Santa's grottos around Epsom for 2026: Bourne Hall's Saturday Santa slots are £3 a child, Hobbledown opens 28 November from £27, Ashtead Park is £17.

The cheapest way to see Father Christmas in Epsom and Ewell is the council’s grotto at Bourne Hall, Ewell. For 2026 it runs from 28 November to 19 December, and the Saturday sessions with Santa on 5, 12 and 19 December are bookable now at £3 a child, up from £1 last year.

Updated 3 October: Bourne Hall has published its 2026 grotto dates and opened booking for the Saturday Santa slots at £3 a child.

Three other grottos near Epsom have already put 2026 dates on sale, and prices run from £12.50 to £30 a child. One familiar option is gone: the Ashley Centre cancelled its grotto last year.

The quick answer

  • Cheapest: Bourne Hall, Ewell. Grotto open 28 November to 19 December; Saturday Santa slots on 5, 12 and 19 December, £3 a child, booked online.
  • Biggest: Hobbledown, Horton Lane. 28 November to 24 December 2026, from £27 a child early bird, with park entry included.
  • Garden centre: Ashtead Park. 5, 6 and 12 December, £17 a child, adults free, book ahead.

The grottos compared

Grotto 2026 dates Child price Booking
Bourne Hall, Ewell 28 Nov to 19 Dec; Santa on Sat 5, 12, 19 Dec £3 on the Santa Saturdays (£1 in 2025) Saturdays booked online
Hobbledown, Epsom 28 Nov to 24 Dec From £30, £27 early bird Online
Ashtead Park Garden Centre 5, 6 and 12 Dec £17 In advance only
The Children’s Trust, Tadworth Sat 28 Nov, 1pm to 6pm £12.50 to £20 Via the charity
Ashley Centre, Epsom No grotto in 2025 n/a n/a

Bourne Hall, Ewell

The council-run grotto in Bourne Hall, Spring Street, Ewell, is the local bargain. Its 2025 listing set out how it worked:

  • Grand opening on Saturday 29 November 2025, 4pm to 5pm and 6pm to 7.30pm. £1 a person, card only, at the door, first come first served.
  • Pre-booked Saturdays on 6, 13 and 20 December, £1 a child, in time slots booked online.
  • Weekdays, Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm, free entry to see the grotto, take photos and post a letter to Santa. Santa himself was there on the Saturdays.

The listing called the opening day “Friday 29th November” in one line and “Saturday 29th November” in the next. 29 November 2025 was a Saturday.

For 2026, Bourne Hall’s events page lists Santa’s Grotto from 28 November to 19 December, opening on the day of its Christmas light switch-on, Saturday 28 November, 3pm to 6.30pm. The Saturday “Meet Santa” sessions are on its Sessami booking pages:

  • Saturday 5, 12 and 19 December, slots at 10am, 11am, 1pm and 2pm (an hour each) and a half-hour slot at 3pm. £3 a child. Book: 5 December, 12 December, 19 December.
  • Bourne Hall says each child gets at least five minutes with Santa, a bag of Haribo sweets, and the chance to post a wish list to the North Pole. Arrive by the start of your slot to join the queue.
  • Slots are small, 12 children an hour, so the popular ones will go.

Weekday opening times and any charge for the switch-on day have not been published. The contact given last year was Bourne Hall on 020 8393 9571.

Hobbledown, Horton Lane

Santa’s Secret Village at Hobbledown runs from 28 November to 24 December 2026 at Hobbledown, Horton Lane, Epsom KT19 8PT. Early bird tickets are on sale now.

  • Santa’s Grotto: about an hour through Santa’s Post Office, the Toy Distribution Centre and the Enchanted Forest, ending with Santa. From £30 a child, £27 early bird, with a gift from Santa and a surprise from the elves. Adult tickets from £14.40.
  • Toddler Santa Experience, for children up to five: about 40 minutes, from £25, £22.50 early bird. Adult tickets from £13.50.
  • Both tickets include full Hobbledown admission for the day, with the play villages, play barn and animals.
  • The 10 per cent early bird discount does not apply on 12, 13, 19, 20 or 21 December, and Hobbledown says it can withdraw the offer at any time.

Ashtead Park Garden Centre

Santa’s Christmas Pudding Grotto runs on 5, 6 and 12 December 2026 only. Children go inside a giant Christmas pudding for a chat with Santa, photos and an early present. An elf hunt form is included, with a small prize.

Tickets are £17 a child, and adults go free. They must be booked in advance. The garden centre is on 01372 273891.

The Children’s Trust, Tadworth

The brain injury charity runs a Santa’s Grotto at Tadworth Court on Saturday 28 November 2026, 1pm to 6pm, just over the borough boundary. Children hear a story from Mrs Claus and the elves, write a letter to Santa and make a decoration before meeting him. Slots cost £12.50 to £20, and the money goes to the charity’s work with children with brain injury and neurodisability. Contact events@thechildrenstrust.org.uk.

Ashley Centre

The Ashley Centre in Epsom town centre cancelled its grotto in November 2025 “for operational reasons” and refunded booked tickets. Instead Santa did a meet-and-greet in the centre at set times, handing out free gifts while stocks lasted. The centre has not said what it will do this year.

More Christmas in Epsom

Still to be confirmed

  • Bourne Hall’s weekday grotto hours and whether the switch-on day opening is free.
  • The Ashley Centre’s plans for Christmas 2026.

Sources: Epsom and Ewell Borough Council what’s on listings (Bourne Hall grotto 2025, 2024; Children’s Trust grotto 2026); Bourne Hall upcoming events; Hobbledown; Ashtead Park Garden Centre; Ashley Centre. Checked 25 September 2026; Bourne Hall and its Sessami booking pages re-checked 3 October 2026.