A NEW after-dark illuminated trail has opened at Kingston Lacy near Wimborne and has been dazzling guests for nearly two weeks.
Ignite says it offers “a magical trail of light, lanterns, fantasy and much more” as well as fun for family within its historic gardens.
Dorset Echo reporter, Michael Taylor, was invited to go along to visit the trail along with his wife to check out the trails and what people can expect.
This is what happened when he visited the IGNITE trial.
Driving into Kingston Lacy
Admittedly, I have never been to Kingston Lacy before so it was going to be an interesting experience.
The helpful thing about this being an illuminated attraction is that you can see it approximately within a mile of it on the road.
We followed the signs into Kingston Lacy and were almost immediately welcomed by the illuminated house with a trail of flames.
It was an eye-catching sight and hinted at what was to come. After showing our tickets to a steward in the car park, we were guided to a parking space where we packed our bags, poured some hot chocolate into our flasks, and headed towards the ticket booth.
Entering the trail
At 4.30pm on Friday afternoon, we showed our printed tickets at the tickets booth and were told to enjoy ourselves with little instruction of what to expect but firm instructions on social distancing measures.
We were not given a map but just told to follow the trail.
We followed the lit-up trail and we were immediately welcomed by the illuminated Kingston Lacy country house with trails of flames on its gardens.
What we saw going around
After taking photos of Kingston Lacy house, we followed the illuminated trail into the gardens and went around the country house.
Here we were welcomed by the rear of the lit-up Kingston Lacy with hundreds of flame torches across its gardens. It certainly was an amazing sight seeing the house illuminated in this way, with fire lighting up the gardens.
We turned onto a long trail which included some clearly well-crafted badger, robin and snail sculptures surrounded by more flames.
On this long trail was also what was the most popular and photogenic spot of the trail – the purple illuminated trees. Its branches were wrapped in purple lights and were clearly a hit with families and couples.
We had to weave around groups of people trying to get a selfie or close-up photo of the alluring trees.
Along the trail, we saw rows of illuminated flowers, hats as lampshades, lamps in the gardens, and a row of tall trees illuminated with spotlights.
There were also magical creatures such as an unicorn and also some fairy scenes, which proved popular with families.
The most eye-catching attraction on the trail was definitely the fire breathing dragon, which shot flames into the sky and wowed spectators.
The trail took less than an hour to complete and it is fair to say there was plenty to see and admire. Some areas were not as fully lit as others, but I can only assume this is only an artistic choice.
Is it Covid secure?
A number of signs about social distancing were scattered around the trail with PA announcements repeating the rules.
There were marshals throughout the long trail to ensure crowds weren't building, to enforce social distancing rules, and to ensure people were moving on at a nice pace.
Staff members were also in some dark areas asking if we were enjoying ourselves and ensuring children didn't take any shortcuts.
Some marshals did insist that people took their photos and quickly moved on to avoid a traffic jam or groups getting too close.
I understood why they did this, but it can take a little longer for a photographer to focus their camera to get a good shot of a sculpture with little light.
Even at the café area, people were social distancing, using the hand sanitiser and wearing masks inside the cafe. There was a lot of self-policing around and people kept their distance.
Since visiting the IGNITE trail, I was made aware of social distancing concerns raised by other attendees.
While there were one or two instances of children running ahead or people getting too close to others, I didn’t see any other social distancing problems. If this is a genuine concern raised to National Trust, I hope they take action and look at how they can improve things.
Overall thoughts - Well worth the visit but wrap up wram
For a winter activity at night, this was an ideal trip.
The Ignite trail presented Kingston Lacy in a new light - pardon the pun - and it was awe-inspiring and looked incredible in parts. Seeing the house lit up with flames illuminating its grounds and sculptures were quite the sight.
It wasn't too cold and we arrived at the right time where it wasn't too busy but I could see how congested the car park was when we returned to the car.
I would recommend people wear some walking boots or wellies as the trail can get wet and muddy and ruin your favourite trainers.
There were plenty of stewards monitoring spectators, telling groups to move on, and saying if tourists were getting too close.
The only issue with the trail was that some areas weren't lit enough, especially on bits where you had to turn. You can't easily see the fence's rope and it's only when you bump into it that you realise you are heading in the wrong direction.
The only suggestions I could think of to fix this was illuminated signs pointing in the right direction or handing out glowing wristbands to make things more visible.
Overall, it's worth a visit before it ends in late December. It is clear that others enjoyed themselves while overhearing them discussing the trail.
It's a shame it ends so early and cannot run into the New Year but I hope it returns next year.
How to book your tickets
This nighttime event is open until Thursday, December 30 but will be closed on Christmas Day.
Guests can book time slots from 4.30pm onwards with tickets for adults £15, children £10 or a family of two adults and two children for £45.
Free entry for carers and children aged three and under. Parking is included.
More information about the trail and to book tickets can be found through this link.
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