Longleat's Festival of Light milestone marked with lantern route - BBC News

Nov 09, 2024

The lanterns are used to guide visitors through various periods of history

More than 1,000 lanterns will be used to take people on a journey through time at a stately home.

Longleat's Festival of Light is marking its 10th anniversary with the lanterns which include 45,000 lightbulbs.

From Saturday, the display will guide visitors from the dinosaur era to the present day.

Scott Ashman, Longleat's head of operations, said the Festival of Light will bring the estate's "rich history to life".

The lanterns are also made out of 150 tonnes of metal and 164,000ft (50,000m) of light strips.

Visitors will also encounter Queen Elizabeth I, who visited Longleat 450 years ago, as well as a singing Christmas tree.

The displays will be held right through Christmas and the new year

The event also marks the 75th anniversary of the estate opening its doors to the public.

On Friday, Lord and Lady Bath, Ceawlin and Emma Thynn led thousands of people on a tour of the Wiltshire estate in an exclusive look at the event.

Lord Bath said: “When we first held The Festival of Light in 2014, nothing like it had been attempted on this scale before in the UK or indeed Europe."

Mr Ashman said: “The Festival of Light this year combines stunning artistry with a compelling narrative, using lights, sound, and immersive displays to bring the estate’s rich history to life.”

Tell us which stories we should cover in Wiltshire

Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, external, X, external and Instagram, external. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.

Study reveals 14 bat species on safari park estate

Rare mammal that was 'close to extinction' spotted in safari park

Rare tiger cubs explore ahead of release into safari

Longleat