I visited the magical winter wonderland in the North West - with 'hygge' food market and Christmas Jellycats

Having never been to the popular Bents Garden centre, I didn’t know quite what to expect when I arrived there on a day off in October.

On walking through the doors, I felt like I’d just stumbled into Narnia - seeing rows of various Christmas trees ahead of me. Turning the corner, I saw an equally large selection of lights, most likely a set in every colour and variation of ‘flash’ setting.

I was in awe of the Lemax Christmas Village display, which is huge and has such intricate detail. The village features a ski lift, ice rink, bumper cars, a marching band and a ballet performance to name only a few of its wintry scenes.

Two of the many Christmas displays are: a Christmas tree dress display, featuring beautiful flowers, and a Grinch display, which has a green furry chair and a countdown to Christmas Day. As you walk through the displays, you can read the names of the staff members who designed and dressed each tree which is a lovely touch.

On the shelfs are fabulous decorations, including sparkly dinosaurs with Santa hats and a retro section which has pink and silver glitterballs - ideal for Strictly fans. A pink Chanel-style perfume bottle decoration also caught my eye.

Venturing outside, we had a pit stop at the winter food market. The market has a number of wood chalets which offer mulled wine, traditional bratwurst sausages and lots of sweet treats. They even do vegan bratwurst.

Next, we headed to the shop, spotting Mrs Claus in a hot tub along the way. The store has a big range of Christmas Jellycat soft toys - including a penguin, turkey and a smiley snowflake. They have a large Christmas tree Jellycat, on sale for an eye-watering £275.

Tearing ourselves away from the Jellycats, we headed to The Fresh Approach Restaurant. Here, Bents serves homemade hot and cold food and has an incredible cake selection. Their famous jam and cream scone looked amazing however, I opted for a slice of the delightful Baileys cheesecake.

I was amazed at the size and variety of the Christmas displays at Bents, and the care that has gone into their installation. A visit to Bents is a must-do activity for all Christmas lovers.

Bents Garden Centre is located on Warrington Road, Glazebury - WA3 5NT.