I went on Marwell Christmas lights walk including a Santa's grotto surrounded by zoo animals
I've ticked off Kew at Christmas and Windsor Illuminated already this winter, and this week it was time to try out Marwell Zoo's annual festive event - Glow at Marwell. The Hampshire attraction allows families to explore the zoo after dark and indulge in all the Christmas fun including meeting Santa, toasting marshmallows and wandering through twinkling tunnels.
Located just off the M3 in the little village of Colden Common, it takes around 45-minutes to get to by car from Surrey. The zoo is very close to Winchester Christmas Market, making it an ideal festive day out if you want to combine both activities.
I was invited to the launch event on Thursday evening (November 28) before the doors opened to the public the following day, and was very much excited to see the zoo at night. The theme of this year's trail is fire, earth, air and water, and our senses were alerted throughout our journey through the parkland.
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Unlike the other two winter walks I've been on, there was no loud music accompanying the illuminations as the zoo animals were tucked up in bed. However, there was a Santa's grotto, marshmallow toasting firepits and a VR headset experience allowing guests to embark on a virtual safari to discover how animals have adapted to survive the harshest of conditions.
I really enjoyed toasting three (huge!) fluffy marshmallows on a stick. The gooey sweet treats were delicious and it was so cosy huddled around a cracking fire with my mum and baby beside me. New this year are UV face paints which are located half way around the walk, I didn't get my face painted on this occasion... but they do sound like a lot of fun.
During our ramble around the park, we stumbled across an enchanted tree, walked through an amazing light tunnel, spotted playful moon chairs, and had a go on interactive light-up stepping stones. My favourite illumination was the jellyfish ocean tunnel, which was very magical, and I felt like a big kid walking through the snow machine towards the end of the trail.
We stopped for dinner at Café Graze for hot jacket potatoes (from £6.25) with baked beans and cheese. There was a great selection of food and drink available including giant stuffed Yorkshire puddings with all the trimmings, and it was good to be able to sit down inside the restaurant and leisurely eat our meal. There were plenty of high chairs and toilets there too.
Further along the route were lots more places to grab food, including some mouth-watering festive favourites including donuts, crepes, warm Nutella pretzels, gingerbread, mulled wine, hot chocolate and hot dogs from cute little stands. You'll find the majority of them by the majestic Grade 1 listed Marwell Hall where Father Christmas is waiting in his grotto.
A cup of mulled wine costs £5 and mince pies are £2.50 each. I thought the marshmallows were a good price - five for £3 - and there was also s'mores available for £4.50.
Tickets to Glow Marwell includes free access to the zoo from 1pm until 4pm on the day of your visit so you can explore the beautiful 140-acre park and its animals before it is transformed into a twinkling wonderland. Tickets to see Father Christmas is additional and must be booked in advance.
The pathway is clean and smooth making it suitable for buggies and wheelchairs, plus the car park is on site making it convenient and easy for families. We had a lovely evening out somewhere a bit unique to a woodland walk.
How to visit Glow Marwell
Address: Marwell Zoo, Thompson's Lane, Colden Common, Winchester, SO21 1JH.
Parking: Free car park on site.
Dates: November 29 to December 30, 2024.
Opening times: From 4pm to 8pm. Last entry to Glow Marwell is 6pm and the route closes at 6.30pm.
Price: Lights trail - Adults £22, child £18 and under 3s go free. Meet Santa - £15 per child (0-17) includes a gift and adults £5. VR head set £5 per person. UV face paints £6 per person.
Book: Visit marwell.org.uk.
