We have never been to the 'Christmas at Gibside' light experience before but we will definitely go again. We chose a very early slot on the 8th December and the sleet was stair rods! We were quite apprehensive about slipping however they had rubber mats in areas that required them and concrete pathways everywhere else. ( Would not like to push a Wheelchair round but Pushchairs were managing quite well!) My mobility is not brilliant but once we slowly walked around the displays you quite forgot everything else. I was transported into a magical world. The tasteful displays and music were brilliant and Father Christmas looked so splendid I wanted to cry. There were toilets and eateries in three places around the site and a lovely food / Helter Skelter hub at the end. Well worth every penny if you need cheering up. It took us about an hour to slowly walk around. I would like to point out that there is a steep bank to negotiate when you first enter but there are rails and we just took it easy.

We went yesterday with 2 grandchildren aged 13 and 7 for Christmas at Gibside. We all enjoyed it thought it was great the displays along the trail were great. Good facilities along the way toilets etc all clean. We enjoyed the food at the end of trail and some good rides for smaller children. The only negative was when we got our food there was plenty of seating, but it could of done with a few outside heaters especially as we had kids and it was really cold. We were well wrapped up for the elements but the kids felt the cold when we stopped for food. Otherwise it was a great experience and we will definitely go back..

Visit with my daughter in law and grand child 3rd Jan, nice friendly greeting on a cold damp day, provided best route for the pram. Nice walk good offer for children and walkers. Toilets warm and clean. Cafe very friendly and warm love the calories on the product shame nothing light, pleased to walk off the scone. Well done.

Lovely afternoon out with the dog. Fab little coffee shop at the stables which dogs are allowed in ..then at the side is the off lead enclosure. Rosie the retriever thoroughly enjoyed this. Will return soon.

Always a great place for walking the dog, beautiful In any weather. Really enjoyed visiting the art studios at the stableblock and chatting to the artists. What a fantastic way to use the spaces up there and a great addition to Gibside.

Nice walk but playground too small and not enough in it. Even some kind of trim trail would increase capacity. Was so busy had to wait a while for a swing then felt like rushing the children off it again and the castle was a bit dangerous as too many children on it as was little else to do.

I've just been to Gibside for the first time and had a good visit, but it could have been so much better. At reception we were given a rushed conversation which didn't really give much information. We started with a hot drink in the cafe nearest to reception and it was lovely in there. The Staff were really pleasant and helpful and it was immaculately clean. We sat outside and it was very pleasant. We decided to do the purple walk, which was the shortest. We passed some lovely gardens and apple trees, and an impressive ruined building which was described as a garden room. Views were stunning from there. We then followed the route to the Stables, another really impressive building with a cafe. The trail was uphill for a lot of the way and could be difficult for anyone with walking difficulties. I felt some of the trail could have done with more clear signage , as we took a few wrong turns because of a lack of trail signs. We ended up back at a very imposing church and the architecture inside was beautiful. This National trust property feels like it could be so much more than it is. It's set in a fantastic location but there's hardly any information about the place. We walked past a huge column, a bit like Greys monument in Newcastle. There was no sign or explanation to tell you what it was or anything about it. I came away thinking I'd need to google Gibside to find out anything about it. It would have been nice to see some enthusiastic Staff there, telling you about the property. The only enthusiastic pleasant staff were in the cafe

We went not realising it was a Heritage open day, which was brilliant because it meant free entry and lots of people on hand to give us directions etc. Despite living nearby, I've never been to Gibside, so this was a nice bonus and given we only intended spending an hour or so there it was ideal for us. We didn't take the dog, but dogs are welcome on a lead, and I think my dog would have enjoyed just going for the walk. Lots of drinking stations for them spread around. We arrived just after opening time, there was plenty of parking. My niece and nephews are under 6 so we didn't really get to do much exploring of the buildings (I will go back), so I can really only comment on the play area, low ropes, rubbing stencils, walks and of course the cafe! On arrival and once through the ticket office we were given a map and pointed in the direction of the cafe and start of the walks. At the cafe area we were greeted by a lovely lady who gave us sheets and pencils for orienteering, a tick sheet for spot the creatures and a more specific map of the walks. She was also keen to give the kids puzzles etc in the form of a castle, but I asked her to keep hold of them to save them getting wet while we went on our walk. We started off quite well with the orienteering, but once we made it to the park we pretty much ended up forgetting about it. Bearing in mind it was a pretty drizzly day, but we arrived well prepared in wellies and boots etc. The kids had a laugh, there's a good few swings, zip line, climbing logs, and a raised castle. There is a water feature (I note others have mentioned the hand pump wasn't working, but this was probably a good thing for us - it wet enough). We pretty much had the place to ourselves so it was great. There are clean toilets and picnic tables. After a while at the park, we wandered the path to find the low ropes. On the way to the low ropes there are rubbing stencils and even with damp sheets of paper we still enjoyed having a go! Again because the weather wasn't great there was only one other family at the low ropes, the kids all loved it and got pretty muddy on the way round. With all that fresh air, we were desperate for some drinks and a bite to eat. The cafe was lovely and clean, plenty of staff on hand. I had a really nice balti turnover with my coffee, and the kids had sandwiches, scones, crisps and an apple. (By the time we walked back through the park, the ice-cream stall was open and I noticed they did hot drinks too which is good to know). I think this is a great attraction which should offer something for everyone. Thanks to the staff / volunteers for making a fuss of the kids and making sure they were entertained.

We visited yesterday with my mam who is 87 and needed a wheelchair As we entered the reception to explain this immediately Les ( Les the legend as we later named him ) offered us a lift up the hill in his mobility bus. The laughter we had getting mam in a mini bus was hilarious for me and my sister. We decided to walk up to the stables oblivious of the strep hill involved, however like a man in shinning armour legend Les appeared with his magic bus to take us to the top. Again after we had looked around and decided to go back to the market place the lady in the cafe contacted our Legend via radio to come and retrieve us and take us back down. Les is a volunteer here but his passion and willingness to help with such love is incredible a massive Thankyou to this wonderful gentlemen you made our day so special x