Castle Howard’s Gingerbread headliner revealed

Before it has been seen by the public, the elaborate gingerbread replica planned for Castle Howard has already hit the national headlines.  The stunning creation is set to be the centrepiece of Castle Howard’s 2016 Christmas experience, with the first photographs of the confection released today (17 November 2016) ahead of the public opening on Saturday 19 November 2016.

“As anyone who has visited knows, scale is something that Castle Howard knows a thing or two about, and our Christmas gingerbread house is no exception,” comments Victoria Howard, who commissioned the piece.

The model depicts Castle Howard as it was originally designed by Sir John Vanbrugh and as featured in the Vitruvius Britannicus.  Buildings by Nicholas Hawksmoor as well as the much later Castle Howard railway station, famously used by Queen Victoria for her visit, have also been created out of spiced biscuit, with a gingerbread train wending its way along tracks laid through the confectionery estate.

Castle Howard turned to the UK’s top experts in architectural food, Bompas & Parr, to create this specialist design on a grand scale.  The finished product will be a work of art, worthy of any gallery, and on display for a limited period of time during Castle Howard’s Christmas opening.  “It is an expensive project, but visitors would be disappointed if it was not breath-taking in both its artistry and scale; it is investments such as this that help us attract over 250,000 visitors each year from every corner of the globe.  These visits are a core part of generating a sustainable income to preserve and nurture this unique property,” explains Victoria.  “We change and update our festive experience each year so that it never becomes too familiar to those who come year after year – there is always something new to discover for visitors young and old.”

Indeed, new for 2016 will be a Festive Ticket, which not only includes a visit to the house and gardens, but also an exclusive Christmas Afternoon tea served by a warming fire in the Grecian Hall.  The menu, which is inspired by traditional Christmas dishes, has been created by former development chef for Betty’s, David Haynes.

Christmas is now one of the key periods for visits to many visitor attractions, and Castle Howard has a reputation for putting on one of the finest displays in the country, featuring many Christmas trees, and tens of thousands of baubles, fairy lights and candles.  This year, several trailer-loads of foliage taken from the 10,000 acre estate, will add an evergreen touch to bring a flavour of the beautiful grounds inside.

Castle Howard opens for the Christmas season from Saturday 19 November to Friday 23 December. 

A special ‘Twilight opening’ on 18 December will enable families to experience the house as darkness falls, with the house illuminated with hundreds of candles and a festive sing-along in the garden; for the Twilight opening, last entry to the house will be 7.00pm.

Visitors are advised to book Festive Tickets early as availability is limited and they are expected to book up quickly.

For more information on all of Castle Howard’s Christmas events, or to prebook, please visit www.castlehoward.co.uk.

ENDS