Marsh Farm's Father Christmas Experience returns on 21 November 2026, the only grotto announced so far. Last year's Beaulieu and Danbury grotto dates listed.

Only one Santa’s grotto in the Chelmsford district has announced for 2026 so far. Marsh Farm’s Father Christmas Experience in South Woodham Ferrers returns from Saturday 21 November. The charity grottos and Santa sleigh rounds, run by Rotary clubs and parish councils, were announced in November last year.

The quick answer

  • Marsh Farm, South Woodham Ferrers: from 21 November 2026. A guided tour of up to two and a half hours, with a teddy and a gift included.
  • Not yet announced: the Beaulieu and Danbury grottos and the Santa sleigh rounds. All were published in November last year.
  • Free to see: Santa and his sleigh were in Half Moon Square from 10am on the 2025 lights switch-on day. This year’s switch-on date is not yet set.

Marsh Farm Father Christmas Experience

The farm says the experience returns from 21 November (Marsh Farm). It is a guided tour, not a walk-in grotto, and you book a time.

What the booking includes, in the farm’s own list:

  • passport control and an elf academy, a snow show and Mother Christmas’s kitchen
  • meeting Father Christmas in the grotto
  • decorating a gingerbread person
  • a make-a-bear teddy to take home
  • a gift chosen at the elf emporium
  • the funfair rides and the rest of the farm, with free parking

Things to know before you book:

  • Under ones go free as observers. Children aged one and over pay full price.
  • Adults cannot book without children. The farm says it is aimed at children up to 12.
  • Ten people is the maximum for one booking. Bigger groups split into two.
  • Arrive 30 minutes before your tour time. Late arrivals cannot be moved to another slot.
  • It is outdoors and in barns. The farm advises warm clothes and wellies. Buggies stay in the buggy park.
  • Changing your date costs £5 a ticket, with at least 48 hours’ notice.
  • The farm is card only.

The prices, and two different booking fees

Marsh Farm’s ticket platform was down for maintenance when we checked on 28 September, so we could not read this year’s prices. We will add them once it is back.

The farm’s two pages also state different booking fees. Its event page says “a booking fee of £15.00 will be applied per order”. Its ticket portal says “a booking fee of £2.95 will be applied per ticket” (Marsh Farm ticket portal). Check the basket total before you pay.

Marsh Farm is on Marsh Farm Road, South Woodham Ferrers, CM3 5WP, and can be reached on 01245 321552.

Santa in the city centre

The city centre has no fixed grotto that we can confirm for 2026. On the 2025 switch-on day, Sunday 16 November, Chelmsford For You had Santa and his sleigh in Half Moon Square from 10am, raising money for the Salvation Army (Chelmsford For You).

This year’s switch-on has no date yet. When it does, it will be on our Christmas lights switch-on page.

Charity grottos: what ran last year

Chelmsford City Council listed these in its festive round-up on 21 November 2025 (Chelmsford City Council). None has published 2026 details yet.

Grotto or visit 2025 date Run by
Santa’s Grotto, Beaulieu Community Centre Sat 29 Nov, 10am to 4pm, booked slots Rotary Mildmay
Santa’s Grotto, Danbury Christmas Fayre, Danbury Leisure Centre Sat 29 Nov, 12pm to 4pm, free entry Danbury and Villages Rotary Club
Santa’s Grotto, Christmas Fair and Tree Festival, Christ Church URC Sat 29 Nov, 11am to 3pm, free gift for each child Christ Church URC
Lights switch-on by Santa, Galleywood village shops Thu 4 Dec, 5pm to 7pm Galleywood Parish Council

All three grottos fell on the last Saturday of November in 2025. The equivalent Saturday this year is 28 November, but no organiser has confirmed it.

Santa’s sleigh rounds

Two groups take Santa round the streets in December.

  • Mildmay Rotary covered North Springfield, Beaulieu and Channels, Ford End, Little Waltham, Broads Green, Great Waltham and Howe Street in 2025. The council said routes were published on the club’s Facebook page.
  • Chelmsford Round Table says on its website that it can be found in December “helping Santa to visit all the good boys and girls of Chelmsford” (Chelmsford Round Table). It has not published 2026 routes.

Getting there

For South Woodham Ferrers, check our roadworks and travel page before you set off, because a late arrival loses the slot. For city centre events, tariffs are on our parking in Chelmsford page.

What we will update, and when

  • Marsh Farm prices, once its booking platform is back.
  • The Beaulieu, Danbury and Christ Church grottos. We will check on Monday 2 November.
  • Sleigh routes for Mildmay Rotary and Chelmsford Round Table, usually out in late November.

More this Christmas

Sources