Christmas at Cotehele

Celebrate Christmas with a festive day out to Cotehele. Step back in time to see a recreation of how the garland tradition begun, see Cotehele Mill decorated for a family Christmas and head out on a frosty walk around the estate.

Cotehele’s garland has been a beloved Christmas tradition for over 60 years. The National Trust first decorated the hall during the 1950s for a staff celebration at Christmas time. The first garland was a beautiful and simple affair, made from a bushy evergreen shrub called pittosporum.

This year we will be diving deep into the archives and recreating how the garland looked in the 1980s. During this time the garland was a more modest design inspired by decorative greenery and kissing boughs that the Tudors brought into their homes in the winter.

The garland will look different to normal this year as we take the opportunity to show how the tradition begun, capturing the magic of the retro green pittosporum and simple decoration.

The hall will be open daily from 20 November – 2 January (closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day) from 10.30am-4pm.

Festive music by the bowling green

Throughout the festive period we’re delighted to be welcoming various choirs and performers to Cotehele. This year all performances will be held outside – so we recommend wrapping up warm in a cosy scarf. These performances are weather dependant, we might need to pull some performances at the last minute for everyone’s safety.

Who is performing when?

Sunday 28 November, 1pm – Great Sea Choir
Sunday 28 November, 2.30pm – Wheelhouse Folk Choir
Saturday 4 December, 1pm & 2.30pm – Kescana
Sunday 5 December, 1pm & 2.30pm – Barret’s Privateers
Saturday 11 December, 1pm & 2.30pm – Polperro Fisherman’s Choir
Sunday 12 December, 1pm & 2.30pm – Arundel Consort
Saturday 18 December, 1pm & 2.30pm – Devonport Park Community Choir
Sunday 19 December, 1pm & 2.30pm – Looe Valley Singers
Monday 20 December, 1pm & 2.30pm – Callington Singers
Tuesday 21 December, 1pm & 2.30pm – Burraton Boys
Wednesday 22 December, 1pm & 2.30pm – Just Voices
Thursday 23 December, 1pm & 2.30pm – Arundel Consort