Spectacle of Light comes to Welford Park

A special installation trail has taken over the historic grounds of Welford Park this autumn, bringing in visitors keen to experience its unique spectacle of light and sound.

Spectacle of Light is a new event running from mid-October to mid-November this year that promises to provide a “magical after-dark experience for all the family”.

It is a trail through the estate grounds that is illuminated by several light displays and installations, some of which are completely unique to Welford.

There are also plenty of food and drink outlets along the trail that visitors can enjoy, including a horsebox serving hot chocolate, a food village filled with plenty of food retailers and a bar, all of which are under cover just in case the weather takes a turn for the worse.

The Spectacle of Light event was the brainchild of Will Puxley and his wife Nikki who have been getting the project together over the past two years and are hoping it will become an annual occurrence.

Mr Puxley, heir to the Welford estate, said: “It’s been our first year doing it and it’s a brand new event for Welford.

“We’re halfway through and the first two weeks have been fantastic. We’ve been welcoming many, many visitors, most of them local.”

The Puxleys looked at light shows at other places such as Kew Gardens and Blenheim Palace and wanted to bring that experience to West Berkshire.

They partnered with Spectacle of Light, a DB partnership production, to do this.

“Nikki and I have been looking at how other estates are diversifying and we are in a handover period at the moment with my parents,” Mr Puxley said.

“Farming is at the core of what we do at Welford, but events like this are seriously good ways to diversify and they bring a lot of business into the local area, whether that’s getting people into pubs or hotels, or by us using local suppliers.”

Local businesses at the event include Fink, a social enterprise street food and events caterer serving Middle Eastern food, and Tutts Clump Cider.

Tickets for Spectacle of Light at Welford Park are available at https://rebrand.ly/l2i4x40

The event runs until November 12, and it is open Thursday to Sunday, 5pm to 9.30pm.