Millets Farm's grotto opens 14 November from £29.50 for two. Santa trains run at Didcot and Wallingford, and Wantage has a £6 Santa visit on 4 December.

There are four places near Abingdon where children can meet Father Christmas this year with dates and booking details already published, plus a visit in the town centre on Extravaganza day: a grotto at Millets Farm, two heritage railways running Santa days, and Wantage’s Dickensian evening. The Millets grotto starts first, on Saturday 14 November, and runs to Christmas Eve. Everything below comes from the organisers’ own pages, read on 25 September 2026. The busy December weekends sell out, so book early.

The quick answer

  • Webbs Christmas Grotto, Millets Farm, Frilford: 14 November to 24 December, from £29.50 for one adult and one child.
  • Santa trains: Didcot Railway Centre on 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 22 and 23 December; the Cholsey and Wallingford Railway’s Santa Express from 28 November, £24 to £28 a ticket.
  • Cheapest: Father Christmas at Wantage’s Vale and Downland Museum on Friday 4 December, £6 a child, 4pm to 8pm, booked in advance.

Compare the four

Where Dates Price Booking
Webbs grotto, Millets Farm, Frilford OX13 5HB 14 Nov to 24 Dec £29.50 (1 adult, 1 child) to £94.50 (2 adults, 4 children) Online, Webbs
Steam Into Christmas, Didcot Railway Centre OX11 7NJ 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 22, 23 Dec Not yet published Online, timed arrival
Santa Express, Cholsey and Wallingford Railway OX10 9GQ 28, 29 Nov; 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 to 22 Dec £24 to £28 each; under-2s £5 Advance booking essential
Father Christmas, Vale and Downland Museum, Wantage Fri 4 Dec, 4pm to 8pm £6 per child Advance, online

Webbs Christmas Grotto at Millets Farm

The grotto is run by Webbs Garden Centres in two large barns behind the garden centre at Millets Farm, Kingston Road, Frilford, OX13 5HB. Families walk through five themed rooms before a one-to-one visit with Santa and a family photo, then a festive activity and a gift for every child. A visit takes around 45 minutes (Webbs grotto booking page).

Opening times

  • Saturdays 14 November to 19 December: 9.30am to 5.30pm
  • Sundays 15 November to 20 December: 10am to 4pm
  • Monday 30 November, Thursday 3, Tuesday 8 and Wednesday 9 December: 2pm to 5.30pm
  • Monday 7 December: 9.30am to 5.30pm
  • Weekdays Thursday 10 to Wednesday 23 December: 9.30am to 5.30pm
  • Christmas Eve, Thursday 24 December: 9.30am to 3.30pm

Prices

Ticket Price
1 adult and 1 child or baby £29.50
2 adults and 2 children £55.50
2 adults and 3 children £75.00
2 adults and 4 children £94.50
Extra adult / child / baby (12 months and under) £6.50 / £19.50 / £8.50

You must pick a family ticket first; extra people cannot be booked on their own. Webbs says this year’s Santas are professional actors aged over 50 wearing theatrical beards, because Santas with real beards have become hard to find for a full season.

Steam Into Christmas, Didcot Railway Centre

The Great Western Society’s museum at Didcot Parkway runs Steam Into Christmas on 5 and 6, 12 and 13, and 19, 20, 22 and 23 December. Children get a passport and a Christmas stocking on arrival, hunt for Santa’s “missing reindeer” at stations around the site, collect a small gift at each, and finish in Santa’s toy workshop, where they choose a present. The ticket includes unlimited train rides on the demonstration line.

Gates open at 9.30am, you book a timed arrival, and the centre suggests allowing two to three hours; it closes at 4pm. There are no discounts for Great Western Society members’ children, and carers now pay a small charge (Steam Into Christmas). Prices were not shown on the page when we checked.

Santa Express, Cholsey and Wallingford Railway

A one-hour diesel-hauled train ride with Santa’s elves and a visit from Father Christmas, with a present for every child. Adults get a festive drink and mince pie before departure, children a soft drink and a sweet treat. All passengers board at Wallingford (Hithercroft Road, OX10 9GQ), where parking is limited and first come, first served (Santa Express).

Dates Departures Price (adults and children over 2)
28 and 29 November 11am, 12.45pm, 2.30pm, 4.15pm £24
5 and 6 December 11am, 12.45pm, 2.30pm, 4.15pm £26
12 and 13 December 11am, 12.45pm, 2.30pm, 4.15pm, 6pm £26
19, 20, 21 and 22 December 11am, 12.45pm, 2.30pm, 4.15pm, 6pm £28

Children under two are £5.

Wantage Dickensian Night, Friday 4 December

The cheapest visit in the district is part of Wantage’s Dickensian evening, Friday 4 December, 4pm to 9pm. Father Christmas is at the Vale and Downland Museum from 4pm to 8pm, at £6 per child, with a small gift and a photo opportunity. You must book in advance online. The same evening the parish church has stalls from 6pm to 9pm and the museum has live music, a tombola and market stalls (Love Wantage).

Still to be announced

  • Didcot Railway Centre’s Steam Into Christmas prices.
  • Father Christmas at Abingdon’s Christmas Extravaganza, Saturday 28 November. The Extravaganza programme lists him at the Bury Street Shopping Centre from 12.30pm to 6pm, with times it says are subject to change, and it gives no price. The rest of the day is on our Christmas lights switch-on page.

For getting around in December, see parking in Abingdon, roadworks and travel and our Christmas travel page. Schools break up on different days; the dates are on our term dates page.

Frequently asked questions

When does the Millets Farm Santa grotto open in 2026? Saturday 14 November, running until Christmas Eve. It opens at weekends, on four weekday afternoons and Monday 7 December, and every day from Thursday 10 December.

How much is the Millets Farm grotto? £29.50 for one adult and one child, £55.50 for two adults and two children, up to £94.50 for two adults and four children.

What is the cheapest place to see Father Christmas near Abingdon? Wantage’s Vale and Downland Museum on Friday 4 December, at £6 per child, booked in advance.

Where do you board the Cholsey and Wallingford Santa Express? At Wallingford station, Hithercroft Road, OX10 9GQ.