We love visiting Bedgebury at Christmas, having visited for several years in a row now. It is always the start of our festive season. The illuminated trail makes the most of the natural landscape and world-leading collection of conifers at Bedgebury Pinetum – Forestry England. This year we made some new memories which I have shared below along with all the information you need to enjoy your own festive fun at the Bedgebury Christmas festive light trail 2024. If you have any questions let me know in the comments.
The Trail – Bedgebury at Christmas
Let’s start with the trail. The one-mile Winter trail runs in a circular route through the natural beauty of the Pinetum. Cleverly many of the light installations make use of the magnificent trees. Like last year there were plenty of new lights to explore throughout the Christmas light trail. Meaning you can go back year after year and experience something different. There are a few things that deserve a special mention this year:
- Seasonal Sounds – there was a really wide selection of music this year. The normal Christmas music with some movie classics thrown in for good measure. It’s hard not to get in a festive mood with the sparkling flock of jolly robins and stunning fire garden.
- Tunnels Of Light – one of our favourites is the cathedral. But this year there were several different tunnels of light including some brightly coloured stars that really stood out.
- The Lake – is a must, with the fountains performing beautifully in time to the music of the Polar Express. With all the colours of the rainbow, it is mesmerising.
- Of course no trail is complete without a magical glimpse of Father Christmas. Stop by to say hello for your first photo opportunity of the season.
Food Options
There are a lot of places to pick up food and refreshments on this magical trail. At the entrance, there is the visitor centre home to the Bedgebury Café, which sells hot food. Such as hot dogs and burgers if you want to pick up something before walking around. There are also toilets and plenty of seating.
We decided to try out the hand-picked street food vendors. Next to the lake, this area is about a third of the way round. Harry opted for a pizza, Charlie a seasonal snack of mac and cheese. The adults went for some bratwurst and hot chocolate. There is also the opportunity to try out some local gin. Not to mention the waffles! Food is on the higher end expect to pay £10-£12 per meal. Although it all tasted very good.
As you would expect there is also the opportunity to toast marshmallows next to Father Christmas. Plus several places to stop for mulled wine on the route. There was more places than we had seen previously.
Tickets for Bedgebury at Christmas
Booking your ticket in advance is important as there is limited capacity. You can pick a time of your choice when booking which is the start time for your entrance. With a family ticket starting at £55 plus a transaction fee, it is one of the cheaper trails I have seen advertised. You do need to book parking tickets at the same time. Since car parking is limited. Parking tickets cost £8 per car, Forestry England members are offered one free parking space. Accessible car parking spaces are available for blue badge holders. It is recommended that you arrive promptly for your time slot. Your trail entry tickets are scanned at the trail entrance.
For full details see the Bedgebury at Christmas website. Located near Tunbridge Wells, Bedgebury National Pinetum and Forest, Lady Oak Lane, Goudhurst, TN17 2SJ. Bedgebury at Christmas is running on selected evenings between
We had an unforgettable time on the magical new trail at Bedgebury at Christmas. For us, it is the perfect way to start the festive season and I am sure we will be back next year. Have you any Christmas trails planned? Let me know in the comments below.
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