Stretching for one-and-a-half miles through the grounds of Bishop Auckland’s historic Auckland Castle, AGLOW is the latest festive light trail to arrive in County Durham.
The trail boasts seventeen specially designed illuminations, leading visitors from well-tended gardens and sprawling woodland to riverside paths and historic deer houses.
We visited on the first preview night, along with hundreds of Bishop Auckland locals who were getting a sneak peek of the trail before its official opening. Here’s a rundown of our experience, including some top tips to make the most of your visit.
What is AGLOW?
AGLOW is a charming Christmas light trail set among the grounds of Auckland Castle in the town of Bishop Auckland, 12 miles south of Durham.
The light trail is closely connected with the Auckland Project, a multi-million-pound regeneration programme that is breathing new life into this former mining community.
The festive event is the latest in a string of attractions designed to entice visitors to the town, including the Spanish Gallery – packed with internationally renowned artwork – and the Faith Museum, a brand new opening for 2023.
Our experience at AGLOW
From woodland displays to seeing Santa, here is AGLOW through our eyes.
Entering AGLOW to watch a charming projection: Son et Lumière
Walking through the grand stone entrance gates, we entered the courtyard of Auckland Castle. A small crowd had gathered to watch an impressive ‘Son et Lumière’ (‘Sound and Light’) show, projected onto the walls of the castle.
The whimsical display spanned the length of the chapel and told the much-loved story of the Nutcracker. As is tradition with a Son et Lumière show, everything was set to music.
The famous Nutcracker figures paraded through the scene. Silhouettes of mice scurried and danced along the walls. Music, and the occasional voiceover, accompanied the story from nearby loudspeakers.
Once the show finished, we moved to the lawned garden. Here, dozens – perhaps hundreds – of small orbs covered the grass. The orbs changed colour at regular intervals, creating an intriguing centrepiece as we made our way around the perimeter.
In this section, there were a couple of corners with brightly-lit angel wings. These were already proving a hit with families, with small queues forming for photographs.
Top tip: When you’re walking around the lawn, it’s well worth stopping and peering out over the walls. This gives you an elevated view of the full expanse of the light trail stretched out in the woods beneath you.
Entering the light tunnel
After enjoying the projection and wandering around the lawn, it was time to enter the deer park itself.
To get there, we passed through an impressive tunnel of light. Named the ‘Tunnel of Love’, it stretches over 100 metres – making it the longest outdoor light tunnel in the country. Unsurprisingly, this was a real hit with every group.
Upbeat Christmas music played as we walked along. Everyone was stopping to take photos, enjoying the atmosphere.
At the end of the tunnel, we turned left to continue along the trail. Thankful for our sturdy walking shoes and wellies, we squished and squelched along the muddy path. Along the way, we passed a range of displays adorning the woodland – from shimmering disco balls hung from branches to tiny glowing bulbs swaying on the ground like long grasses in the wind.
Visiting the Deer House
It was lovely to see how the historic Deer House had been used during the AGLOW trail. Historically, this square building, constructed in Gothic Revival style, would have housed deer for the Prince Bishop of Durham’s hunt.
During AGLOW, the Deer House is packed with dozens of small Christmas trees, each lit with sparkling white lights. Among the trees, illuminated life-sized models of reindeer stand hidden in plain sight.
When we visited, the enthusiastic stewards were doing a brilliant job of encouraging younger children to name the reindeer – a great way to build even more excitement.
Read next: 13 brilliant things to do in Bishop Auckland.
Our favourite display: The Electric Tree
After leaving the deer house, we navigated a steep slope that took us to our favourite display of the entire light trail. Stretching twenty, perhaps thirty metres into the sky, the entire tree is adorned with multicoloured light strips.
Even the roots are illuminated, stretching out across the ground. It’s a magnificent centrepiece to the AGLOW experience and was undoubtedly our favourite display.
Wandering along the River Gaunless
Leaving the tree behind, the trail continues along the River Gaunless. Our visit came just after a few days of heavy rain, so the water bubbled along quickly, causing the myriad reflections to shimmer and dance.
