The Englefield Estate’s festive Snowman Trail marks its fifth birthday this year, giving families another opportunity to enjoy a winter walk through the Estate’s woodlands.

The event, which has become a regular part of the Christmas calendar, will run from 18th December 2025 to 5th January 2026. A total of 20 wooden snowmen will be located throughout the woods near Mortimer, Mortimer West End, Ufton Nervet and Burghfield Common, designed by a combination of schools and community groups local to the areas.

The Estate’s forestry team launched the Snowman Trail back in 2021, after a spur-of-the-moment suggestion sparked their imagination.

Richard Edwards, Englefield Estate’s Forestry Manager said: “We were making small snowmen out of branches for a festive event that year, and one of our foresters, Rob Allen, said ‘wouldn’t it be cool to make a bigger version to go in the woodland?’.

“I thought it was a great idea, but we didn’t stop with just one – I realised this could be a great opportunity to work with the community on a fun project.”

For that first trail in 2021, schools were given paper templates to add their designs to, which the forestry team then painted onto the wooden snowmen. From shaping and drying the wood to painting each figure and positioning them throughout the woodlands, every stage had to be completed within a very limited timeframe.

In the years since, the snowmen have been hand delivered to the schools and community groups for painting, before being returned to the Estate and set up in the woodlands.

Walkers following this year’s trail can spot the snowmen using an interactive map, due for release on 17th December 2025. Keep an eye on the Estate’s Facebook, Instagram and X pages to be the first to know when it goes live.

Richard said: “We’ve been really pleased with the response to the Snowman Trail ever since it was launched in 2021. It’s wonderful to see the variety of artwork produced every year, from Harry Potter, to the Grinch, and even Picasso-inspired designs. It’s a great way to get people out and exploring more of our wonderful woodlands.”