If you are planning on coming to the Cotswolds to experience a bit of seasonal cheer, make sure you head south of Cheltenham to visit the Westonbirt Arboretum.

Now in case you didn’t know, an arboretum is a wonderful place to visit at this time of year if you want to take a cheap weekend break.  This is because arboretums are essentially groups of trees.  Sounds a bit disappointing, doesn’t it?

But don’t be fooled.  Just imagine all the autumn colours you’ll see as you head to Westonbirt for the incredible Enchanted Christmas event.  You can enjoy a full day exploring the various parts of the Cotswolds, before heading back to your Cotswolds accommodation to wrap up warm for your visit to Westonbirt.

This is because the arboretum – more magically called the Enchanted Wood – is lit up when the Enchanted Christmas event gets started.  The big day is Friday 27th November, when the festive fun gets underway at the arboretum for the first time this year.

But if you can’t make it right at the start don’t worry.  The event runs right up until the Sunday before Christmas itself, which is the 20th.  So you’ve got plenty of time to book yourself a weekend away in the Cotswolds to visit this magical place.

So what can you expect to find once you arrive?  For starters you will see the woods as they appear only at this time of year.  The trees are lit by many different coloured lights, making them look quite stunning and spookily eerie too in the dark!  But make no mistake this is the perfect excuse for a cosy evening out with your partner.  Just be sure to wrap up warm so you can enjoy the mile long stroll around the beautifully lit arboretum without getting cold.

Even if you are staying in self catering accommodation in the Cotswolds you might not want to cook dinner the night you arrive here.  A better option might be to pre-book a table at the Maples Restaurant on site.  This is always a popular choice and since you’ll be able to tuck into a mouth watering seasonal carvery meal, you can see why booking before you turn up is essential.

To walk the trail through the Enchanted Wood, be sure you turn up close to 5pm.  This is when it opens and you’ll want to have enough time to make the most of it.  Even though it will be dark bring a good camera if you have one – you’ll want to capture the lighting effects whenever you can.

As you can see this idea for a short break in the UK gives you a chance to kick off this Christmas a bit differently from how you may have done before.  The Westonbirt Arboretum is easy enough to find as well – it is located to the south west of Cirencester and only around three miles south west of Tetbury.  Follow the A433 to Westonbirt and you should see the signs from there.