Delapré Abbey's grotto is £15 a child and £5 an adult from 28 November; the light trail runs 27 November to 3 January from £12.50. Fair: 21 and 22 November.
Delapré Abbey has published its full Christmas programme for 2026, and it starts earlier than the town’s own switch-on. The Christmas Fair is on the weekend of 21 and 22 November, the house opens in Victorian dress for two evenings on 26 and 27 November, and from Friday 27 November the Winter Light Trail runs through the grounds every night until 3 January. Santa’s grotto opens on 28 November and runs to 22 December, with a quieter sensory session and a dog-friendly one alongside it. Every date below is from the abbey’s Christmas page, checked on 24 September, with prices from its what’s on listings re-read on 4 October.
The quick answer
- Christmas Fair: Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November, 10am to 5pm. Handmade gifts from local makers, live music and children’s activities. Last year’s entry was £2.
- Winter Light Trail: Friday 27 November to Sunday 3 January, tickets from £12.50, timed slots, booked at winterlighttrail.co.uk.
- Santa’s Grotto: Saturday 28 November to Tuesday 22 December, Mondays, Saturdays and Sundays, £15 a child and £5 an adult. A five-minute slot with Santa, a gift and a craft activity. Tickets are “coming soon”. SENDta’s Grotto and Santa Paws run in the mornings.
Updated 4 October: the abbey has published 2026 prices for the grotto, the light trail, the house opening, the Victorian Christmas tour and wreath making. Adults now pay £5 at the grotto; in 2024 they went free. - Parking is free for general visitors, though the abbey says charges may apply for some large events. The postcode is NN4 8AW.
The programme, in date order
| Event | Dates | Times | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas Fair | Sat 21 and Sun 22 November | 10am to 5pm | not yet published |
| House opening for Christmas | Thu 26 and Fri 27 November | 2pm to 8pm, last entry 7pm | £5, under-18s free |
| Victorian Christmas tour | Thu 26 and Fri 27 November | 12pm | £22, with cheese and a welcome drink |
| Winter Light Trail | Fri 27 November to Sun 3 January | Timed slots | from £12.50 |
| Santa's Grotto | Sat 28 November to Tue 22 December | Mon, Sat and Sun, 10am to 6pm | £15 a child, £5 an adult |
| Santa Paws | Sat 28 November to Mon 21 December | 10am to 12pm | not yet published |
| SENDta's Grotto | Sun 29 November to Tue 22 December | 10am to 12pm | not yet published |
| Wreath making | Sat 28 November, Sun 6 and Sat 12 December | 10am, 1pm or 4pm, two hours | £30 |
| Victorian candlelit tour | Mon 7 and Tue 8 December | 6pm to 7.30pm | not yet published |
| Don't Go Into the Cellar: A Christmas Carol | Mon 7 and Sun 20 December | 7pm to 9pm | not yet published |
| The Nutcracker and the Mouse King | Sat 19 December | 3pm and 6pm | not yet published |
The Christmas Fair, 21 and 22 November
The fair is the first weekend of the abbey’s Christmas and the only event of the set that sits on the same day as the town’s lights switch-on on the Market Square, which runs 12pm to 6pm on Saturday 21 November. The abbey describes it as a chance to “pick up unique, handmade gifts from local makers”, with live music and children’s activities, from 10am to 5pm both days. Last year’s fair charged £2 entry and had a snow globe photo experience, alpacas, vintage fairground rides and an appearance from Santa, according to the abbey’s 2025 announcement. The 2026 entry price is not yet published. The other Christmas fairs and markets across the district are on our Christmas markets page.
The Winter Light Trail, 27 November to 3 January
The trail is run by Winter Light Trail, a separate operator, on the abbey’s grounds and woodland. Its Northampton page gives the dates as 27 November to 3 January and promises “all-new installations” for 2026, with food vendors, marshmallow toasting, mulled wine and hot chocolate, and mini chalets that can be hired for groups of eight to ten. The abbey’s listing gives tickets “from £12.50” and sends bookings to the operator; the abbey says it is “the venue only and cannot assist with booking inquiries”. Last year’s trail ran from 28 November to 31 December, so this year’s is three days longer at the New Year end.
