Capturing Christmas at Longleat

Family banter, playful competitiveness, discreet shared jokes and festive revelry – the exploits of a typical Christmas get-together have changed very little, even when looking back almost 100 years.

Until 4 January 2026, Longleat’s new Christmas exhibition ‘Capturing Christmas at Longleat’ is on display in Longleat House. It presents rare cine film footage shot by Henry Thynne, Lord Weymouth (the future 6^th Marquess of Bath), revealing the joy and whimsy of a family gathering in the Red Library in December 1930. Among the guests is close family friend Violet Dickinson – the subject of three short stories by Virginia Woolf, recently discovered in the Wiltshire estate’s archives.

“Seeing this footage opens a rare window into the past. Although there is no sound, you can almost hear the clink of glasses, the jaunty music, the playful conversation and the laughs,” says Dr James Ford, Curator at Longleat in Wiltshire. “Christmas is a time of belonging and joy, and to be able to present this stunning footage in the exhibition really demonstrates that. Perhaps our guests will be able to see similarities with their families in the film and notice the timelessness of a good Christmas party.”

Along with original drawings and photographs, the exhibition explores the ways Christmas was celebrated at Longleat from the late 1800s through to the end of the Second World War.

Longleat House has long been more than a private residence and has a history of opening its doors for community need. The exhibition highlights some of these unique moments such as schoolgirls of The Royal School skating across the frozen Half Mile Pond in 1940. It also reveals the festively decorated wards of the First World War military relief hospital occupying the House.

“Longleat has such a rich and storied past. It’s easy to forget quite how many historical moments have been experienced by the family and the estate. So, we’re inviting our visitors to uncover these moments and reflect on winters and festive times gone by with the ‘Capturing Christmas at Longleat’ exhibition,” James continues.

Other highlights of the exhibition include drawings of Victorian Christmas scenes by Ronald Searle and Cecil Beaton – also a close family friend – drawn to illustrate stories of life at Longleat written in 1951 by Daphne, Marchioness of Bath.

The exhibition features as part of the estate’s Festive Longleat House Tours, available as an add-on experience during The Festival of Light. With some peak dates already sold out, guests are advised to book early to avoid disappointment.