Ashridge House has announced it will be offering a bespoke dining festive experience and magical illuminated woodland walk in the heart of Hertfordshire next month.
After what has been a relentless year for many due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, this newly-announced event – The Enchanted Garden Globes – will be the perfect festive antidote to round-up a turbulent 2020, and will give you the chance to escape reality for an evening.
Now I know what you’re thinking… “Hertfordshire is f****** three away!”
We hear you. But if things go to plan, this could be the perfect post-lockdown weekend getaway right slap bang in the middle of the Christmas period that we didn’t even think we’d get.
And for the first time ever, the private gardens of this magnificent former palace will be transformed into a magical festive dining experience to “surprise and delight the senses”.
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The Enchanted Garden Globes have been specifically created to accommodate the ‘rule of six’.
The globes have been built bespoke for extraordinary views across the park at Ashridge House and will be heated and dressed for a truly unique festive experience.
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As part of the experience, guests will also be invited into the winter mist to enjoy a bespoke illuminated woodland walk with beautiful light installations, secret hideaways, tunnels of falling stars, hot toddies, glittering grottos and surprise encounters along the way.
Ashridge House Presents: The Enchanted Garden Globes, a festive private dining experience Opening a little later than planned, we are delighted to announce our Enchanted Garden Globes and illuminated woodland walk are now available from 3rd December! https://t.co/JJ0am0iJ3Upic.twitter.com/8mNL5hAwpS
From the magnificent vaulted entrance of twinkling Christmas trees, to the spectacular Harry Potter staircase and the spellbinding yuletide outdoor wonderland, The Enchanted Garden Globes is described as a “magical dining experience like no other”.
What makes Ashridge House the perfect place for a festive staycation getaway then?
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Once a royal residence to King Henry VIII and home to his daughter – Princess Elizabeth I – Ashridge House is a hidden gem in leafy Hertfordshire, only 30 miles from London and surrounded by 190 acres of “quintessentially English gardens”.
With grand, turreted façades and historic grounds, Ashridge House is a truly enchanting festive backdrop.
The Enchanted Garden Globes at Ashridge House
After a challenging 2020, the The Enchanted Garden Globes – which are taking place at a range of dates between 3rd – 31st December and with new dates in January 2021 set to be announced – will offer guests the perfect woodland escape and bring some much-needed Christmas magic to the year.
There are two bespoke dining packages to choose from:
The Lunch Experience
12pm – 4pm
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£90per person – Private Dome (x6 guests per globe)
Arrival glass of fizz.
Spiced mulled wine.
Four-course festive feast dining experience, paired with glass of wine.
Tea & coffee post lunch.
Private dining Garden Globe accommodating up to six guests for four hours (with private sound system, heating and cosy lighting).
Full access to the Enchanted Woodland Walk and Ashridge Gardens.
Festive entertainment and fun.
The Enchanted Garden Globes at Ashridge House
The Dinner Experience
6pm – 10pm
£155 per person – Private Dome (x6 guests per globe)
Arrival glass of fizz.
Spiced mulled wine.
Five-course festive feast dining experience, paired with half a bottle of wine.
Tea & coffee post dinner.
Private dining Garden Globe accommodating up to six guests for four hours (with private sound system, heating and cosy lighting).
Full access to the Enchanted Woodland Walk and Ashridge Gardens – illuminated light trail.
Festive entertainment and fun, including ‘Santa’s Secret Grotto’.
You can book your tickets to The Enchanted Garden Globes and find more information – including menus and the property’s COVID-19 response – via the Ashridge House website here.
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Stockport County are hosting huge World Cup screenings at Edgeley Park
Danny Jones
Stockport County are set to host one of the biggest World Cup screenings in Greater Manchester this year, with the nearby football club opening up their very own ground at Edgeley Park to host some huge watchalong parties.
And before you ask, no – you won’t be watching from the pitch, sorry.
Still, a dozen large TVs, loads of great street food and free-flowing drinks, not to mention plenty of stadium-level atmosphere, we’d absolutely call this the next best thing.
