The Making of Christmas
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Planning for Christmas at Doddington begins as early as January and fills a large part of the year. By November the Hall is completely transformed and we have the fantastic opportunity to welcome visitors to explore the magic of the decorations. Join us behind the scenes to find out all about the making of Christmas at Doddington and the wonderful people we have to thank.
2025: A Fairytale Christmas
Immerse yourself in a truly mesmerising experience as you journey through ‘A Fairytale Christmas’. From fables to folklore, step into a land of magical fairytales as the displays unfold over three floors of the Elizabethan Hall, with a Doddington twist of course!
It’s an opportunity to soak up the seasonal atmosphere of Christmas in a treasured family home, which has seen a lot of Christmas mornings over its four hundred year plus history.
Photos are from previous years
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Decorations
Each room throughout the Hall has its own story to follow, all within the theme of A Christmas Chorus. However, all rooms are connected in our ethos for our materials and decorations.
At Doddington, we’re passionate about sustainability. Our creatives use natural, recycled and upcycled resources wherever possible. This includes materials such as birch, willow and bulrushes from our very own gardens and bike boxes from our Giant Lincoln bike shop.
Not only does this help us to limit the use of single-use plastic and imported materials, it also helps us to celebrate the beauty and value of the resources of the estate.
Photos are from previous years
Our Creatives
The logistics of drawing all the teams and the various elements of the displays together is huge,
so Hall Manager Hannah, along with Angus, Assistant Hall Manager and in-house creative lead, needs to keep detailed records of what is required where and when.
Amongst the employees of the Doddington Estate are some exceptionally talented individuals. This year, more than ever, they are the driving force behind the Hall’s ‘A Christmas Chorus’ themed displays.
Our creatives are the talented designers and makers behind each room, who spend countless hours painting, building and installing wonderful decorations each year.
There are many people involved and each room has a dedicated creative.
Find out more about some of our creatives below.
Photos are from previous years
ANGUS FORBES
Angus is our Assistant Hall Manager and in-house creative lead, working alongside Hall Manager Hannah. Angus has an overarching view of the creative direction.
PIPPA
Pippa is part of our very own team on the estate, who throughout the year employs her creativity to seasonal displays in our Doddington Country Clothing store. Pippa creates fun installations to spark the imagination.
CATKIN FLOWERS
Rachel Petheram of Catkin Flowers is based in our walled Kitchen Garden. Rachel is an artisan florist and teacher specialising in seasonal, British grown flowers.
BRIDGET
Bridget Bateson is responsible for flower arrangements in the Hall and will be contributing everything from the thistle posies to large scale arrangements in the Hall.
GARDEN TEAM
As well as installing all the Chirstmas trees throughout the Hall, the Garden Team have created a playful scene for ‘When Santa Got Stuck Up the Chimney’ in the Tiger Bedroom and ‘The Holly and the Ivy’ along the staircase bannisters.
RUTH PIGOTT
Ruth, a skilled theatre designer, has crafted a contemporary installation of ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’ for the staircase on the second landing. Ruth loves creating works that will surprise and bring a smile to visitors’ faces, always aiming for little moments of magic.
LUMO WORKSHOP
Lumo Workshop is the collaboration of Theatre Designer Maker Lou Jones and Visual Artist Nadya Monfrinoli. Based in Welbourn, they work primarily in 3D creations and light / digital effects.
HOUSE OF PROPS
James Richards is a graduate of LAMDA and works locally as a scenic carpenter specialising in film, theatre and TV. From a manger to a piano and even the Star of Bethlehem, James has undertaken much of the design and carpentry work this year.
HOWELL THOMAS
Howell Thomas is a professional designer and Technical Theatre and Events Management course leader. Each year, Howell and his team of students from Lincoln College transform the Long Gallery – at 96 feet long and 22 feet wide it is the largest room in the Hall.
the estate team
We are also grateful to have many more fantastic team members on the estate who help with our Christmas installations each year.
Our Garden team pull off extraordinary feats each Christmas. Responsible for all of the trees in the Hall, they freshly cut Christmas trees from our woodland and install them on each of the three floors of the Hall.
Our Maintenance team are invaluable with the installation, lighting, safety and more – helping to bring ideas into reality.
Our housekeeping and conservation team assist with installations, finishing touches and the constant upkeep of the displays.
Hall volunteers also play a hugely important role not only with stewarding rooms and bringing our Christmas stories to life but also handcrafting stunning decorations.
Photos are from previous years
CHRISTMAS AT DODDINGTON
8 November – 31 December 2025 (Selected dates)
Discover a truly mesmerising experience as you journey through ‘A Fairytale Christmas’, with spectacular scenes created by Doddington staff, volunteers, local artists and students from Lincoln College. From fables to folklore, step into a land of magical fairytales as the displays unfold over three floors of the Elizabethan Hall, with a Doddington twist of course!
Our previous creations
Delve into our Christmas archives…
