CHRISTMAS AT THE CASTLE

To celebrate the publication of her new book, Lady Carnarvon conjures up the magic of Christmas at Highclere, her historic home and the setting for Downton Abbey

How far in advance do you start preparations for Christmas at Highclere?

We plan our events in the summer and start making our decorations in October along with the Christmas pudding and Christmas cake. Then in late November the trees and the decorations go up.

Tell us more about the huge Christmas tree in the saloon.

It is usually 20 feet tall and is cut from a local farm. On the appointed day all the staff help out as it has to be carried in by hand and raised using a series of ropes and pulleys. It takes another two days to decorate so it is a team effort from all the Highclere elves.

How many other trees do you display around the estate?

We have around another 40 trees, some which line the drive and offer a twinkling, festive entrance for visitors. We have others in the courtyard and then about eight inside in the Dining Room, Library, Music Room, Drawing Room, Smoking Room and hall.

Do you have any favourite family recipes?

So many! I absolutely love the traditional Christmas Day lunch of roast turkey with all the delicious accompaniments and a large ham to slice hot or cold. But I also enjoy using up leftovers in dishes such as turkey rissoles or frying slices of Christmas pudding gently in butter. After Christmas I crave something lighter such as fennel, blood orange and walnut salad.

Can you tell us a bit more about your Christmas Day?

Usually we start with a dog walk, then it is back to the castle for a breakfast of scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, porridge and toast. Then we all head to church for the Christmas service before sitting down to a fantastic Christmas lunch. After lunch we open our presents and watch the Queen’s speech – much like many families around the country.

And how do you celebrate Boxing Day and New Year?

On Boxing Day we have a traditional shoot followed by a warming stew or pie for lunch. On New Year’s Eve we have a party with traditional Scottish reeling. Our guests are welcomed by a piper in immaculate white spats, swinging kilt, a bearskin of a hat and a warm jacket. The first reel is inevitably the Dashing White Sargent in which guests have to line up in groups of three. It is the most enormous fun and no one is left out, whatever their age.

Left to right:

Highclere Castle in the snow; Lady Carnarvon welcomes you in

Can you describe a few of the events happening this year?

Our Christmas events this year really take their inspiration from the themes in my book Christmas at Highclere, from tips on preparation and planning, to decorating and shopping, singing carols together, enjoying Christmas afternoon teas, and dining with us in the State Dining Room. We hope children will come and find Santa’s Grotto whilst, as a finale, Charles Dickens’ great, great grandson, Gerald Dickens, will join us to read excerpts from A Christmas Carol.

Are there any Christmases that have stood out for you?

I think the first one Geordie and I hosted. My five sisters and their families came to stay and it was a hilarious experience. The mattresses were 150 years old and incredibly lumpy, they all put their feet through the sheets because they were so ancient. The hot water came on at all the wrong times and my husband looked askance at the spike in electricity as all of us blow-dried our hair at 6pm. We soon worked out what we needed to update – the most pressing one being heaters for the bedrooms.

Top to bottom:

Estate staff carry the tree inside; turkey is a highlight of lunch; Lady Carnarvon wraps presents by the fire

What is your top Christmas tradition at Highclere?

I have to say I love Christmas Eve when my husband reads the poem Twas the Night Before Christmas to the assembled children sitting around him on the floor, just like his father did before him.

LADY CARNARVON’S FENNEL, BLOOD ORANGE & WALNUT SALAD

INGREDIENTS: 2 bulbs of fennel 2 blood oranges 60g walnuts 10ml walnut oil and a further 10ml for a dressing 100g wild rocket

1 Peel and wash the whole fennel bulb.

2 Cut straight down the middle and remove the heart (the hard centre near the root). Now slice as thinly as you can – we use a mandolin for this.

3 Peel the blood oranges and segment and put the flesh segments to one side, saving any juice that comes your way, as this can be used later.

4 Wash the rocket in cold water and shake so it is as dry as possible.

5 Place a frying pan on a high heat and add the walnut oil. When hot, carefully add the walnuts until nicely toasted on both sides. Remove from the pan and allow to cool.

6 Time to toss the salad together. Take a big bowl add the rocket, walnuts and fennel and dress with walnut oil, then gently toss together. Try not to handle the salad too much, season with cracked black pepper and sea salt and any remaining blood orange juice.

7 Divide into four separate bowls and then add a few blood orange segments to each one.

SERVES 4