Ignite at Gibside – review
Ignite at Gibside is an evening trail of lights, lanterns, fantasy and fire and as soon as I read about it I booked tickets.
With most of our plans going up in smoke this year (cheers covid and Boris) I wanted something to look forward to before the end of 2020.
And because Elsie absolutely adores lights and animals, I thought Ignite would be perfect for us to enjoy as a family.
I snapped up tickets in September for £39 including a car parking pass as we aren’t National Trust members. More information on the event and ticket prices.
Unlike last year, we didn’t have anything in the diary for December, so I pinned all my hopes on Ignite still being allowed to go ahead whatever Tier the North East was placed in.
Ignite is allowed in Tier 3 as it is an outdoor event at an attraction which is already permitted to open with lots of safety measures in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Phew.
The trail runs in the evenings from 11-30 December 2020.
Ignite Light Trail at Gibside
It took us only 15 minutes to travel to Gibside from home.
After parking up and getting ourselves sorted we headed towards the admission hut.
There are portaloos here.
Tickets are scanned either on your phone or print out including your car parking ticket.
A park and ride bus is also running which looked really regular and double decker buses.
There is an easy one way system to follow, stewards to guide you and hand sanitiser available.
This was our very first visit to Gibside and I was pleased it was pushchair friendly.
Some of the paths were quite uneven so some wheelchair users may struggle.
In the first part of the trail through the walled garden we met a fire breathing dragon.
We then walked though a Japanese inspired garden which I really liked.
The accompanying music really adds to the ambiance and atmosphere of the installations.
As you exit the walled garden you enter the enchanted forest where the fairies live.
I really liked this part it felt so magical!
After the enchanted forest, you turn back and walk along the outside of the walled garden parallel to the avenue and towards the chapel which is all lit up and looks simply stunning.
To Elsie’s delight, this section of installations features night time animals which are really cute.
The exit brings you out at the courtyard to a café and the main toilets.
There’s also some food trucks if you fancy a bite to eat.
It felt really quite crowded next to the food trucks and we were keen to just walk through this area as quickly as possible.
As we are in Tier 3 restrictions there’s no seating which could make enjoying food and drinks a little awkward.
We didn’t buy anything but at a glance it seemed quite average prices for these kind of events.
For those using the park and ride bus, the queue is well signposted and next to the food trucks.
You really can’t miss the buses!
We spent less than an hour at Gibside from parking our car to leaving the car park including assembling the pram and putting everything away again.
Our overall thoughts on Ignite at Gibside
At just shy of £40 for the three of us it is quite expensive for what is essential less than an hour’s walk.
However, Elsie enjoyed it and so did we.
It was in parts quite magical and we felt so fortunate to be able to do something lovely together despite being in Tier 3.
About an hour outside in December feels right for this kind of experience.
The quality of the installations and the overall trail is really good.
For the price point I think some people would be disappointed if I’m being completely honest.
The stewards made us feel quite harried at times almost to the point of being harassed, to get through each section as quickly as possible.
We have friends who went the weekend before us with children older than Elsie and they went through in 30 minutes.
Prior to our visit we were sent updates via email which were really useful about what to expect, the safety measures and so on.
It was a nice experience and we wouldn’t be put off visiting Gibside, however I’m not sure if we would do this type of event again.
Where is Gibside?
Gibside
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE16 6BG
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