Borde Hill's grotto opens 5 December at £19 a child. Bluebell Railway Santa Specials run from 28 November, adults from £35, children from £10. Book early.

Two Santa visits are already on sale around Mid Sussex for Christmas 2026. Borde Hill in Haywards Heath opens its grotto from Saturday 5 December, at £19 a child, and the Bluebell Railway runs Santa Specials from 28 November, with a Christmas fair at Horsted Keynes station, from £35 for adults and £10 for children.

The quick answer

  • Borde Hill: Santa’s grotto, £19 per child, weekends and selected days from 5 December. Booking required.
  • Bluebell Railway Santa Specials: 28 and 29 November, then through December. Adults from £35, children from £10.
  • Both need booking in advance, and the railway warns you cannot rebook if you miss your train.

Borde Hill, Haywards Heath

A Family Christmas at Borde Hill runs from Saturday 5 December to Sunday 3 January, 10am to 3.30pm. The garden is closed from Thursday 24 to Monday 28 December, then reopens from 29 December to 3 January. Garden admission is half price throughout.

  • Santa’s grotto: £19 per child, booking required, at weekends and on selected days. Children start with a 30-minute Elf Training Camp of festive challenges before meeting Santa and getting a Christmas gift.
  • Kids’ story trail: £3.50 per child plus admission, free to members. This year’s story is “Ivy’s Sparkling Snow Ball Adventure”, aimed at children aged 3 to 8, with a prize at the end.
  • Children can write letters to Santa, and there is hot chocolate and the garden shop.

(Borde Hill, A Family Christmas)

Bluebell Railway Santa Specials

The Santa Specials run on 28 and 29 November and throughout December. Trains leave Sheffield Park, in East Sussex, at 10am and 11.05am or 1pm and 2.05pm, and steam up to Horsted Keynes, in Mid Sussex, where there is a traditional Christmas fair with fairground rides included in the ticket, stalls and festive food. Every child gets an activity pack at their seat, new for 2026, and a collectible toy handed over by Santa. The whole trip takes about two hours.

  • Prices: adults from £35, children from £10.
  • Arrive promptly. The railway says it cannot hold trains, and a missed train means no refund and no rebooking.
  • No dogs, except registered support dogs. Buggies and prams are not suitable and can be left at Sheffield Park.
  • Some attractions are outdoors, so dress for the weather.

(Bluebell Railway, Santa Specials)

Other festive family days out

Frequently asked questions

How much is Santa’s grotto at Borde Hill? £19 per child, booked in advance. Garden admission is half price from 5 December to 3 January, and the kids’ story trail is £3.50 on top.

When is Borde Hill closed over Christmas? From Thursday 24 to Monday 28 December. It reopens on Tuesday 29 December and the Christmas trail runs until Sunday 3 January.

Where do the Bluebell Railway Santa Specials leave from? Sheffield Park station, where every journey begins. The train runs to Horsted Keynes, where the Christmas fair is, and back.

Can I take a dog or a pushchair on the Santa Special? No dogs except registered support dogs. Buggies and prams are not suitable on board and can be left at Sheffield Park.

How long does the Santa Special take? About two hours, including the time at the fair.

What is still to be confirmed

  • The exact Santa Special dates in December and which departures are sold out; the railway publishes them in its booking calendar.
  • Borde Hill’s list of grotto days beyond weekends.
  • Nymans at Handcross has said it will run “Christmas at Nymans”, a trail through the winter garden with the house decorated room by room, but has not published dates. (National Trust, Nymans)

Sources