Visitors to No.1 Royal Crescent in Bath this December will be able to experience Christmas as it would have been celebrated over 200 years ago.
Christmas at No.1 Royal Crescent in Bath | Photo © BPT
In 1644, Oliver Cromwell effectively banned Christmas and for the following seven decades, festive get-togethers, and even the singing of carols, were forbidden.
However, this was overturned by the Georgians, which saw Christmas celebrated in grand style, with balls, parties and feasting galore.
Revealing many of the sights, scents and other sensory delights of a Georgian Christmas, No.1 Royal Crescent will be authentically decorated with ‘greens’, or foliage such as bay, yew or even herbs, along with gilded fruits and foodstuffs.
The Christmas immersive experience will reveal 12 Tales of a Georgian Christmas, introducing how this season was celebrated and enjoyed through a series of stories and poems that come to life throughout the house.
Visitors will also see a table decoration – originally introduced by King George III’s German-born wife, Queen Charlotte – that later became what we now know as the Christmas tree.
The festive decorations will extend outside the Georgian house to the locally sourced Christmas tree, which has been sponsored this year by Hawker Joinery.
No.1 Royal Crescent will again be welcoming Santa, to delight children and grown-ups alike in his magical grotto. He’ll be in temporary residence at No.1 every Saturday and Sunday in December ahead of the big day.
Prior to the 19th-century, Father Christmas was an allegorical figure who embodied the festive season itself and was often depicted as a merry old soul, who presided over parties, rather than bringing presents to small children.
This was largely because it was adults who celebrated Christmas with copious amounts of alcohol, including wassail bowls of spiced cider, or punch made with wine infused with spices, sugar and apple.
From 26th November to 31st December, youngsters can find out what a family of mice is getting up to in each room, before creating a special Christmas decoration to take home.
Claire Dixon, Director of Bath Preservation Trust (BPT) Museums, said: “Christmas is a really special time at No. 1 Royal Crescent, and it is amazing to see the house transformed.
“It offers a completely different experience for visitors as the rooms are rich with greenery, floral arrangements and decoration.
“The house feels more intimate and cosier, and it is fascinating to discover the different ways in which the Georgians would have celebrated the season as wealthy residents or domestic servants.
“I particularly enjoy the kitchen as it is filled with traditional Christmas foods and aromas. This is my favourite time of year to be in the house.”
