Free Santa’s grotto & face painting

FAQs

• How much does it cost?

  It’s totally free to visit, meet Santa and get your faces painted (for kids anyway!). But if you do have a few spares pounds and pence, please donate to our charity Forget Me Not children’s hospice.

• I'm a bit worried about crowds and space - can I still visit?

  Yes of course, we want everyone to come. We locate our grotto on the Gullwing in the Christmas zone which is a large open air location with a high roof to help protect form the weather. So lots of space and fresh air and protection from the rain (and snow) too.

• When's the quietest time to visit?

  It’s hard to 100% say, but Thursdays 4-6pm and after 2pm Sundays are usually the quietest.

• Do the kids meet Santa inside the grotto and sit on his knee etc?

  To give everyone a bit of space and make sure everyone feels comfy, Santa will be ready to greet each child/group at the door to his grotto rather than inside. It also means you can get some great group pictures as well as one-to-ones.

• Can kids bring Santa letters, lists and gifts?

  Absolutely! Although not too many mince pies and defo no sherry – he’s on duty 😉 But yes, please bring letters and he’ll use his magic to get them on their way.

• I've got kids in pushchairs and wheelchairs, can I get access?

  Yes of course, no problem. The Christmas zone is large and flat and right next to the lifts that take you form the car park and Sainsbury’s up to the main mall level, so no problem at all. There’s also loads of space for pushchairs and wheelchairs meaning you can easily get right up to Santa by the grotto for a chat and pictures.

• I've got a few questions, what should I do?

  Please just visit our contact us page and drop us a line.