There are Christmases you remember.
The ones where everyone is squeezed around the same table, the fire is glowing, somebody has had one glass of wine too many, the children are still awake at midnight and nobody really wants the evening to end.
Now imagine doing all of that in your own castle. Not visiting one for the afternoon. Not staying in one tiny room while the rest of the building is closed off. Taking the whole thing.
For Christmas.
Welcome to Christmas at Augill Castle.
Is there a castle in the UK you can stay in for Christmas?
Yes. You really can spend Christmas in a castle.
At Augill Castle, you can take the castle exclusively for yourselves and turn it into your own rather extraordinary Christmas house party.
There are ten bedrooms sleeping up to 20 adults (and an additional 6 bedrooms may be available for an additional 12 guests on request), roaring fires, Christmas trees reaching towards the ceilings, a baby grand piano, a little library cinema, a conservatory bar and a dining room made for long lunches that somehow become dinner.
And four chimneys. Which means Father Christmas has options.
For three days over Christmas, Augill is yours. There are no other guests, no strangers wandering into breakfast and no reason whatsoever to put your shoes on unless you fancy going outside.
Just your family and friends, together under one very big roof.
Christmas at Augill Castle starts on Christmas Eve
The beauty of taking a castle for Christmas is that the celebrations don’t have to begin on Christmas morning.
They can start as soon as you arrive. Imagine arriving on Christmas Eve and finding the fires already glowing. Coat off, drink poured, bags abandoned upstairs.
Perhaps there is afternoon tea in the castle before everyone settles in. Maybe you’ll head out for a winter walk around the grounds, meet the sheep and come back to mulled drinks and find someone has started playing the piano.
There might be carols. There might be supper.
There will almost certainly be somebody saying, “I can’t believe we’re actually spending Christmas in a castle.”
And that’s before Christmas Day has even started.
Christmas Day in your own castle
Christmas morning is for presents.
And Bucks Fizz.
And a breakfast big enough to justify having a lie down afterwards.
There is something rather lovely about knowing you don’t have to be anywhere. No rushing around the motorway. No getting everyone into the car. No deciding which house you’re going to visit and watching the clock because you’ve promised to be somewhere else at three.
You’re already there.
The whole castle is yours.
Later comes Christmas lunch. The sort that starts with “shall we just have a little drink first?” and eventually becomes an afternoon-long affair.
The dining room fills with conversation, plates and bottles. The fire keeps going. Nobody is in a hurry.
And then, eventually, somebody sits down at the piano. There may be singing. There may be a few brave attempts at carols before things take a turn towards everyone’s favourite songs.
And when everyone finally admits they can’t possibly eat another thing, there is always the traditional late-night rummage through the leftovers.
Because Christmas dinner is never quite finished on Christmas Day.
Boxing Day at Augill
Boxing Day begins with a slow brunch.
There is no alarm clock. No need to get dressed particularly smartly. No expectation that anyone should do anything at all.
But after a couple of days indoors, you may fancy some fresh air.
Augill Castle sits in the Eden Valley, surrounded by the sort of countryside that makes a Boxing Day walk feel like exactly what you need. Pull on your boots, head out into the winter landscape and let everyone work off at least one of those mince pies.
Then return to the castle.
Back to the fires. Back to the bar. Back to more delicious dinner.
And another evening together.
By this point, you’ll have settled into your very own rhythm. Which is precisely why there will probably be a few reluctant goodbyes on the 27th.
Christmas in a castle for up to 20 people
Christmas at Augill is designed for groups who want to be together.
You can bring up to 20 adults and have exclusive use of ten bedrooms and the whole castle.
And if your group is a little larger, an additional six bedrooms may be available for up to another 12 guests on request.
So whether this is a big family Christmas, a gathering of friends who don’t get to see each other often enough, or simply an excuse to get everyone you love under one roof, Augill gives you the space to actually spend time together.
Not just Christmas dinner together.
Three whole days together.
Christmas in a castle: choose how much you want to do
We know that Christmas is wonderful.
We also know that Christmas can involve an astonishing amount of work.
Shopping. Planning. Lists. Cooking. More lists. Forgetting something. Going back to the shops. Wondering whether you’ve bought enough potatoes. Realising you haven’t.
So for Christmas 2026, we’ve made things a little easier.
There are two ways to take the castle.
Christmas in a Box – £9,000
For up to 20 adults sharing ten bedrooms, you can arrive to find the festive essentials already taken care of.
The bar will be stocked.
Your food will be prepared and ready to cook.
You simply follow the instructions, cook everything in your own time and eat whenever you fancy it.
You aren’t tied to a timetable and you don’t have to spend the weeks before Christmas doing the food shop for 20 people.
There will also be somebody on hand throughout your stay should you need any help.
