Giant illuminated mushrooms lead to a learned caterpillar, who imparts wise words before spilling out a wondrous cloud of bubbles, before we cross the river and continue our journey into this magical land.
As a plant lover, it is heart warming to see the winter foliage subject to so much appreciation, as giant bamboos form multi-coloured curtains of pink and green and the golden oat like panicles of Stipa gigantea glow in the golden light. Trees throughout jump out, whether swathed in ultra violet or as hosts to strings of dazzling fairy lights.
Venture deep into the woods and keep your eyes peeled for the mischievous grin of the Cheshire Cat and of course you’ll come across Alice, who during our visit was enjoying the hospitality of The Mad Hatter at his banquet style tea party laid out in all its magnificence.
As if by magic, Father Christmas has joined the story and can be found in his snow-covered workshop. It was refreshing to see no charge for a meet and greet here, with selfies and family photographs encouraged. The regular snow fall which followed will bring out the child in every adult and guarantee happy faces all round.
It is good to see that Webbs, as well as keeping its customers happy, are also committed to an environmentally friendly approach too. A 6-acre solar field provides a great proportion of their power and many of the trail structures are made by talented artists and sculptors on site or nearby, often with fallen branches or materials that have been salvaged from elsewhere on site. Materials and lights are also reused from year to year, all ensuring an attraction that appeals to both people and planet alike.
Attending on the opening evening, we were honoured to share the trail with a number of Community Heroes who had been nominated for their good work, alongside children and adults with additional needs, for whom the trail offers some special evenings at half capacity.
The Enchanted Gardens are open until 2nd January, giving you plenty of time to tumble down the rabbit hole with Alice and her friends!
This is not where the journey ends, however, for you can continue the fairytale festive celebrations by hiring your very own Hygee Igloo, to partake of afternoon tea, savoury platters or even brunch. With an Alice in Wonderland theme, each igloo, which can seat up to 6, comes with its own heater and Bluetooth speaker allowing you to connect for your own tunes of choice. The Wonderland Afternoon Tea was delicious with a plethora of delights including Ace of Hearts buttery shortbread filled with vanilla buttercream and raspberry jam, Queen’s crown topped chocolate mousse, white chocolate flowerpot filled with Chantilly cream and a large selection of seasonal sandwiches, scones and even a Christmas sausage roll! 90-minute sessions can be booked from 9.15am until 5.30pm until 2nd January.
Gather together your family and loved ones and take a trip to this magical trail and in the words of Lewis Carroll “The secret, Alice, is to surround yourself with people who make your heart smile. It’s then, only then, that you’ll find Wonderland”.
Book The Enchanted Gardens Wonderland Trail or Hygee Igloos online at
www.webbsdirect.co.uk/enchanted gardens
The Christmas Grotto is also now open at Webbs Cheltenham until 24th December. Promising to delight visitors of all ages as they join forces with Santa to save Christmas, Mervin Sneakybottom, the mischievous elf, has misplaced Santa’s Nice List, and he needs your help sorting out the mess!
Catch Camilla on ITV with Alan Titchmarsh on ‘Love Your Weekend’ on 1st and 22nd December.
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