Three small fountains bobbed in a bend in the river, lit in bright green colours.
As the trail led away from the river, a dramatic display of dancing flames pulsated in time with classic rock music – from Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone” to Queen’s “I Want to Break Free”.
Read next: A woodland walk around the Ingleborough Estate Nature Trail.
Our final stop at AGLOW: Christmas trees and firepits
The grand finale of the AGLOW trail is the charming Santa’s Village. Here, a collection of small wooden huts and traditional fairground games form a circle around a couple of firepits. The most impressive attraction is the Christmas tree. Covered in twinkling lights and reaching a height of over 30 metres, this is the largest tree in the North of England, according to the organisers.
When we visited, a small crowd had gathered around a stage. Santa and two elves were putting on a short comedy show, encouraging children and families to get involved. Judging by the smiles and laughter from the audience, everyone was having a great time.
A small hut served a range of food – from hot dogs to mince pieces. Next to the food hut, the drinks stand was doing a roaring trade, offering everything from hot chocolate to mulled wine.
We had timed our visit perfectly. After enjoying the atmosphere at the Christmas village, the first drops of drizzle began to float down from the thick clouds. Taking this as our cue to leave, we made the final walk up the steep hill before exiting in the same way as we entered – via the light tunnel, accompanied by the sound of sleighbells.
Read next: A winter walk up Loughrigg Fell in the Lake District.
Food and drink prices at AGLOW
See below for a photo showing the prices of food and drink at Santa’s Village on the AGLOW trail.
Three things we liked most about AGLOW
This was our first-ever trip to a Christmas lights display, so we had no idea what to expect. Here are three things that we really enjoyed about the experience:
- The atmosphere. When we visited, most of the attendees were families with children. This created a lively, friendly atmosphere as we walked along the trail. Everyone was in a good mood, with plenty of laughter and smiles throughout.
- The variety. From the Nutcracker display at the entrance to the Christmas tree forest in the deer house, each display was different enough to capture your attention as you walked along.
- The staff. Whether at the ticket office or along the trail itself, the staff and stewards were friendly, helpful and chatty. This certainly helped add to the happy atmosphere – a huge credit to them for keeping upbeat on a cold winter evening!
Read next: The best things to do on a day trip to Guernsey.
Some tips and advice: know before you go
To help you make the most of your time at AGLOW, there are a handful of things we think you should know before you go:
- Wear walking boots or wellies! We visited on the first evening, and the trail was already very muddy. Admittedly, this was following a few days of heavy rain – but winter in Britain is always likely to be wet. We strongly recommend you wear walking boots at the very least – wellies would be best. And, of course, make sure to wrap up warm.
- Watch your step on the flooring. To help combat some of the mud, the organisers have laid sturdy plastic mats on the worst-affected sections. This includes the Christmas village at the end of the trail. The joints between the mats can occasionally be uneven, so be sure to watch your step as you walk around.
- Card payment only. To enjoy the fairground rides or buy food and drink, make sure to bring your card – AGLOW does not accept cash payments.
AGLOW: how to do it
Tickets: Tickets for Aglow cost £21.50 (£19.50 off-peak) for adults and £14.50 (£13 off-peak) for children.
A family ticket (2 adults and 2 children) costs £66.50 at peak times and £59.50 during off-peak hours.
You can buy tickets for AGLOW here. When you buy your ticket, you must choose a time slot for your entry – these are every half an hour.
Dates: AGLOW is open until Sunday 31 December 2023. The trail is closed on Christmas Day.
Times: The first entry to AGLOW is at 4.30pm. The final entry is at 8.30pm, with the trail closing at 10pm.
Getting there by public transport: Bishop Auckland train station is 0.7 miles from the ticket office. From the station, walk down the high street before turning right and walking across the square to the ticket office at Auckland Tower.
Getting there by car: The nearest car park to Aglow is North Bondgate. The car park is just a short, five-minute walk across the main square to the ticket office and the entrance to Aglow.
More information: For more information about AGLOW, visit the official website here.