Experience a Victorian Christmas this December

A Victorian Christmas at Gawthorpe Hall will be open on two consecutive weekends, December 3-4 and December 10-11 from 10.30am to 3.30pm.

Judges' Lodgings will be hosting its festive celebration Saturday and Sunday December 3-4 from 11am to 4pm.

Lancashire County Council's museums service is inviting people to see Gawthorpe Hall in all its glory as the Victorian Kay-Shuttleworth family might have, trimmed and decorated in traditional style.

People will be asked to imagine what it might have been like to sit down for a mouth-watering meal with the dining room set for Christmas dinner. They will then meet the housekeeper to discover how the family feasted.

A vintage coffee van at Gawthorpe Hall will be selling warm drinks each day.

At Lancaster's oldest townhouse, people will be able to see the building decorated in traditional seasonal style.

There will be live music performed by Martin Widden and Lancashire University Clarinet Choir plus traditional Christmas crafts, as well as a treat for the kids.

The Friends of Judges' Lodgings will also be hosting their popular pop-up tearoom on Saturday from 12 noon until 3.30pm.

County Councillor Peter Buckley, cabinet member for community and cultural services, said: "It's delightful that some of our county's top historical attractions are putting on events this Christmas.

"Staff, trustees and friends of our museums go that extra mile to provide fun and educational experiences for the public, so I would really encourage people to go along."