By Sally Churchward.
Twinkly lights brightening up the winter darkness have long since been a feature of Christmas. But in recent years there’s been a growth of specific light-based seasonal attractions.
And on Thursday (28/11/24), the Light Up Trail opened at Hillier Gardens in Romsey, Hampshire.
If you’ve never been to a light trail before, perhaps this is your year to give it a go.
At a time when rampant consumerism is ratcheted up several notches, and can get rather nauseating, there’s something wholesome and refreshing about wrapping up in your winter coat and going for a yomp around some gardens to enjoy the child-like delight of an array of different lights, illuminating the darkness.
Of course, this is a commercial attraction and it does come at a cost – as do the refreshments and merchandise. An off-peak family ticket for 4 is £61, three hot chocolates and a mulled wine cost around £17, while a Fruit Shoot was £2.50, so if you’re on a budget, a little planning about food and drink may be wise.
That said, for me, the trail does offer good value for money. We visited on the opening evening and spent around two hours exploring and interacting with the lights, as well as some time toasting marshmallows over a fire pit.
The trail starts with a big bang – the beautiful arched multicoloured tunnel leads to an array of oversized illuminated creatures, a giant bauble that you can stand inside, and the word Christmas spelled in huge letters. Suffice to say, the photo opportunities are aplenty.
The trail varies between things to look at and interactive exhibits. There are stretches between exhibits, illuminated with lanterns or string lights, taking you on a tour of much of the Hillier grounds. I missed some of the attractions from last year – particularly some walk-through tunnels and a laser display which had been the grand finale of the tour. In fact, my main criticism of the trail was the lack of a big ending – the ‘Enchanted Forest’ didn’t feel at all enchanted and I was waiting for a final hurrah which didn’t happen. After some of the striking displays early on the trail, which created the expectation of something even more spectacular laying ahead, and following from last year’s trail, it made for a somewhat disappointing ending.
There were, however, some new highlights. The giant baubles designed by local school children were excellent, and we spent a lot of time playing on the interactive walk-on piano (which was also suitable for wheelchairs). There is a new soundscape which makes good use of the garden lay-out.
Good use was also made of the large pond, with the Symphony of Light featuring – as the name suggests – a sound and light show.
Written in the Stars was back from last year, where you have the fun of typing out seasonal – or not – messages to appear in gigantic illuminated letters. Also making a return was the field of tulips, which had moved location and made for a dramatic visual treat.
But for us, the best attraction was probably the Magic Footpath, a long path with a projected interactive flooring. It was great fun to run along it and see ‘explosions’ appear at your feet.
It’s worth noting that other than the word Christmas being spelt out, there’s little specifically Christmassy about the trail, and it could be saved as an often much-needed treat for between Christmas and New Year.
It was a great evening, and an excellent way to get into the Christmas season. The play elements make it really nice to share with a group and it’s a fun, bonding adventure, bringing people together, which really is what Christmas is all about.
For more information, visit: lightuptrails.com.
- In Common is not for profit. We rely on donations from readers to keep the site running. Could you help to support us for as little as 25p a week? Please help us to carry on offering independent grass roots media. Visit: https://www.patreon.com/incommonsoton
