Ruxley Manor Garden Centre's Christmas Grotto tickets go on sale on October 14

A Christmas grotto visited by thousands of Kent families every year is preparing to put its tickets on sale.

Ruxley Manor Garden Centre is renowned for its magical meeting with Father Christmas - with interest in tickets often crashing the centre's website on the day of release.

Tickets to see Father Christmas at the garden centre near Sidcup will be released on Wednesday, October 14.

In line with many other attractions Santa's visit to Ruxley will be a little different this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Tickets will be a set £45 which will admit up to a family of five to the Grotto and are once again expected to be in high demand.

The 20-minute experience will begin in Mother Christmas' kitchen making secret recipe reindeer food, followed by a private meeting with Father Christmas where children will be given a gift to take home and treasure before a photograph is also taken and printed, which is included in the ticket price.

Families wishing to snap up tickets can do so here from October 14.

The garden centre also has plans for virtual reality sleigh rides as part of its Christmas attractions for 2020, in which families will be whisked off around the globe in an immersive experience. Tickets for this are not yet on sale but more information is available here .

For more suggestions of things to do with the kids in the run up to Christmas including those events with tickets already on sale click here.