The Winter Lodge Is Back on Friargate From 14 November

The Winter Lodge opens again on Friargate in Preston on Saturday 14 November 2026 and stays open until 28 December. Same wooden huts, same canopy of fairy lights, same mugs of something warm, and table bookings are already open and free to reserve.

It might feel early to be talking about Christmas in the first week of September. The diaries tell a different story: work parties, birthday nights and the annual catch-up with old friends all get pencilled in now, and the Friday and Saturday huts go first every year.

What's coming back

Nothing much changes at the Lodge, and that's the point. The huts go back up with their pitched roofs and tartan cushions, the garlands go on, and the blankets get washed and hung on their hooks. Christmas films play over the bar every night, and the festive menu returns with mulled wine, hot chocolate, litre steins of Paulaner and bratwurst hot dogs.

Each hut seats up to eight, so it suits a small team, a family or a group of friends. If you'd rather not book, walk in: the window stools on Friargate are first come, first served.

How to book

Reserve a hut online. It's free and only takes a minute. For a bigger Christmas party, a row of huts or the private back room, send us an enquiry and we'll get a date in the diary. Everything else about this year is on the 2026 season page.

See you on Friargate in November.