Last year’s sell-out sound and light show is back for 2023 at Blue Pool near Wareham with more music and plenty of dazzling colour to brighten up the darkest of winter evenings.
Illuminate, a professional sensory show set through ancient woodland on a one kilometre trail around the famous Blue Pool, has been extended in scope for 2023, and tickets are available to book until Sunday 5th March 2023.
A sound and light show on and around the pool held visitors spellbound
Whole new perspective to familiar setting
Colour changing lights have been set up through the woodland trail, bringing a whole new perspective to the familiar, well-loved scenery, and the pool itself has been transformed by Dorset company OT Event Technicians.
The Dorchester company, which has also been responsible for award winning illuminations at Abbotsbury Gardens, Pennsylvania Castle and the Southcider music festival, has spent 10 days staging lights through the Blue Pool woodland and around the pool itself, as well as on a floating stage in the water.
A 20 minute light show synchronised to popular and classical music held visitors captivated even as temperatures plummeted, but with hot mulled cider available to take outside, no one seemed to mind the temperatures too much.
Lighting effects transform the woodland pathways as well as the trees
Snowflakes are among many surprise extras to look out for in the woods
Constantly changing colours along the trail
Blue Pool general manager Carolyn Snook said:
“Following on from the sell-out success of 2022, we have now included new waterside lights to music at the pool, as well as additional musical sections within the woodland trail.
“It is a wonderful way to begin the New Year with a spectacular evening of illuminations and music, and gives visitors a chance to take time to reflect in the peaceful tranquillity of the Blue Pool at night.
“There are carefully selected positions along the way for visitors to stop and thoroughly appreciate the show, and listen to the music we have playing to enhance the experience.
“We have more than a kilometre of professionally staged illuminations, lighting the meandering woodland trails, and constantly changing colours which truly give a different experience every time you walk around the event.
“The opening night was a beautifully frosty evening, perfect conditions for a fantastic show and tickets are now on sale for selected dates up until early March.”
Strategic lighting brings out an unseen quality in the woodland surroundings
Constantly changing colours make the walk different every time
Warm clothing and wellies are recommended
Illuminate is running from Thursdays to Sundays every weekend until 5th March 2023 and will also be open every evening during the February half-term week.
Warm clothing and walking boots or wellies are recommended for the winter walks. The Blue Pool’s art deco style tea rooms will remain open to serve warming meals and drinks to visitors and also has marshmallows for sale which can be toasted on the terrace fire pits in front of the pool.
Access around the trails is suitable for wheelchairs, but the management do make visitors aware that the wooded trail is through uneven ground which can get wet if the weather is bad.
Dogs are welcome on leads and parking for the event is free but limited, closing at 8 pm with last entry onto the light trail 30 minutes beforehand.
There are plenty of Instagram photo opportunities around the trail
Even the Blue Pool’s famous stag statue gets in on the action
25 acres of protected heath, woodland and gorse
The Blue Pool, a former clay pit, is famous for the vivid natural colours of its lake, created as light is diffracted through tiny particles of blue ball clay suspended in the water.
Depending on the atmospheric conditions, the water can appear to change from visit to visit, between a vivid peacock blue, aqua green or even turquoise.
The pool itself is surrounded by 25 acres of protected heath, woodland and gorse which is a site of special scientific interest and home to herds of deer as well as many rare plants and insects including Dartford Warblers and green sand lizards.
The tea rooms at the attraction were built in 1935 in an Art Deco style and were run by the Barnard family until the death of Jennifer Barnard in 2020 at the age of 91.
Welcome to a familiar attraction with a very different appearance
Firepits on the terrace are ideal for toasting marshmallows over
Further information
- More information about the event and how to book tickets is available on the Blue Pool website:
