Hinton Ampner & The Nutcracker

What a beautiful weekend we’ve just had! With the beautiful weather and advent really begun we wanted to head off and doing something christmassey and fun. The best place for in winter? National Trust! So off we headed to a new house for us but also host this Christmas to one of my favourite Christmas tales – The Nutcracker. The Nutcracker more famous for the ballet by Tchaikovsky is based on the book by E.T.A Hoffan – The Nutcracker & The Mouse King.

 

The National Trust in recent years has got increasingly better at working with children and Hinton Ampner is no exception to that rule. As soon as we walked in the beautiful walled garden the boys shouted out in excitement at the Candy Canes and sweets decorating the paths only to come up short at the entrance with two huge nutcracker dolls on either side! An absolutely fabulous way to start! We headed off immediately towards the house noting the fact that in the courtyard was an amazing mixtures of wintery smells from mulled wine to roasted chestnuts and signs for a sweetie room!

On the way down to the house peeking round the corner of the aisle with a bright red nose leading the way was Father Christmases sleigh! Beautiful wicker reindeer, which we spent a good 20 minutes playing in and around, lead a sleigh down the track towards the front door.  In front of a beautiful house, I could quite happily live in myself, is a little lawn on which more wicker animals – the time the Mice, were having a play and a tea party. Perhaps they escaped from the play indoors?

Flanking the entrance again were two nutcracker soldiers and the boys pulled on in to start! We were given at the door a lovely summarised tale of the story which lead us through each room as it progressed. The story has been abbreviated and was perfect for capturing the boys imagination at each room as the story untold.

They loved the scene involving the Mouse King and the Gingerbread soldiers! We all adored the Christmas tree with such wonderful presents and toys underneath. The boys loved the caged bird and wooden castle. From the we took in all the little hidden details at the land of snow and headed, eyes popping in the boys cases, in the land of sweets. The table has been decorated with hundreds of sweets! Whoever had the job of gluing every one of those to the table must be greatly thanked! I think we spent 20 mins just wondering around amazed at the details and the scenes! The house and tale were a beautiful way to while away an hour and another hour was spent running across the lawns and field around the house, carefully balancing as we walked across the cattle grid (only to turn round and try it out 5 more times) When the boys finally had enough of exploring trunks, trees, hahas and grids we headed off to the café to warm up with a pot of tea and cake.

Of course we couldn’t not visit the sweetie room and we came out with our pockets bulging! Humbugs, chocolate mice, sweetie chains, fruit salads and sherbets all with change still from a fiver. What a truly wonderful way to spend anything from an afternoon and a couple of hours to a whole day! Do go and visit, there’s plenty to capture you imagination and mind from the very young up to the very old!