Thursday 30 November 2017

Visiting Santa's Grotto at Bridgemere Garden Centre, Nantwich - A Review

When we woke last Saturday morning, we were shocked to find a thin layer of snow that had settled on the ground, which made the perfect start for our day out to see Santa. Riley became convinced that we were travelling to the North Pole as we ventured further into the Cheshire countryside and the snow, hail and sleet began to fall at regular intervals.

We stopped for breakfast along the way and Riley sat fascinated as he watched the snow fall outside, excited to continue his trip to the 'North Pole' to see Santa. There really is nothing more magical than a child who believes he is about to meet the real Santa and his elves.

Once we had continued on our journey, we noticed that there were regular signs for Bridgemere from the main road once we had passed through Crewe. Our sat nav has a habit of sending us down little lanes, so it is always more reassuring to see signs that show you are going the right way! A short while later we arrived and made our way into the huge car park. Having never visited Bridgemere before, we were a little unsure as to what to expect, but seeing how large the car park was, gave me the initial impression that this is certainly a very popular place.

It was bitterly cold so before we left the car, I made sure that the children all had their gloves and hats on to keep them warm. We then made our way into the centre, to have a look around prior to our 11:15am time slot.

I could have literally spent thousands of pounds there, as beautiful items lay displayed absolutely everywhere you turned. There were hundreds of wonderful gift ideas, as well as stunning collections of Christmas decorations, flowers and plants. We arrived about half an hour before our entry time, so we had a quick browse around, whilst the children excitedly looked at all the different kinds of baubles that were available.




As our time slot approached, we made our way over to the beautiful grotto, where we were greeted by a lovely friendly elf, who brought some chocolates over to the children and made conversation with them all. Riley was so excited to be talking to a 'real' elf and he told her what he was hoping for from Santa on Christmas Day. I was already very impressed by the set up and the welcome we received and right from the beginning all the children were made to feel special and welcome.


Once all the guests for our time slot had arrived, we were invited into the cottage where we were told about the magic that could take place. We had not been expecting this and simply thought we would go straight through to Santa so this was a lovely surprise and made the experience much more interesting. The elf told the children that they could each plant a magic seed by collecting a pot, planting the seed and then enclosing it in sparkly paper. Whilst the children did this, the adults wrote each child's name on a stick, which was then placed into the pot.



Once all the children in our group had planted their magic seeds, another elf appeared at the door, who told us that Santa had fallen asleep and needed to be woken up. He encouraged the children to shout 'Wake up Santa' and after a couple of attempts, Riley was delighted to hear a very merry "Ho, Ho, Ho", from the other side of the door. We were all then invited in, where Santa gave us a lovely welcome.


The children were then all invited to place their magic seeds and pots, into the magic cupboard, where some mystifying trickery would take place. Once all the pots had been placed in the cupboard, everyone was encouraged to take a good look around the Grotto, spend some time with Santa himself, or go and select a special Christmas gift from the huge range that was available.



It was clear that a lot of effort had been put into the decorating of the grotto, with Christmas ornaments galore in beautiful and carefully created displays. It really was a lovely setting and we all enjoyed having a good look around Santa's home.

My children were also very excited by the gifts that were on offer. Children were welcome to pick something of their choosing from the large display and I was very impressed by the choice and quality of gifts that were available. There was something for all ages and I felt that this was a nice way of doing things so that children can pick something that they really like.


Once everyone had spent some time with Santa, one of the elves called us back over to the magic cupboard. To our surprise, the magic seeds had turned into real miniature Christmas trees. This was such a lovely touch and my children were delighted to be handed their own special tree. We thought that this was the end of the experience, so we were very surprised to then be led into another room, where the kids then had the chance to decorate their trees.

There was a nice selection of streamers and craft supplies and I made stars out of sparkly pipe cleaners to go on the tops of the trees.



The Santa's Grotto at Bridgemere Garden Centre costs £10 per child, which I think is excellent value for money given the experience the children get and the gifts that they get to take away with them. My children were delighted with their mini Christmas trees and couldn't wait to show their grandparents when they got home. If you would like to visit the Santa's Grotto, then Bridgemere recommend that you book online to secure your slot, which can be done via their website here: Wyevale Garden Centres

The Little Diggers Santa's Grotto Experience is also available at the following Wyevale Garden Centres: Andover, Bicester, Birchencliffe, Bridgemere, Cadbury, Carr Gate, Endsleigh, Huntingdon, Pennine, Podington, World's End.

Attraction details

Attraction - Bridgemere Garden Centre Santa's Grotto
Address - Bridgemere Garden World, Bridgemere, Nantwich, CW5 7QB
Cost - £10 per child
Dates - Daily from 1st December to 24th December
Times - Opening times vary, so please check their booking page for availability here: Tickets
Website - Wyevale Garden Centres
Twitter - @WyevaleGC
Facebook - Bridgemere - A Wyevale Garden Centre


Disclaimer: We were invited as guests to experience Bridgemere's Santa's Grotto for the purpose of providing an honest review of our experience. Opinions and photographs are my own unless otherwise stated.

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