Christmas Lights, Trails and After-Dark Experiences Events in Somerset, UK, 2025
Explore the best Christmas light trails and after-dark experiences in Somerset, UK. Dates, times, venues, parking & ticket links for six sparkling 2025 events.
Updated 02/11/2025
Somerset glows at Christmas time, with heritage gardens, caves, castles and steam trains transformed into twinkling wonderlands. This curated guide rounds up six of the county’s most atmospheric lights, trails & after-dark experiences for 2025—each one hand-picked for magical settings, family-friendly fun and easy planning. You’ll wander illuminated gardens inside a medieval palace in Wells, follow a glittering path through historic woodlands near Taunton, step into caves sprinkled with 100,000+ fairy lights at Wookey Hole, and ride an evening heritage train where carols drift across winter platforms.
We’ve verified essential details—dates, times, addresses, websites, ticket links and parking info—so you can book with confidence and build a festive itinerary that fits your calendar. Whether you want gentle strolls under lantern-lit trees, immersive underground sparkle for little night-owls, cosy dining on a moving train, or community switch-ons with local charm, Somerset shines with options for every budget and mood.
Wherever you choose, dress warmly, arrive a little early for parking, and keep phones charged for those picture-perfect moments—these trails beg to be captured. Here’s to hot chocolate in mittened hands, breath in the crisp air, and the kind of shared awe that makes the season feel brand new.
“Sparkle” — Christmas Garden Illuminations at The Bishop’s Palace, Wells
Wells’ 800-year-old Bishop’s Palace turns into a storybook after dark when Sparkle returns with a lantern tree, illuminated woodland and a lengthened light tunnel threading the RHS-partner inner gardens. Wander past the moat and under ancient walls as colour washes over borders and paths, then step inside the medieval rooms dressed with seasonal foliage and roaring fires.
Selected nights add live music; the Bishop’s Table café and outdoor kiosks serve mulled drinks and festive bites so you can linger. It’s an intimate, walk-at-your-own-pace trail that blends gentle spectacle with heritage charm—ideal for families and anyone who prefers calm to crowds. Tickets are great value and can be booked online in advance by timeslot; December dates are popular, but extra dates run into early January this year. There’s no on-site public parking, but Wells’ central car parks are a short stroll, and the Palace provides accessibility guidance and a limited Blue Badge arrangement
Date: Selected evenings 29 Nov 2025 – 4 Jan 2026
Time: Entry 5pm / 6pm / 7pm (last entry 7:30pm; close 8pm)
Address: The Bishop’s Palace & Gardens, Wells, BA5 2PD
Website & Ticket Link: Via official website
Parking: No on-site parking; use Wells city car parks (Blue Badge spaces limited by pre-arrangement).
Wrap up warm, aim for the 5pm slot if visiting with younger children, and allow 60–90 minutes to explore at leisure and admire reflections in the moat. A peaceful, authentically Somerset sparkle.
Wookey Hole “Winter Wonderland” — Underground Lights & Festive Circus
Few Christmas light experiences feel as other-worldly as Wookey Hole’s Winter Wonderland. The route starts inside the famous Mendip caves where over 100,000 fairy lights shimmer from chamber to chamber—twinkles amplified by rock, water and shadow for a dazzling, always-dark ambience (ideal for younger visitors who can enjoy the spectacle without staying up late).
The ticket includes a friendly meet-and-greet with Santa in a traditional grotto (gift for children included), entry to the 4D cinema for a seasonal short, and seats for a lively festive circus show in the on-site theatre. For 2025 the event runs weekends from 22 November and daily 20–24 December, with daytime and late-afternoon slots; aim for the later entry if you want that “night-out” feel when you emerge to lit trees and decorations.
Date: Weekends from 22 Nov 2025, plus daily 20–24 Dec 2025
Time: Timed entries (day & late-afternoon/evening slots; check booking)
Address: Wookey Hole Caves, Wookey Hole, BA5 1BA
Website & Ticket Link: Via official website
Parking: Free on-site car park
Top tip: book early for the last Saturday before Christmas, and keep an eye on your email for any grotto timing instructions that pair with your entry slot. Comfortable footwear is a must; the cave path is well managed, but you’ll want snug layers for underground comfort and above-ground browsing. Magic, warmed by hot chocolate.
West Somerset Railway — Festive Quantock Belle (Evening Dining Train)
If you like your Christmas lights with a side of vintage romance, book seats aboard the Festive Quantock Belle—West Somerset Railway’s First-Class dining train that glides through the Quantock Hills under winter skies. Guests settle into heritage carriages for a four-course festive menu while the countryside slips by outside; on some dates the service attaches to the Carol Train, pausing at stations where bands strike up familiar tunes and passengers can sing along (or simply listen from the warm comfort of the dining car).
It’s not a lights trail per se, but the after-dark atmosphere—platform lights pooling on steam, carriage windows glowing—delivers the most nostalgic Christmas feels imaginable. Dress smart-casual, arrive 30 minutes before departure, and note accessibility constraints typical of heritage stock.
