Money saving ideas for Christmas in Wiltshire

We all know that Christmas can be an expensive time of year but it doesn’t have to be. Here in Wiltshire there are plenty of suggestions of things to do, events to check out and low cost activities you can do to help save the pennies over the coming weeks. Here are some of our suggestions…

Visit a local nature reserve

Escape from the mayhem at one of Wiltshire’s nature reserves. Try a bit of bird spotting from one of the hides at Langford Lakes or take a stroll around the meadows at Lower Moor Farm. Don’t forget to also check out the events on offer by the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust and Cotswold Water Park (often at a very low cost, or even free).

Get crafty at Trowbridge Museum

In the heart of Wiltshire’s county town, Trowbridge Museum is not only free to visit but runs a variety of arts and crafts events throughout the year from adults’ workshops to children’s fun.

Make the most of your memberships

If you are a National Trust member then make the most out of your membership over the festive period by visiting Stourhead, Lacock Abbey or Avebury Stone Circle for a winter walk. Mompesson House in the heart of Salisbury’s Cathedral Close will also be open for the Georgian House event.

English Heritage members can enjoy a visit to Stonehenge or Old Sarum – just remember to wrap up warm! You can also take a trip to Ludgershall Castle, which although is managed by English Heritage is open all year round - perfect for a stroll.

Search for treasure around the county

A great thing to do on days when you aren’t sure what to do! There are several Treasure Trails you can do around the county including ones in key tourist locations such as Salisbury and Marlborough through to smaller villages such as Ramsbury. What’s more, the trails are less than £10 – so a great low cost activity for all the family.

Journey to the ‘lost’ village of Imber

At several times of the year, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) open up the access roads across Salisbury Plain to allow people to visit the village of Imber. For those of you that don’t know about Imber, it was evacuated by the MOD during the Second World War and was used as a training area, due to its remote location on Salisbury Plain. To this day the military still use the area for training purposes hence why it’s only open to the general public a limited amount. The Churches Conservation Trust allow visits into St Giles’ Church, where you can learn more about Imber’s past.

Take a trip to some of Wiltshire's art galleries

If you enjoy art then make a trip to some of our art galleries, many of which are free to visit including Fisherton Mill and the Swindon Museum & Art Gallery. If you fancy treating yourself, most of the galleries also sell pieces or prints of the artwork.

We hope we’ve given you a taster of some of the things you can do here in Wiltshire at low cost. Don’t forget to check out our what’s on pages as well for forthcoming events and if you fancy making a break of it, be sure to look through our special offers on places to stay.