Leeds mansion's ready for 500th celebrations

The festivities will take place on Saturday and Sunday and will feature historical activities such as carol singers, a Tudor banquet display and Victorian craft making.

The popular tourist attraction, which comprises a Tudor house, farm and historic green estate, racks up 85,000 visits a year. It has been described as one of the most impressive Tudor-Jacobean mansions in Britain.

Bobbie Robertson, keeper at Temple Newsam, is one of those working to make their 500th Christmas gala magical. She said: “Temple Newsam is a place where magnificent Christmas celebrations have taken place for hundreds of years and the festive season is always a very special time here.

“It’s a huge job putting up the tree and decorations but watching visitors get a taste of what a traditional Tudor Christmas was like makes it all worthwhile.”

Museums across the are also getting festive, including the Leeds Discovery Centre, Leeds Industrial Museum, and Lotherton Hall, which will transform into a festive wonderland. City councillor Judith Blake said: “Our museums and galleries undergo quite a remarkable transformation over the festive season, which brings centuries of Christmas history to life.”

Tickets cost £17 for families and £7.40 for adults.

Meanwhile, dancers from Northern Ballet unveiled a Christmas Tree at Leeds City Station as festive trees across the city are illuminated. Beauty and the Beast dancers Joseph Taylor and Ayami Miyata attended the event.