We visited Staged Splendour, at Ickworth, near Bury St Edmunds, and discovered a delightful experience suitable for all ages

Review: Staged Splendour at Ickworth, until January 2

On a rainy Saturday in December we – my husband, daughter and I – made our way over to the Ickworth Estate, near Bury St Edmunds, to take a look at its new festive offering this year.

Billed as a ‘lavish experience at the theatre’, parts of Ickworth House have been transformed for its Staged Splendour event.

Focussing on the Georgian period, the house has been staged to reflect typical festivities of the age – from dining to theatre to the entertainment of the day.

On arrival, we were handed an ‘invitation’ to the event signed by the Bristol family who once lived at the estate.

We were all excited to see what was in store – especially my husband and seven-year-old Clara, as both had not visited the house for some years.

Walking into the Rotunda is like stepping into a winter wonderland.

The entrance hall is transformed with a forest of snow-covered trees, while we were greeted by volunteers wearing Georgian attire and wigs.

Also along for our visit was Romeo the class bear, who Clara had been charged with taking everywhere with her for the weekend.

She eagerly set about showing Romeo the festive forest – and posing for a joint photo – before we headed to have a look at the staged dining room.

There had clearly been quite the party, if the state of the dining table was anything to go by: Overturned chairs, food spilled on to the floor and plenty of leftovers demonstrated an indulgent feast had been enjoyed.

After taking in the foods of the day – from Turkish delight to figs – we walked on to the rear of the Rotunda.

There we found theatrical lighting, illustrated cut-outs of characters from the period and speakers playing the typical sounds of Georgian festivities.

On into the drawing room we discovered a grand piano ready to be played – with sheet music scattered in the air – alongside a fan of playing cards.

We headed upstairs to discover a theatrical scene and a host of Georgian costumes ready for trying on.

Clara was in her element. She adores dressing up and soon found a costume that we could just about make fit (although still rather big).

She was delighted and stood posing for pictures before heading over to the theatre scene set up on the gallery for more posing.

With theatrical lighting, knowledgeable volunteers and the sounds of Georgian festivities in the background, Staged Splendour certainly adds a different element to a visit to Ickworth’s Rotunda.

After shedding her Georgian robes, we headed back outside and over to the West Wing – after all, what seven-year-old doesn’t love a gift shop (she takes after her mother)?

Clara was soon inside, shopping with her eyes alone as I refused to indulge her this close to Christmas, before we headed into the West Wing Café.

Clara insisted on a warming hot chocolate, I joined her with one of the festive specials and my husband had a latte.

The café was cosy, bustling and clearly very popular, with a good selection of cakes alongside hot food and kids meal deals.

We had been advised to walk upstairs and investigate crafts on offer, so after our hot drinks we headed up to find tables set with plenty of craft activities, materials, glitter, tissue, glue, tape, scissors and more.

Clara decided to make a festive masquerade mask. Before long, Romeo (the class bear) had his own sparkly red and green mask.

We could easily have stayed crafting for longer, however we had another appointment to get to. Also, it was rather chilly upstairs – it is a large space and must be difficult to heat, but on a cold day we certainly felt it.

We left Ickworth having spent a very enjoyable couple of hours there, taking in traditions of Christmas past.

Our only regret? We wish we’d had time to enjoy the festive outdoor family trail, looking for Georgian animals nestled in Ickworth’s woodland.

Staged Splendour is open every day – apart from Christmas day – January 2, 11 am to 3 pm. There is no extra admission charge to enjoy the experience.

And our verdict? Don’t visit expecting to meet Santa. Don’t expect some schmaltzy Christmas experience. No – Staged Splendour is a festive look back at the history of Ickworth and how its residents might have enjoyed the season.

We thought it was a wonderful family activity. And as there were visitors of all ages at the estate during our visit, it is clearly something that can be enjoyed by every generation.

As it is running until January 2, I would say it could make a rather lovely experience for those quieter days after Christmas.