Early November and the tree fluffing phase is already in full swing at Saltram House. Gloved volunteers are carefully lifting any squashed needles and branches on each of the 40 artificial Christmas trees to make sure their foliage looks full and luxurious.
This is one of the first jobs that has to be done in the build-up to the busiest time of year here at Saltram, a Grade I-listed Georgian country house near Plymouth.
In just two weeks, around a thousand visitors a day will be coming through the doors of this popular National Trust property to enjoy an experience that, for many, marks the start of their Christmas.
Families from all over Devon and beyond flock here year after year to see what kind of festive magic the Saltram team has managed to pull off this time.
‘There is a certain amount of pressure,’ says visitor operations manager Olivia Meeson. ‘Saltram has got its own reputation, and families build us into their traditions. We’re often their first Christmas experience of the year.’
Planning begins a year in advance and involves Olivia and Saltram’s room designers sketching out ideas and colour schemes, all while keeping the conservation of this historic building - described as ‘the most impressive country house in Devon’ - firmly in mind.
The house recently closed its doors to the public, giving the team here exactly 18 days to make Christmas happens in Saltram’s ten rooms and grand spaces, plus the stables.
This year’s theme is a lovely brief. Lines from the classic poem The Night Before Christmas are being brought to life with sparkling and detailed displays, including a miniature mousey world, children’s bedroom, wintry forests, a festive dinner, plus Santa’s workshop, bakery and post room.
Up to 70 sets of lights (a total of 25,000 fairy lights) plus various Bluetooth speakers, bubbles, baubles, and decorations in the red, gold and green colour scheme are being used to create a magical world that will delight young and old as they make their way through the house and into the gardens. Here, there will be 17 real Christmas trees, more lights and a giant teepee.
There’s a lot to do and not really that much time to do it.
‘There’s just this amazing build up – it’s definitely my favourite time of the year,’ says Olivia, with a genuinely warm, festive glow. This will be her fifth Christmas at Saltram and she’s confident it will all come together beautifully, thanks to the hard work of her staff and volunteers, some of whom have been offering to help out here for more than 20 years.
‘Yes, it’s stressful but it’s always so worth it,’ she adds, as we move rooms to escape the sound of yet more Christmas trees being unwrapped from their protective plastic sheeting.
‘For me, it’s seeing the kids walk through and hear them saying: Wow! Look at that! That’s the kind of reaction that makes you feel like you’ve done something really special.’
Decking out this enormous space takes serious logistics - and legwork. Like most houses, most of Saltram’s decorations, props, lights etc are stored in the attic. One member of the team here recently racked up seven thousand steps in 45 minutes going up and down to get the first wave of stuff.
‘We’re a pretty well-oiled machine and we all know what needs to be done,’ says Olivia, adding that the festive tunes are already on in the office (they start with soothing instrumentals and then work up to Mariah Carey and Slade). ‘There’s a process we go through as soon as the house closes,’ Olivia continues. ‘The first two days are spent moving the collection, making sure everything is safely out of the way. Then it’s tree unwrapping and building [and fluffing].
'And baubles should be hung in odd numbers because it’s better visually. After the trees are done, we have to make small parts of the story and then bring it all together.’
We’re in the way again. Some volunteers are trying to assemble a small bed in the Velvet Drawing Room, currently being turned into a children’s bedroom to illustrate one of the lines in the Night Before Christmas poem.
In the adjoining saloon – a fine example of the work of famous architect Robert Adam – prep work has already started to turn the enormous and ornate space into a temporary forest. We walk through just as the carpet is about to be covered.
‘We did a snowy forest in here in 2021 and people really loved it,’ says Olivia. ‘It tends to be the room that people spend the most time in.’
She lets on that this, the largest and most historically significant area of the house, is the one she finds the most daunting to decorate. But original features are protected or removed well before the excited masses set foot in what will be a winter wonderland in about ten days’ time.
Is it nerve-wracking when those first visitors arrive?
‘It’s a tense moment,’ says Olivia. ‘You’re just waiting for people to come through because you really want to see what they think. There’s always feedback - and we welcome that.’
Visitor experience has shown that the more festive sparkle here, the better. This year’s offering includes the full works – stockings, presents everywhere, elves, candy canes, snow. Olivia is delighted.
‘I’ve always loved Christmas, I think you have to to do this job,’ she says, confirming that the magic doesn’t wear off – she still gets the decs down at home. ‘Work does tend to creep into home life a bit and I do come back with a few ideas. Although, we just have the one tree!’
nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/devon/saltram