With the 2026 World Cup and a whole summer packed with sporting tournaments coming up, ‘The Hatters’ will be creating their own home camp to help cheer on the national squad.
As you can see, while you won’t quite be out of their on the turf for yourselves, and outrageous ‘scam’ ticket prices mean even fewer England supporters will likely be flying out to watch the boys in person, the Stockport side will be doing their best to create a proper good crowd.
Taking over the County Courtyard – the team’s dedicated social hub for before and after games, which opened back in 2022 – the local League One side will be turning this into a Three Lions fan zone for each and every game they play in the tournament.
Fingers crossed they give us plenty of rounds to witness, eh?…
Anyone who’s been to Edgeley Park‘s County Courtyard or simply even seen the scenes online will know how busy this place can get on a matchday, so just imagine what it will be like with the big screens showing the all-important games.
With resident cult figure ‘Chef John’ cooking up street food scran inspired by the cuisine and cultures that will be hosting this year’s World Cup, and a special, not to mention brand-new, US-inspired beer in collaboration with natives Runaway Brewery, it’s a great lineup – we just pray Thomas Tuchel matches it.
Credit: Publicity pictures (supplied via Stockport County Football Club)
Doors open at 6pm for all fixtures, and The Courtyard will remain open until midnight; with tickets starting from just a fiver for the group stage, you’d be foolish not to at least consider it.
If England do make it through to the knockouts, each following fixture will obviously be shown on the box, too, with tickets then rising to £10 per game (Edgeley Park is also a fully cashless venue).
You can find out more information about what will be on offer and find the ticket link right HERE.
As for Stopfordians and regular season ticket-holders, they’ll no doubt be gutted to hear that manager Dave Challinor has now departed SK3 after a hugely productive five-year stint – here’s hoping a great World Cup can help lift some spirits.
Memories that will last a lifetime 💙
We wish Dave and his family every success in the future – they will always be welcome back at Edgeley Park 🙌 pic.twitter.com/ZxcH5Keag9
— Stockport County (@StockportCounty) June 1, 2026
Featured Images — The Manc Group/Stockport County FC (supplied)
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Two towns around an hour away from Manchester named ‘most affordable’ places to buy your first home
Emily Sergeant
Two towns that are around an hour away from Manchester have been named among the ‘most affordable’ places to buy your first home.
It’s all according to the latest analysis by consumer watchdog Which?, and Lloyds bank.
Getting onto the property ladder remains a struggle for many first time buyers, especially following increases to mortgage rates since the start of spring – but where you buy can make a huge difference, according to Which?, and now new research from Lloyds has revealed the cheapest areas to buy your first home.
Some of the locations on the list are even averaging less than half the price of homes in London, proving the North West is where you want to be to get your foot on the property ladder.
According to research from Lloyds Bank, the most affordable place for first time buyers in the UK is East Ayrshire in Scotland.
But when it comes to the North West, Blackpool is not only the most affordable area in region – ranking at number three on the list – but it’s also the cheapest in the whole of England too, beating Kingston upon Hull by just a few hundred pounds.
Two towns around an hour away from Manchester have been named among the ‘most affordable’ places to buy your first home / Credit: Benjamin Elliott | Maria Ziegler (via Unsplash)
The average first time buyer price in Blackpool is £150,780, according to the research.
Following Blackpool, ranking at sixth place on the list, is Hyndburn in Lancashire – which is actually a local Government district with borough status, that encompasses towns like Accrington and Great Harwood – with an average first time buyer price of £155,911.
Along with the most affordable areas for first time buyers, Lloyds has also calculated the areas with the youngest first time buyers too – and the North West also takes that title,
In the UK as a whole, the average age of a first time buyer is now 32, however buyers in some parts of the country are getting onto the property ladder much earlier than others, particularly in more affordable areas outside major cities.
The area with the youngest first time buyers is the Ribble Valley, according to Lloyds.
The largest town in this Lancashire district is Clitheroe, on the edge of the Forest of Bowland National Landscape, and in less than 40 minutes by car, you can get to Preston, Blackburn, and Burnley, so it’s a pretty well-connected place for also being so affordable.
Emily Sergeant -
13th November 2020 
