This week, we experienced our first ever Glow Wild at Wakehurst Park & Gardens.
For years we’ve been meaning to go, but never managed to get tickets. When we were invited to pop along for their opening night, we were hardly going to say no – even on a school night!
If you’ve ever been to Glow Wild, you will know why the event always sells out. Not yet visited? Then let us tell you about our first time…
(If you’re in a rush though, check out the reel we made of our visit on Instagram.)
Wakehurst, which is part of the Kew Gardens family, is probably one of our favourite National Trust locations.
Not only does it boast perfectly curated gardens, a manor house, and the world’s largest seed conservation, but surrounding Wakehurst is the Loder Valley Nature Reserve, a 150-acre haven of wetlands, meadows and dense woodlands. You can easily spend a day here, with plenty still to look forward to upon your return.
Getting the opportunity to visit Wakehurst at night was always going to be special.
Go wild for Glow Wild
Glow Wild is an award-winning night-time lantern trail that takes you on a walk through Wakehurst’s many gardens. Each year has a different theme, with this year’s being dedicated to the spectrum of colours in nature, inviting you to explore how we see colour and celebrating the role it plays in our daily lives.
Curated over an 18-month period, and taking over three weeks to build, Glow Wild is an incredible sensory experience for all – including sounds and smells! As soon as you enter Glow Wild, you’re invited to take your very own lantern. This is a wonderful feature as it connects you to the other exhibits throughout the trail, and in no time at all you are immersed in the experience.
As this was our first-ever Glow Wild, we didn’t have much to compare it to. But then, I don’t think you can really compare it as it has so much to give. As well as the hand-crafted lanterns, which vary in size and colour, there are also light displays on trees. In one section, there was also an enormous fire display that looked like something out of Game of Thrones.
Our favourite pieces, and probably the most impressive, were the displays that were set on water. As well as appreciating the effort that it would have taken to install, the sounds of water and the reflection of light made it absolutely captivating.
Along the trail are a number of stalls selling hot drinks and snacks. These will no doubt be very welcome when the temperature drops! But don’t worry if you don’t want to test your bladder strength, because at the end of the trail you’re invited to explore even more stalls, with jacket potatoes and hot dogs, and sweeter treats! There is even a brazier where you can toast marshmallows (and warm those hands!). And that’s not the end of the experience; while enjoying your hot chocolate there is also a small area where you can stand and listen to stories. This was such a lovely finishing touch to the experience, and it meant it didn’t end too abruptly.
On your way out (towards the gift shop!) you also pass Wakehurst’s Christmas tree. This tree is the UK’s tallest living Christmas tree, decorated with almost 2,000 lights!
Things to know before you book!
The trail is just over one mile long and takes approximately an hour to walk through. It can be viewed from hard standing and/or flat gravel paths. That being said, please be aware that the landscape is undulating; there are some slopes and slight inclines, and not all paths are concrete or level.
Children’s scooters are not permitted on the trail. And only registered disability assistance dogs are allowed, other dogs are not allowed.
There are accessible toilets and baby changing facilities available at the start and throughout the trail. These are at the schools entrance, the visitor centre, and the Stables Kitchen.
Quiet sessions
During the Glow Wild season, there will be a limited number of quiet session tickets available. These are suitable for visitors with hidden disabilities to make for a more comfortable visit while still benefiting from the sensory elements of the trail.
Quiet sessions offer access before the general public on selected evenings from Friday 25 November 2022 to Sunday 1 January 2023 at 4:15pm. To find out more about these events, check out the Glow Wild page on the Wakehurst website.
(Please note: Wakehurst asks that other visitors respect the quiet sessions and do not book during these limited slots.)
This year is Glow Wild’s ninth year, with their tenth birthday coming up in 2023! Will you be there to celebrate? Tickets go on sale in January – get in there quick!
Disclosure: We were invited to visit Glow Wild in exchange for a review and social media coverage. All thoughts, opinions and imagery are our own.