Santa’s Grotto, SENDta and Santa Paws
Three versions of the grotto run through December, all inside the abbey.
- Santa’s Grotto, 28 November to 22 December, on Mondays, Saturdays and Sundays between 10am and 6pm: a five-minute slot with Santa, a special gift and an arts and crafts activity. £15 a child, £5 an adult. The abbey suggests arriving 30 minutes early for the activities.
- SENDta’s Grotto, 29 November to 22 December, 10am to 12pm: the same visit in “a quieter, calmer atmosphere” for children who need it.
- Santa Paws, 28 November to 21 December, 10am to 12pm: the pet-friendly session.
The child price is unchanged from 2024, when the grotto cost £15 a child with adults free (Delapré Abbey, Santa’s Grotto 2024); in 2026 adults pay £5. Tickets were marked “coming soon” on 4 October. SENDta and Santa Paws prices are not yet listed. The other places to meet Santa around Northampton, including the Northampton and Lamport Railway’s steam trains, are on our Father Christmas page.
The house at Christmas
On 26 and 27 November the house opens from 2pm to 8pm (last entry 7pm) with the Victorian Bouverie Rooms dressed for Christmas, £5 a person and free for under-18s. The same days at 12pm, a Victorian Christmas tour for up to 20 people ends in the dining room with port and cheese, £22. The candlelit tours on 7 and 8 December run 6pm to 7.30pm. Don’t Go Into the Cellar, the theatre company that works the abbey’s wine cellars, stages A Christmas Carol on 7 and 20 December, and Quantum Theatre brings The Nutcracker and the Mouse King on 19 December at 3pm and 6pm. The abbey also lists murder mystery dinners on various December dates, a Dickensian afternoon tea in the Orangery, and a seven-course festive tasting menu at Hibiscus, its fine dining restaurant.
Opening hours, prices and parking
Outside the events, the abbey’s plan your visit page gives the standard winter pattern.
- The house: Wednesdays, Thursdays, Sundays and bank holiday Mondays, 11am to 4pm, last entry 3pm. General admission is booked through Ticketsource; the abbey does not print the price on the page.
- The Orangery café: Monday to Friday 9.30am to 4.30pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am to 5pm.
- Hibiscus: Thursday to Saturday from 6.30pm.
- Second-hand bookshop: daily 9.30am to 3.30pm. Gift shop: Wednesday to Sunday, 11am to 1.30pm.
- The walled garden is closed for maintenance at the time of writing. It normally opens daily 8am to 3pm.
- Parking is free for general visitors, with priority disabled bays for blue badge holders. The abbey says charges “may apply for some large-scale events”, which in practice has meant the light trail.
The abbey is at London Road, Northampton, NN4 8AW, six minutes from junction 15 of the M1, a 30-minute walk from the railway station, and on bus routes 7, 33, 88, X6 and X7. The parkland around it is free to walk at any time. If you are driving from the town centre, check the roadworks and travel page for London Road works.
What is still to be confirmed
The Christmas Fair entry price (£2 last year), grotto booking opening, and prices for SENDta’s Grotto, Santa Paws, the candlelit tours and the Christmas Carol nights. We will add each one as it appears.
Frequently asked questions
When is Delapré Abbey’s Christmas fair 2026?
Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November, 10am to 5pm.
When does the Winter Light Trail at Delapré Abbey open?
Friday 27 November 2026, running every night in timed slots until Sunday 3 January 2027.
How much is Santa’s grotto at Delapré Abbey?
£15 a child and £5 an adult in 2026, on Mondays, Saturdays and Sundays from 28 November to 22 December.
Is parking free at Delapré Abbey?
Yes for general visits. The abbey says charges may apply for some large events.
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