Fort Nelson invites the public to experience a Victorian Christmas for free this December

The museum’s galleries will come to life with a cast of costumed characters preparing for the festive season at the free event on the weekend of December 17 and 18 between 10am and 4pm.

Corporal Kirk will lead the festivities, directing visitors to special places in the museum where Victorian characters will be planning the food and drink, putting up the decorations and rehearsing the entertainment, ahead of the big day. In the kitchen, Cook will have the original Aga fired up, ready to prepare the Christmas feast for the men, whilst Private Taylor will be hanging decorations to cheer up the barrack room.An officer’s wife will be busy rehearsing A Christmas Carol to entertain the troops, and in the hospital gallery, a surgeon will be caring for the wounded soldiers, hopefully nursing them back to good health in time for Christmas.

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Free craft activities for children will include making Christmas cards, paper chains and decorations, plus there’ll be a festive reindeer hunt around the Fort.

Public engagement manager, Elizabeth Puddick, said: ‘Our Victorian Christmas event is always extremely popular and this year we have even more characters on site to spread the Christmas cheer. It’s a free event so come up to the Fort and let the Victorians get you in the festive spirit for Christmas.’

Visitors can also explore the Royal Armouries’ national collection of artillery and historic cannon. Museum admission and all activities are free but visitors are encouraged to book their visit in advance at royalarmouries.org.