Sandringham is a right royal abode. Most royal residences, such as Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle are owned by the Crown, but Sandringham is the personal property of the King. For decades the Queen celebrated the royal family Christmas in Norfolk and in 1957 broadcast her first televised Christmas message from her Sandringham home.

As the Queen’s favourite festive bolthole, the house, gardens and church are sometimes off limits, but the 600 acres of stunning royal parkland and fantastic courtyard facilities stay open year round, a fabulous destination for winter walks. Worries fade when you wander in the woods. Majestic trees soar upwards, an uplifting cathedral of Scots and Corsican pines rising from banks of dark glossy rhododendrons. Among them, twisted oaks, sweet chestnuts and birches are ancient relics of Norfolk’s wild landscape before forests were managed.

Breathe in the earthy scents and listen closely. Squirrels rustle in falling leaves, there’s the rat-a-tat-tat of a spotted woodpecker and maybe a creeping nut hatch pecking away on a branch. High in the white winter sky lonesome red kites are mewing and the sighing wind gives elegant winter trees a haunting music of their own.

There are two way-marked trails along tarmac and shingled paths, ideal for exploring by wheelchair or mobility scooter, and many more dog-friendly unmarked paths to walk or cycle. After a good stroll in the fresh air, head back to the visitor centre for tea, cake and Sandringham’s famous heritage apple juices.