Christmas at York Mansion House

York Mansion House is opening its doors for a festive house tour this winter, and it's more than just a walk through the rooms. The house is the Lord Mayor's residence, and the tour is led by friendly, expert guides who unpick the stories behind the treasures on display and the people who lived and worked there over the last three centuries. It's dressed for Christmas, and the whole thing ends in the historic basement kitchen with a cookery demonstration of a real Georgian gingerbread recipe.

There's a bit of history to the house's own traditions that the guides touch on. In the Georgian and Regency periods, the Christmas season actually began on 6 December, St Nicholas Day, but the decorations didn't go up until Christmas Eve. They were made from natural materials—holly, evergreens, kissing boughs, yule logs and wreaths—rather than the store-bought stuff we're used to now.

It's a fair few dates to choose from, so you can pick a day that fits. It runs on Fridays 20 and 27 November and 4 and 11 December, and Sundays 15, 22 and 29 November and 6 and 13 December 2026. Each session runs from 2.30pm to 3.45pm, so it's a good length for a winter afternoon without taking up the whole day. Tickets are £12, which includes a glass of non-alcoholic mulled wine and a mince pie to go with the gingerbread demo.