A few of the National Trust properties have been decorated for Christmas, and some of these have been opening up from the end of November to get people into the properties before they shut for the winter months. Hughenden Manor in Buckinghamshire is one of the properties that has opened for the Christmas season. I first visited Hughenden at the end of the summer in 2019 (which you can read here: Hughenden Manor). The estate was owned by Benjamin Disraeli, who was the prime minister during some of the reign of Queen Victoria. He became a friend of the queen, so the house contains some objects from her. The house was also used during World War II, and it was a secret base for cartographers. During the Christmas period, only the ground floor is open with decorations in every room.
The Christmas trees and decorations for the National Trust houses have different themes, and the theme at Hughenden this year is "Gardener's Christmas". The theme is inspired by the gardens at the estate, which were created by Mary Anne Disraeli. The decorations have been made by volunteers and all relate to gardens with some additional items added that the Disraelis may have appreciated. Each room was decorated in its own style. One Christmas tree contained a selection of hand-knitted vegetables, and another contained carved wooden items of gardening equipment.
Queen Victoria did dine at Hughenden Manor once, and the chair that she sat in is still around the table pictured below. The queen was short, so the legs of the chair were trimmed for her so that her feet would reach the floor.
Disraeli loved peacocks, so the Christmas trees outside in the garden were decorated with peacock colours. One of the trees in the house used the same style with bright blue and purple peacock feather designs.
The house can be explored with its Christmas decorations until January 3. Additional posts about Hughenden Manor can be seen below:
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