squash Court Cafe and Porter Lodge Cafe offer a mouth-watering choice of hot food, snacks and a great cup of coffee.
After a busy day enjoying our special place, make sure you find that special gift or memento of your visit. Browse our West Wing Gift Shop and Plant & Garden Shop, for seasonal and inspirational gifts.
Cycle Hub
Explore Ickworth Estate on two wheels! Our Cycle Hub is open daily throughout the school holidays for cycle hire, 10am to 4pm with last hire at 2pm. Hire starts from just £3 and you can hire for two hours or all day. Visit https://bit.ly/IckworthBikes for more details. Normal admission charges apply, free for National Trust members.
Dog Friendly
Dogs are welcome in the parkland, on woodland walks, the walled garden and at Porter’s Lodge café, which is the perfect place to start or finish your dog walk. There are tasty treats, plenty of hot and cold drinks, and of course water bowls with lots of shade for your furry friend. Please keep your dog on a lead at all times on the estate.
Only assistance dogs are allowed in the West Wing, house and Italianate garden.
