Christmas Land is back in Harrow Lodge Park from 27 November to 2 January. Walkway from £5.50, grotto £8 a child, arrival slots 4.30pm to 7.50pm, book ahead.

Christmas Land is on this year. Mind in Havering, Barking and Dagenham brings its lights walkway back to Harrow Lodge Park, Hornchurch RM11 1JU, from Friday 27 November 2026 to Saturday 2 January 2027, and tickets are already on sale: the late-November nights were open to book when we checked the charity’s booking calendar on 8 October. The charity says more than 32,000 people came in 2025.

The quick answer

  • Dates: 27 November 2026 to 2 January 2027
  • Where: Harrow Lodge House, Harrow Lodge Park, Hornchurch RM11 1JU, next to Harrow Lodge Leisure Centre. Use the Hornchurch Road entrance
  • Walkway: from £5.50 a person, under-2s free, no concessions. You book an arrival slot between 4.30pm and 7.50pm, then stay as long as you like
  • Santa’s Grotto: £8 a child, wrapped gift included, booked separately, on 23 dates between 27 November and Christmas Eve
  • SEN-friendly evening: Monday 7 December, fewer people and quieter music
  • Booking: christmasland.co.uk; the charity “strongly” advises booking ahead

What it is, and what it is not

Christmas Land is a fundraiser for the local Mind. Harrow Lodge House, the old building in the park, is lit up, and a lights walkway runs through the “Secret Garden” beside it with “thousands of stunning lights, decorations and Christmas scenes”. There is a Santa’s Grotto and a drinks hut selling mulled wine, German beer and soft drinks, and the charity says food and refreshments are served nightly.

The charity is blunt on one point: “this is NOT a fun fair!” There are no rides. Come for a walk round the lights, a drink and, if you book it, a few minutes with Santa.

Walkway tickets and arrival times

You buy an arrival time, not an entry window. Slots run every 20 minutes: 4.30pm, 4.50pm, 5.10pm, 5.30pm, 5.50pm, 6.10pm, 6.30pm, 6.50pm, 7.10pm, 7.30pm and 7.50pm. Once you are in, you can stay as long as you wish. The charity asks that everyone on a booking arrives at the gate together, warns there may still be a short queue, and says tickets cannot be transferred.

  • Price: from £5.50 a person; the booking site shows the price for each night
  • Under-2s: free, no ticket needed
  • Concessions: none
  • Refunds: none, unless the charity cancels the night, when you can claim a refund or donate the fee

Santa’s Grotto dates

The grotto is £8 per child and includes a wrapped present, sorted by age (0 to 3, 3 to 5, 6 to 8 and 9 and over). Adults do not pay, but every child, babies included, needs a ticket. You can take your own photographs.

Santa is in on these dates:

  • November: 27, 28 and 29
  • December: 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24

The grotto is not inside the walkway and has its own signposted queue, with a covered area. The charity allows about five minutes per family, so the time you book is approximate. No more than six children are in the grotto at once.

SEN-friendly evening

On Monday 7 December there are SEN-friendly walkway sessions with arrival slots at 6.10pm, 6.30pm, 6.50pm, 7.10pm, 7.30pm and 7.50pm. Fewer tickets are sold and the music is turned down. An SEN-friendly grotto runs the same evening, also £8 a child.

Dogs

Dogs are not allowed in the walkway or the grotto, except assistance dogs and on two dog-friendly nights. The charity’s site mentions the two nights but does not yet name the dates; we will add them when it does.

Getting there and parking

Harrow Lodge Park is large and the charity is clear about the route in: come to the Hornchurch Road entrance. Do not use the Abbs Cross Lane or Upper Rainham Road entrances, which mean “walking through a very dark park”.

There is a free public car park next to Christmas Land with some disabled bays, but the charity warns it “may get full quickly” and asks visitors to use public transport where they can. Our parking in Romford page has the council car parks and charges across the borough, and the roadworks and travel page has the closures to plan around.

The site is wheelchair and buggy friendly. There is a toilet on site, and the charity asks visitors not to use the leisure centre’s toilets unless they are members. A baby changing area is available on request.

The rules worth knowing before you go

  • No alcohol brought in; the drinks hut runs Challenge 25
  • No fireworks, sky lanterns, flares or drones
  • No smoking or vaping in the walkway, grotto or enclosed areas
  • Do not touch or climb on the lights and structures
  • The charity warns the flashing lights may not suit people with epilepsy

The charity is also running a Christmas jackpot draw at £2.50 a ticket for a £500 prize, which Santa draws on Christmas Eve.

Other places to see Santa

The Mercury in Romford town centre runs its own walk-in grotto; dates and prices are on our Santa’s grotto page. For Christmas fairs and markets across Havering, see our Christmas markets page, and for the town centre switch-ons, the Christmas lights page.

Sources