Sneak preview of Christmas lights at AGLOW, Bishop Auckland

"Wow! Look at that!" gasped the young children walking along behind me as we walked into the grounds of Bishop Auckland Castle.

Driving into the market town with my wipers on the fastest setting I wondered if my boots could measure up to the 1.5 mile route through the ancient castle grounds.

Tickets for the event are now on sale and visitors can enjoy the illuminated walk from November 22 to December 31.

The route, which started at Auckland Tower for collecting tickets and last-minute toilet visits, opened for two hours from 6pm to 8pm.

I wasn't sure exactly where I had to go to when I arrived but all I had to do was follow a steady stream of people all heading towards the castle.

It soon became very obvious where we were heading as a view through the entrance of the castle grounds revealed a spectacular tunnel of lights beyond.

The queue to get in didn't last long and everyone with tickets was straight through and into the grounds.

Despite the heavy rain the path held up well and I was soon watching a spectacular show of gingerbread men and toy soldiers dancing that was projected onto the castle walls.

The chill air only added to the magic as I wandered around the footpath looking at a field filled with glowing balls.

Looking out over the edge of the parapet I got a sneak preview of what was to come: fields of glowing candy canes, glittering disco balls and a towering tree covered in neon lights.

Finally, it was my turn to enjoy walking down the tunnel of lights that I had been itching to walk through.

This was the moment for everyone to take pictures and enjoy the magical moment.

I later found out that there are 100,000 glowing stars in the tunnel leading into the rest of the walk.

Beyond the lights, I began the winding route around the rest of the grounds.

There was a row of portaloo toilets halfway to save anyone who had been enjoying too much-mulled wine.

Of all the sights along the trail, the one that stood out to me was the neon illuminated tree at the heart of the trail.

From the high vantage as we walked down the valley I could see people taking pictures of it from every angle.

It was impossible to resist and I found my phone in my hands before I knew it.

The deer house was at the far reaches of the walk with life-sized deer illuminated within the walls to the delight of children visiting.

The path took me past stunning light shows on the River Gaunless before I reached Santa's village on the other side of the grounds.

The smells of hot food and drink were more than welcome.

A towering redwood tree loomed over the cabins with nearly one kilometre of lights draped over it illuminating the scene.

After a moment stood at the fire pit to warm back up, I was ready to take on the final hill back up to the top of the valley to enjoy the tunnel of lights one more time.

Walking back through was just as good as the first time, seeing families chatting excitedly about what they were about to see.

It is safe to say AGLOW is a must-see in the run-up to Christmas. Get your hat, scarf and gloves out and get yourselves to Bishop Auckland.

You can book tickets here.