‘Star Of Wonder'

As Tissington Hall prepares for its sixth Christmas opening, Pat Ashworth discovers what is in store for visitors

- Pat Ashworth

When it comes to putting on Christmas for the visitors, they like to be a little bit different at Tissington Hall. A house dating back to the early 17th century has amassed quantities of stuff over the generations, and the designer of the festive experience, David Walker, exults that he gets to ‘raid the Hall for three months, wandering around saying, “Can I have this?”’

So an ancient typewriter discovered in an old cupboard was just the thing when they had a Peter Pan theme, providing the perfect centerpiece for J M Barrie’s desk in the Library. And while few visitors would have known that the overflowing treasure chest was perfectly authentic and actually full of the family silver, the incorporation of things not routinely on display here is one of the things people love about the experience. It’s a place where you are likely to find a Roy of the Rovers annual as much prized as an ancient artefact.

Tissington starts off with an advantage: this beautiful gated village with its church, Hall, teashop and contentedly grazing cows resembles a film set for Miss Marple. Add a frosty Christmas season to the mix and its pure enchantment. This year’s theme, Star of Wonder, is inspired by familiar Christmas carols, imaginatively matched to the different rooms on the tour and beginning with Silent Night, a recreation of the truce between British and German troops in No Man’s Land in 1914.