A new interactive map has revealed the locations of the most impressive Christmas light displays in Britain.
But the map doesn’t pay any attention to town or city centre displays. Instead, it champions the efforts Britain’s residents have gone to in bringing twinkling festive cheer to their streets.
In total, 200 dazzling spots have been pinpointed, from Cornwall to the Isle of Skye – and here we present picture evidence that these displays are definitely worth a detour on your drive home for Christmas.
The map was put together by car buying comparison site Carwow, which used social media and local news stories to find the ‘most extravagant, impressive and downright festive house and street displays in the UK’.
Among the places charted on the map is the small village of Westfield in East Sussex, where around 30 homeowners deck out their properties in a kaleidoscope of lights in aid of St Michael’s Hospice. The lights shine every evening in December from 6pm.
Another spot making the list is a house in Trent Close in Bideford, Devon, which boasts 60 decorations using 47 household plug sockets that attracted 200 people to its switch-on last month.
In Cornwall, a home in Queen’s Crescent, Bodmin, is on the map thanks to its stunning arrangements, which take months to plan and in the past have included a Santa’s grotto.
A house in Westfield, East Sussex, adorned in Christmas lights. Around 30 homeowners deck out their properties in a kaleidoscope of lights in aid of St Michael’s Hospice
A house in Trent Close in Bideford, Devon, which boasts 60 decorations using 47 household plug sockets
In Cornwall, a home in Queen’s Crescent, Bodmin, pictured, is on the map thanks to its stunning festive arrangement
It takes the homeowner in Queen’s Crescent months to plan the annual festive display in his front garden
The house in Bodmin features a Santa’s grotto, Santa’s sleigh and a special post box children can use to post letters to Father Christmas
The lights on five houses in Alpha Road in Brentwood, Essex, are also mapped with Carwow saying they have to be ‘seen to be believed’. The display features 1,000 LEDs displaying effects synchronised to Christmas and pop music.
A home owned by the Woods family on Longdykes Road in Prestonpans, Scotland, makes it on to the map as it is currently adorned with more than 10,000 Christmas lights.
Another festive spot is Amberley Drive in the Hangleton area of Brighton. One family home there features ‘waterfalls, wishing wells, giant Santas and reindeer’.
The Woods family home on Longdykes Road in Prestonpans, Scotland, which is adorned each year with more than 10,000 Christmas lights
A family home featuring wishing wells, giant Santas and reindeer in Amberley Drive in the Hangleton area of Brighton
Vix Leyton from Carwow said: ‘We created this map of all of the best houses decorated to redefine the phrase ‘taking the scenic route’. Pictured is a house in Welling, south east London
A home in Hickling, Norfolk, which puts on a Christmas light and music display, with each show lasting 30 minutes
Vix Leyton from Carwow said: ‘Forget everything you thought you knew about Christmas light displays.
‘The festive spirit isn’t about the glitz and glamour of Oxford Street, the accolades belong to the true labours of love – the person who has erected an eight-foot-high Santa in their front garden, or the pensioner who climbs onto the roof of his house every year to put up a light display to raise money for his local church.
‘Whether you’re driving home for Christmas or just looking for a little bit of sparkle on your daily commute, you’re not going to find what you’re looking for on the M25.
‘While the big-budget official routes are good looking, you have to go off-road to really experience the wonder of Christmas. We created this map of all of the best houses decorated to redefine the phrase “taking the scenic route”.’
To view the map and find out more visit www.carwow.co.uk/blog/the-best-residential-christmas-lights.