Date: 7 Dec, 13 Dec, 20 Dec 2025
Time: 12:30 / 13:15 / 19:00 (arrive 30 mins early)
Address: Departing Bishops Lydeard Station, Taunton, TA4 3RU
Website & Ticket Link: Via official website
Parking: Free at Bishops Lydeard; pay & display at Minehead.
Warm layers, a scarf for platform photos, and an appetite for Christmas pudding recommended. A classic Somerset night out.
Christmas at Cheddar Gorge & Caves — Festive Trail & Grotto
Cheddar turns festive from mid-November as the Gorge & Caves unveil a seasonal programme combining daytime adventure with after-dark magic on selected evenings. Deep within Gough’s Cave, Father Christmas appears in a cosy grotto where families enjoy songs, a story and a small gift; topside, twinkling décor and limestone cliffs give the whole village a postcard glow.
Accessibility notes: Blue Badge parking and carer policies are in place; check site guidance when booking. If you loved Wookey’s underground sparkle, Cheddar offers a complementary vibe—less showtime, more seasonal storytelling in a dramatic natural cathedral. Book early for the final school-holiday weekend, and consider arriving before sunset to catch the Gorge in golden light before the festive glow takes over.
Date: Selected dates: 15 Nov – 24/25 Dec 2025
Time: Timed sessions: 10.30am, 11.15am, 12.15pm, 1pm, 2.45pm, 3.30pm and 4.15pm
Address: Cheddar Gorge & Caves, The Cliffs, Cheddar, BS27 3QF
Website & Ticket Link : Via official website
Parking: Blue Badge parking available; see site guidance
Remember warm layers; even on mild nights, caves stay cool. A Mendip classic that blends nature, nostalgia and Christmas cheer in one unforgettable outing.
Puxton Park — Supper with Santa & Magical Christmas Adventure (After-Dark)
North Somerset’s Puxton Park adds cosy evening sparkle with Supper with Santa—a family-friendly after-dark experience that pairs festive dining with meet-and-greet magic. Expect a warm welcome, hearty seasonal plates, crafts and stories with Mrs Claus and the elves, and plenty of time for photos. Earlier in the season the daytime Magical Christmas Adventure transforms the site with a Snowy Christmas Tree Village, a wish-granting tree and glittering crafts; for an evening treat, the Supper experience is the ticketed, timed option that keeps the lights twinkling after sunset.
Puxton is easy to reach just off the M5, with free on-site parking and a clear access statement outlining disabled bays and lighting to the main car park. If you’re making a weekend of it, Weston-super-Mare’s seafront lights and Grand Pier are minutes away. Book as early as you can—December 23–24 usually goes first—and arrive ten minutes before your slot to settle in without rushing the kids.
Date: 6, 7, 13, 14, 20–24 Dec 2025
Time: 5:30pm–7:30pm
Address: Puxton Park, Cowslip Lane, Hewish, BS24 6AH
Website & Ticket Link: Via official website
Parking: Free on-site parking (disabled bays; well-lit route
This is one of the county’s most relaxed, value-friendly evening options: structured, sociable and designed squarely for happy memories (and sleepy car rides home).
Shepton Mallet Sunday Market — Christmas Lights Spectacular (Switch-On Night)
Prefer small-town sparkles? Shepton Mallet’s special Sunday market became a festive hub on 30 November 2025, building to a cheerful lights switch-on at 7pm. Stalls pop up across the Market Place with comfort food, local crafts and live music; families weave between traders, warm drinks in hand, as the town gathers for the countdown.
It’s traditional, budget-friendly and properly communal—a different kind of after-dark experience where the “trail” is the street itself and the glow comes from buildings dressed in garlands and the big tree near the square. As with all switch-ons, wrap up well, bring small change for treats, and keep young ones close when the countdown begins—the plaza gets busy just before seven. If you want a sit-down warm-up later, pubs and cafés around the square stay lively after the big moment.
Date: 30 Nov 2025
Time: 5:00pm–8:00pm; lights at 7:00pm
Address: Market Place, Shepton Mallet, BA4 5AZ
Website: Shepton Mallet Sunday Market
Ticket Link: Free – no ticket required
Parking: Commercial Road/Great Ostry/Townsend car parks nearby.
For 2025, the town council and Sunday Market team have trailed the programme and confirmed key practicals; keep an eye on the market’s social channels for any weather-related tweaks on the day. A classic Somerset evening out that proves simple can still be spectacular.
Somerset’s Christmas after-dark scene is rich and varied, from palace gardens and woodland glades to glowing caves and candlelit platforms. If you want unhurried beauty and history, book Sparkle at Wells; for children who adore spectacle, the Wookey Hole lights plus circus are a winning combo. Rail lovers and couples should try the Quantock Belle evening service, while community-minded magic shines at Shepton Mallet’s switch-on.
Add Cheddar Gorge for grotto storytelling amid epic geology, and Puxton Park for a warm, early-evening supper with Santa. Wherever you go, reserve timed slots early, layer up, and aim for off-peak nights if you prefer breathing space for photos. Somerset really does glow in December—pick your sparkle and make a night of it.
