Enchanting Christmas displays at National Trust home near Banbury

Staff at the house, which is situated close to Edgehill, have decorated each room around a different fable and created a fun Christmas quest for children to take part in this month.

The themed rooms include the story of the fox that cried 'sour grapes’ to the vain jackdaw, who pretended to be a peacock, with plenty of colour and Christmas sparkle.

This year sees the brand new display of The Fox and the Leopard introduced, which was designed and created by retail manager at the house, Zoe Knott.

She said: “Creating the leopard took around three months, and the trickiest part was making the long tail from recycled wool rolls!

"Painting him was also a long process. I’d like to tell you how many spots he has, but I’m not sure; I’d guess about a good few hundred by the time I’d finished.

"He sits under the Christmas tree in the porcelainlobbyy, so look out for him there when you visit.”

Zoe has also created illustrations for each fable, inspired by the 18th-century fable candlesticks, which are part of Upton’s Chelsea Porcelain collection.

The house is also offering a quest for younger visitors to complete as they wander around the decorated house and outside winter walk.

The displays and Christmas quest are open to visitors from 12pm until 3pm every day until December 24. Normal admission applies, and there is a £3 per head charge for the cheeky creature Christmas quest.

For more information, visit https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/warwickshire/upton-house-and-gardens