Santa’s Grotto – cosy chat, festive gift + photo opp
Come and meet the man himself this December at our first ever Santa’s Grotto here at Rectory Farm!
In your 15-minute catch up with Santa, your children will enjoy a cosy chat, time to take photos with him, and will leave with a festive gift.
Santa can meet up to three children in a 15 minute slot, with these last minute bookings they are priced at £8.50 each, if you have more than one child an extra £8.50 will be due per child and payment will be taken on the door. If you can let us know in the “hamper info” box how many children you are bringing that would be appreciated so we know we have enough gifts.
Please see below for all FAQs and Visitor Information.
£8.50
VISITOR INFORMATION & FAQs
Dates
Selected dates from Saturday 2nd - Saturday 23rd December 2023.
Times
Each slot is 15 minutes long. Please arrive on time for your booking and allow ten minutes to walk from the car park to the grotto. If you are a group larger than 5 people (including adults and children, please book two slots back to back).
What do I do when I arrive?
Make your way to the Grotto and Mrs Christmas will be waiting for you outside with her 'nice list'. She will just need the name of the person who has made the booking - no need to bring your order number.
How much does it cost?
The cost for this experience is £8.50 per child. Accompanying adults do not need to book a ticket.
How many of us can meet Santa in one booking?
Due to space in the Grotto, the maximum number of people we can accommodate in a 15 minute slot is 5. For the last minute spots they are £8.50/each for accompanying children an additional fee of £8/50/child will be due on the day.
What age is it for?
Our Santa’s Grotto and the gifts being prepared by our elves are most suitable for children aged 2-8 years.
Can I bring my younger children along to meet Santa?
If your under-2 would like to meet and have a photo with Santa as part of a family booking with older siblings / friends, they are welcome to join in free of charge - no need to book for under 2s in this case but please note that they will not receive a gift! Please let us know in your order notes if you are bringing younger children without a booking.
If you only have under 2s in your group and they would like to meet Santa, receive a gift and have their photo taken with him, please book and pay for a 15 minute slot as normal. Please note that gifts from Santa will include some confectionery which parents of younger children and babies may wish to confiscate for their own consumption..!
What does my ticket include?
Your ticket gives you a 15 minute meet-and-greet with Santa, the opportunity to children to have a chat with him, take photos with the man himself using your own cameras / phones, and receive a gift bag with some treats inside. Mrs Christmas will also be on hand to take photos for you using your camera / phone, should you wish for her to take some group shots.
There will also be a post box at the Grotto where children visiting the Grotto may, if they like, also post a letter to Santa. These letters will be personally replied to by Santa, and your child's response letter can be collected from our Christmas tree 7 days after your visit to the Grotto.
Are tickets refundable / transferable?
We cannot offer refunds or date / time transfers for Santa's Grotto, though anyone unable to attend on their booked date and time is welcome to pass their booking onto friends or family. In this instance, the person taking your booking would just need to the name of the person who booked the tickets on arrival at Santa's Grotto.
Where will I find Santa's Grotto?
You will find Santa's Grotto in the log cabin in our play area behind the Farm Shop and Cafe. Do make time for a hot chocolate, a walk around the farm, a browse in the farm shop or some lunch in the cafe when you visit. We are also selling Christmas Trees daily from November 21st, and on December 2nd we are also hosting a Christmas shopping event on our grounds with Humble Country Fairs. Book your free tickets online here.
farm shop
We sell all our own homegrown produce when in season - including several varieties of our own potatoes - picked and on the shelves within a few hours. We work hard to source the best quality local products from Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and The Cotswolds. In our fridges you’ll find local meat, pies and sausage rolls from Eadles Farm in neighbouring Beckley village, chicken, lamb and beef from D'Oyley's Farm in Stadhampton, award-winning organic cheeses from Nettlebed Creamery, and traditional farmhouse Cotswold Butter – plus all manner of condiments and cooking sauces, baking supplies, biscuits, pantry essentials, free range eggs and milk from Oxfordshire farms and dairies. Our bread arrives each morning from Oxford’s Natural Bread Company and Degustibus artisan bakers in Abingdon.
PYO
The Rectory Farm picking season runs from April - October, starting with asparagus and finishing with pumpkins.
Our strawberries ripen up at the start of May and finish into September. Check out our PYO page to see what's in season when, and for lots of recipe ideas.
Plan your visit
Enjoy a day out at Rectory Farm picking all your favourite fruit and vegetables to take home and enjoy. Remember to bring your own punnets and carrier bags to help us reduce plastic use.
Visit the shop from March - December to stock up on kitchen essentials and all our ready-picked fruit and vegetables if you’re short on time.
rectory farm cafe
Join us for coffee and locally baked pastries, a pot of tea and a slice of homemade cake or a cool ice-cream topped with a flake.
We have both indoor seating and outdoor seating (covered and uncovered) and plenty of space for families and groups to gather and catch up over good food and drink.