A magical Christmas grotto awaits youngsters at Penshurst Place this winter.

The traditional grotto aims to provide a chance for children to experience festive fun from bygone years and a taste of Christmas from a more innocent time.

Trees festooned with giant baubles lining the pathway will greet them on Lime Walk, leading up to Santa’s Toy Workshop, which can be found in the Old Stable.

Children can take part in Christmas crafts and activities including helping to decorate the tree, and quizzes, or have their face painted and making decorations and cards to take home.

Christmas fairies will be on hand to entertain them and guide families as they tour Santa’s favourite spots around Penshurst Place.

There will be a behind-the-scenes peek at Santa’s Study, which will be in the Garden Tower, so little ones can see where Father Christmas works on his toy designs and gets everything ready in the run-up to his present deliveries.

The tour then leads to a tiny blue door hidden underneath the historic house behind which is Father Christmas’s secret Penshurst office, full of cubby holes, magic doors and passageways leading to the Reindeer Stables, Toy Factory and Elves' Workshop. Here, the man himself will be waiting in his sleigh to greet each child, before handing out a candy cane and small present.

The grotto experience will be open on Saturday, November 24 and Sunday, November 25 and the following weekend, Saturday, December 1 and Sunday, December 2, before opening from Saturday, December 8 to Saturday, December 22, from 10.30am to 6pm. Tickets are £14.50, with up to two adults accompanying each child free. Many tickets have been snapped up rapidly, but there are tickets available for weekdays.

Last year's Narnia-themed experience sold out in days.

The gift shop will also be open and the adventure playground will be available to play on.

To buy tickets, click here.