New Lanark Christmas Experience Review
New Lanark Christmas Experience
28 November to 24 December 2015
Reviewed by Gemma Gough
Our family of four (two adults and two children, aged 4 and 7) were delighted to visit New Lanark Visitor Centre on the first day of their ‘Christmas Experience’ this year. We have been to New Lanark several times before but never during the festive period.
New Lanark Visitor Centre tells the story of the cotton mill village of New Lanark founded by Robert Owen in the 18th Century. He was known for providing decent homes, fair wages and working conditions, health care and education for his workers. New Lanark is now a World Heritage Site and is surrounded by beautiful woodlands and the Falls of Clyde. There are shops, cafes and a large hotel in the village which is popular with visitors from all over the world.
For the regular ticket price of £30 for a family of four, you get access to Annie McLeod Experience Ride, Robert Owen’s School for Children, People, Cotton & Machinery, Millworkers’ House, Robert Owen’s House, Village Store and the impressive Roof Garden. It’s easy to spend a full day there and the mixture of indoor and outdoor attractions means you can enjoy it whatever the weather.
The Christmas Experience tickets ae just a few pounds more and include all of the usual attractions with lots of festive extras. The Annie McLeod Experience Ride is transformed in to the Spirit of Christmas Ride where little fairy Holly guides us through the history of Christmas using some clever visuals and sound effects which we all enjoyed. The Christmas additions are well sign posted throughout the centre and there are lots of fun photo props along the way which we found a lot of people using and enjoying.
Santa’s grotto was well laid out and nicely decorated and there were some helpful Elves directing us where to go and managing queues. It wasn’t particularly busy when we visited so queues weren’t a problem but we thought it may be a little crowded in the grotto area as we get nearer to Christmas. There are lots of activities to keep the children busy when they are waiting to see Santa – arts and crafts and writing Santa letters. Again there are photo props for you to use and also characters dropping in and posing for pictures. Our children were thrilled to meet a minion and Olaf! Santa was friendly and chatty and there was plenty of room in his Grotto for us all to go in together. The children were given a gift each which they could choose themselves as they were unwrapped. Santa was happy to pose for photographs and was nice and patient with our rather reluctant seven year old.
There’s a pantomime package too which includes entry to the ‘Sister Ella’s Slippers’ show but we didn’t opt for that this time.
We enjoyed lunch in the Mill Café and bought some lovely bits from the Mill Shop – both have a good selection on offer although we found them to be quite pricey.
Staff throughout the centre were helpful and friendly and we all enjoyed our day. We thought the festive atmosphere was lacking slightly in parts but hopefully that will improve as Christmas approaches.
Rating: 4/5
Christmas Experience ticket (no pantomime): £9.50pp
Christmas Experience family ticket – 2 adults & 2 children (no pantomime): £35.00
Pantomime Package ticket: £11.50pp
Pantomime Package family ticket – 2 adults & 2 children: £43.00
Under 2’s go free
For more information or to book tickets visit www.newlanark.org.uk.
New Lanark World Heritage Site, South Lanarkshire, ML11 9DB | 01555 661345
