The real reason we started putting lights on Christmas trees | UK | News

With less than two weeks to go until the big day, families across Britain are busy decorating Christmas trees and entertaining guests. But don’t worry about properties where holiday preparations are much bigger and more nerve-wracking.

The National Trust has opened its doors for behind-the-scenes looks at three of its spectacular festival openings in 2025 at Cragside in Northumberland, Cothele in Cornwall and Coleton Fishacre in South Devon. This Friday’s special edition of the National Trust’s Hidden Treasures on BBC Two will reveal the stories behind the preparations of beautiful historic houses and gardens for the most magical time of the year.

Karen Rockett looks behind the velvet ropes of show-stopping rooms where the lights won’t go out, the pine needles shouldn’t fall, and absolutely nothing can be left to chance…

Cragside, Northumberland

High above the Northumberland moors lies Cragside, a Victorian Arts and Crafts-style mansion originating from the late 19th-century design movement that revived traditional craftsmanship on estates. Wealthy industrialist Lord William Armstrong built Cragside in the 1860s and the estate remained in his family until it was transferred to the National Trust in 1977.

Each year the Trust’s on-site team draw inspiration from Cragside’s history to create a magical festival experience for visitors. For 2025, they are presenting the first Servants’ Ball, a fun re-enactment of a real event held over 130 years ago. Clara Woolford, property curator at Cragside, came up with the idea after researching the property’s history.

“The Armstrongs were famous for their lavish A-list parties,” he explains. “Heads of state and the Prince and Princess of Wales were frequent guests. My job as a curator is to find a theme and it is never traditional, there is always a change.”

On December 27, 1894, after working every night of the year to tend to the Armstrong family and their guests, he discovered that the servants had dropped their instruments to dance with a ball thrown in their honor. “Everything turned upside down overnight. The gardeners became lords, the maids became ladies.”

To celebrate the monumental event, Clara transforms the house into colorful chaos featuring huge, extravagant decorations as well as music, dancing and mingling – there’s even a touch of under-stairs romance.
The result is an incredibly immersive experience for visitors to enjoy this Christmas.

There’s something equally incredible outside the house. Cragside boasts the world’s largest Christmas tree after becoming a Guinness World Record holder. Visitors can marvel at the Giant Sequoia, which is adorned with more than 1,300 lights and stands 44.7 meters tall. A giant cherry picker was used to measure the tree while Guinness judges stood by. Only when the lights were turned on could it be officially classified as a Christmas tree.

The Servants’ Ball at Cragside House is open until Sunday 4 January. Normal opening hours are 11:00-15:00 (last entry to the house is 14:30) and late evenings are held on 20-23 December and 27-28 December from 11:00-17:00 (last entry to the house is 16:00) to see the tree.

Cotehele, near Saltash, Cornwall

Overlooking the Tamar Valley, Cotehele is one of the best-preserved Tudor houses in the country. An atmospheric house with medieval roots, a mill on the historic docks and a magnificent garden with valley views, there is plenty for visitors to discover here.

But there is one special attraction that people travel miles to see. Cothele is world famous for its incredible 60 meter tall Christmas wreaths weighing 20 stone. Christmas starts early here, and gardeners begin collecting and drying tens of thousands of flowers from the grounds each spring in preparation for the construction of the giant looped flower arrangement.
This has been held every year since 1956 and forms part of the centuries-old winter tradition of bringing foliage into homes at Christmas, otherwise known as ‘decorating the halls’.

This year gardener Kay Lye took charge of the wreath for the first time after receiving the baton (or should that be pruning shears?) from the head gardener, aptly named Dave Bough.

Until this year, Dave held the record by growing 37,000 dried flowers and weaving them into a wreath. Wreath preparation work begins with the digging of the beds in January and February. In the spring, seeds are sown before the flowers are picked, peeled, and hung to dry in potting sheds; The seeds are planted with the help of a dedicated army of 32 National Trust volunteers, who tear the outer layers of the stem with their nails to stop rotting. They end up literally green-fingered.

“This is my first year managing the entire process, and it’s a big responsibility to do the right thing,” Kay says. “People come from all over the country to see the wreath.

“You’re against nature, you’re against the weather and the plants don’t always do what you want them to do, but it’s been a good summer and I’m hoping to beat Dave’s record.” Spoiler alert: it is!

Cotesele is open daily from 10.30 to 16.00 until January 5, 2026 (except December 25-26). For group visits contact this Christmas book cotehele@nationaltrust.org.uk or call 01579 351346.

Coleton Fishacre, Kingswear, Devon

Have you ever wanted to learn the Charleston and attend the kind of Christmas party Jay Gatsby might throw? You can at one particular National Trust property, which is celebrating its 100th birthday this year.

Coleton Fishacre was built by the wealthy D’Oyly Carte family (Rupert and Dorothy) for their seaside escape from London in 1926.

“D’Oyly Cards were very well known in London at the time,” says senior marketing manager Lauren Hutchinson. “They were considered the royalty of the West End. They owned the Savoy Theater and the Gilbert & Sullivan opera.”

Few people know that the tradition of using fairy lights originates from one of the family’s comic operas, Lolanthe. They wrapped the fairy dancers in strings made of small electric lights, hence the name.

Candles previously lit Christmas trees, often with disastrous and dangerous consequences. Coleton Fishacre, a classic Arts and Crafts-style house now under the auspices of the National Trust, holds its annual Roaring Twenties-themed Charleston and speakeasy Christmas party.

This year promises to be bigger and brighter than ever to celebrate its centenary.

The house has a long history of lavish parties and is the perfect setting for visitors to rediscover the Jazz Age, with its pure Art Deco chic furnishings, geometric patterns and minimalist yet cozy interiors.

Old-school charm exudes inside the house, while outside a 30-acre garden mixes tropical and British plants with coastal paths for visitors to explore.

For the Christmas event, all Trust staff are wearing vintage 1920s clothing in black, white and gold, with pearls and ostrich feathers. Visitors are encouraged to sing along to Christmas classics with live pianists in the elegant, theatrical hall.

Meanwhile, vintage 1920s reels are brought to life in the cozy pop-up cinema in the living room, and card games are offered in the library. There’s even a hidden bar at the back of the house, serving sample cocktails inspired by the Savoy Cocktail book.

This is where Carol Caine, Coleton Fishacre’s visitor experience manager, comes into play. He’s in charge of creating authentic period cocktails from an original cocktail cabinet from the 1920s. “I am the patron of booze,” he laughs. “Their cocktails were very American focused, so they were drinks mixed with spirits!”

Many National Trust members tend to drink a pot of tea so they can join the party! Visitors can stop by the dressing room and try on party accessories before posing for a vintage selfie… perhaps before their cocktails.

Charleston classes are taught publicly by local instructors from SwingOut Swing Dance and South West Lindy Hoppers on selected dates in December, times vary.

The roaring twenties party is free, but normal entry fees to the venue apply. To book dance lessons visit Nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/devon/coleton-fishacre

The National Trust’s Christmas Treasures is on Friday 19 December at 9pm on BBC2