Chiswick House and Gardens

Chiswick House is now formally closed for 2025 in its usual English Heritage day-to-day incarnation. But this festive season the magnificent Neo-Palladium pile will open for holidays for the first time in a special incarnation – staged by trailblazing live entertainment company Underbelly – that aims to capture the opulent hubbub of a Georgian Christmas, in a presentation themed around the contemorary carol ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’. Basically it’ll be very Christmassy, and show the house off as a place for entertainment – as it was in the past when people lived there – and not just a dry historical exhibit. It’s suitable for all ages, and will be further pepped up with an eighteenth century-style Father Christmas’s Grotto.

Chiswick’s Duck Pond Market returns for a festive special at the start of December, just in time for Christmas shopping without the danger of last-minute panic colouring your buys. The M.O. of this market is small businesses making artisan goods, so you’ll be sure to find some special gifts among the stalls here. Opening Dates: December 6 Best For: Unique finds from ethical and sustainable businesses