Shaun the Sheep winter trail at Blickling Estate

From Saturday 14 November 2026 until Sunday 17 January 2027, twelve Shaun the Sheep sculptures will be spread through the gardens at Blickling Estate, the National Trust property just outside Aylsham in north Norfolk. Each one stands 160 cm tall and has been designed by a different artist from the region or further afield. The winter trail is called Find the Flock Garden Trail, and the idea is to wander the grounds and track down the sheep as you go. It has been put together with Wild In Art and Aardman, the Bristol animation studio behind Shaun the Sheep and Wallace & Gromit.

The route runs through woodland, past the walled garden and along views of the lake, which means there's plenty of ground to cover with small legs. The trail is listed as running from 10:00 to 14:00. A map is available at the visitor welcome hut, and a suggested donation of £1 is requested for it. Ear defenders for children can be borrowed too, which is handy if the younger ones find the crowds or the noise a bit much. Children's activities are set up in the Parterre, the formal garden in front of the house, so it makes a sensible place to regroup.

Some parts of the garden close at 16:00 for safety reasons. After that time a shorter version is still open, with at least six of the twelve sculptures on it. If you'd rather make a night of it, there are late-opening evenings on 28 and 29 November, 5 and 6 December, 12 and 13 December, and 16 to 23 December. On those evenings the front drive, the house and the Parterre are lit until 18:30, with the Parterre decorated with fairy lights and traditional family games. Last entry falls between 17:45 and 18:00.

Indoors, the house is hosting A Woolly Winter Adventure from Saturday 28 November 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027. The rooms are decorated with Christmas wool creations, and the Blickling mice are back for a new yarn-filled mystery, with clues to collect as you search for them and their golden yarn. There's a reading corner and craft activities as well. The display uses 1,876 balls of yarn, which according to the National Trust would stretch from Blickling to Glasgow. The yarn was donated by Stylecraft and the decorations were made by volunteers. The hall itself is a red-brick Jacobean mansion, believed to be where Anne Boleyn was born.

You don't need to book in advance. On busy days, time slots are given out on arrival. National Trust members get in free, and children under five go in free for everyone. Standard prices are £18 for an adult and £9 for a child, while a family ticket is £45 for two adults with up to three children, or £27 for one adult with up to three children. Parking costs £5 per vehicle. If you have questions before you go, the estate can be reached on 01263 738030.