Otherwise, we leave you to it.
It’s Christmas in a box… in a castle.
Do-It-Yourself Christmas – £7,900
Prefer to bring your own food, your own drinks and do everything exactly your own way?
That’s absolutely fine too.
For £7,900, you can have exclusive use of Augill Castle for up to 20 adults across ten bedrooms.
The castle will be made up and ready for you, with linen and bedding provided and logs ready for the fires.
You bring the sustenance. We’ll provide the castle.
How much does it cost to spend Christmas in a castle?
For Christmas 2026, exclusive use of Augill Castle for up to 20 adults is:
£9,000 – Christmas in a Box
Prepared food ready to cook, a stocked bar and support available throughout your stay.
£7,900 – Fully self catered
The castle prepared for your arrival, with linen, bedding and logs for the fires. You bring everything else.
Both options include exclusive use of the castle for up to 20 adults in ten bedrooms.
Additional accommodation for up to 12 more guests may be available on request.
Who wouldn’t want to spend Christmas like this?
Maybe you’ve spent years trying to coordinate three generations of family across several houses.
Maybe your friendship group has reached the stage where getting everyone in the same room once a year feels like a logistical triumph.
Maybe you’re simply wondering whether, this year, you could do Christmas differently.
Because that’s the thing about Christmas at Augill.
You aren’t booking a Christmas package. You’re taking a perfectly imperfect 19th castle and making Christmas your own.
There will be presents under the tree. There will be food. There will be drinks.
There will probably be a lot of laughter.
And there will be that slightly surreal moment when you look around and realise that, for three days, this is your castle.
Ready to spend Christmas in a castle?
Christmas 2026 at Augill Castle is available exclusively to one group, with space for up to 20 adults across ten bedrooms, with 6 extra bedrooms available if needed. Children are welcome in adults rooms or we have a sharing suite, Derwent & Raisbeck.
There is already a booking between Christmas and New Year, so if you’re dreaming of bringing everyone together this Christmas, now is the time to start talking to the people who need to be persuaded.
Because there aren’t many Christmas cards you can send that begin:
“So… what do you think about spending Christmas in a castle?”
And once you’ve said it out loud, we’re not sure you’ll want to go back to ordinary Christmas.
Plan your Christmas at Augill Castle
Ready to make Christmas your own?
If you’re sitting there thinking that Christmas in a castle sounds like exactly the sort of thing your family or friends would talk about for years, we’d love to hear from you.
Christmas at Augill is about taking the castle and making it yours. There isn’t a prescribed itinerary or a timetable you have to follow. You arrive, unpack, light the fires, pour the drinks and settle in. The rest is up to you.
You can find out more about Christmas at Augill including the two exclusive-use options for Christmas 2026 by giving owner Wendy a call on 017683 41937 or dropping her an email to office@stayincastle.com – take a look at staying at Augill Castle to get a feel for the rooms and spaces you’ll have to yourselves.
And when you’ve eaten your way through Christmas Day and need some fresh air, there are miles of beautiful countryside waiting beyond the front door. Explore our guide to walking in Cumbria or discover more ideas for things to do near Augill Castle.
Then all that’s left is to gather your favourite people, open the group chat and ask the question:
“So… what do you think about spending Christmas in a castle?”
We have a feeling you’ll know the answer.
Christmas in a Castle FAQs
Can you stay in a castle in the UK for Christmas?
Yes. Augill Castle offers exclusive-use Christmas stays, allowing one group to take over the entire castle for Christmas.
How many people can stay at Augill Castle for Christmas?
Christmas 2026 can accommodate up to 20 adults across ten bedrooms. An additional six bedrooms for up to 12 more guests may be available on request.
How much does Christmas at Augill Castle cost?
For 2026, exclusive use is £7,900 for a fully self-catered Christmas or £9,000 for the Christmas in a Box option, for up to 20 adults sharing ten bedrooms.
Is Christmas at Augill Castle catered?
There are two options. Christmas in a Box includes prepared food ready to cook and a stocked bar, while the fully self-catered option allows you to bring your own food and drink.
Can we have Christmas lunch whenever we want?
Yes. The Christmas in a Box option is designed to give you the food prepared and ready to cook while allowing you to decide your own timings.
Is Augill Castle exclusively ours at Christmas?
Yes. Christmas at Augill is an exclusive-use stay, meaning you have the castle to yourselves for your three-day Christmas stay.
What is there to do at Augill Castle at Christmas?
You can spend your time however you like, from Christmas lunch and drinks by the fire to walks in the Eden Valley, carols around the piano, films in the library cinema and simply enjoying time together in the castle.
For more information on things to do in and around The Eden Valley and nearby Kirkby Stephen head to our blog.
