Santa to welcome visitors to his Hellfire Grotto until Christmas
Elves, presents, lights, and sweets... all to be expected, with a special guest appearance
The Hellfire Caves in West Wycombe are embracing the festive season with their third annual Santa's Grotto, with a Christmas magic underground.
The interactive event combines festive fun with the historic charm of the caves, creating an enchanting environment for visitors of all ages.
Speaking about the event, Holly, one of the team members who also plays an elf, shared: "At the moment at the caves, we are open throughout December exclusively for our Santa's Grotto event.
"It’s an event where you sort of, you come and the elves take you around the caves. There’s a bit of a story that we follow, and at the end, we get to Father Christmas standing in the gates."
The team has worked hard to ensure the experience appeals to everyone.
Holly explained how the event balances the magical element for younger children with a storyline that keeps older children engaged.
Ray, the manager of the Hellfire Caves, said: "It’s a fun opportunity to bring younger children to the caves because it’s like the least scary we ever have it.
"A lot of the time, particularly over Halloween, we really lean into the whole haunted, creepy cave thing. Whereas at Christmas, it’s very much about the magical grotto element."
This year, the team has gone a step further to enhance the interactive nature of the experience. Alongside Santa and the elves, the Grinch has been introduced as a resident character...
"The Grinch is sort of fun scary rather than the Halloween scary that we do, which is a whole other thing," Holly explained. "It’s a good way of having that element of spook without it being actually scary, because we’re having such young children."
The Grinch’s playful antics are carefully tailored to the audience, ensuring a positive experience.
Ray described how the actors adapt their performances to suit the visitors. "Think more Jim Carrey type," she said. "A little bit silly, pulling faces, but it helps the experience. I think it helps the kids get a little bit strong as well because they get to sort of point back at the tension and tell him off, which I think builds up a lot of confidence."