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Among this month’s offerings at the Wallington estate are rooms in the house being dressed in festive styles from the 18th to the 20th centuries, including the 1970s and 1980s.

A team of National Trust staff and volunteers, at the site planned the themes and have spent the last two weeks decorating.

Robert Thompson, the trust’s senior collections and house officer, said: “We do hope people will enjoy the themed rooms such as the candle-lit drawing room with a projection onto the ceiling of a Georgian ball and the 1920s parlour with paper streamers and period music.

Robert Thompson puts up Patricia's tree, with vertical hanging tinsel which Patricia favoured. Picture courtesy of the National Trust.

“We used greenery from the estate to decorate the hall and dining room, something the Victorians were keen on. Plus, there’s a big Christmas tree in the hall – another Victorian addition to Christmas.

“The last family to live in the house were the Trevelyans with their six children. Christmas was very important to them, it was all about self-made quality family time and fun, and was not ostentatious at all.

“Looking at the visitors books, the children missed very few – even when they married and had their own families. They nearly always managed to come back home to Wallington to be together again.

“A truly Trevelyan Christmas started with opening stockings, knitted by Lady Trevelyan, with an orange, a sixpence and a toy for children. The few presents they exchanged were wrapped in brown paper and tied with string.

Patricia with her parents Lord and Lady Trevelyan at Wallington. Picture courtesy of the National Trust.

“There was a walk in the grounds and there were indoor games like musical chairs and pass the parcel, plus a made up one called ‘humpback zebra’. It was a type of word game which finished with a nonsense word, hence ‘humpback zebra’.

“We still put up the Christmas tree that belonged to the youngest daughter, Patricia. Visitors will see her tree standing in the Reading Room.”

At weekends, Mrs Christmas will be back with her sparkly shoes and piles of story books, while Father Christmas will be popping in too.

Visitors can also see Christmas features outside around the grounds and follow a winter trail through the woodland.

For more information about all the offerings, go to www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/north-east/wallington/christmas-wallington

Festive decorations spanning the centuries at Wallington