The Chester Cathedral Christmas Tree Festival is back for a second year – and is set to be bigger and better than before.

The festival will feature more than 45 majestic Christmas trees, transforming the cathedral cloisters into astonishing tree-lined winter walkways.

The festival is a community-focused event and will include trees decorated by local schools and local businesses from across Chester and Cheshire.

The festival sold out in record time and organisations such as John Lewis, Chester Racecourse and the University of Chester have all signed up to take part.

Vice Dean Peter Howell-Jones said:

“The Christmas Tree Festival is a great opportunity for us to give something back to the local community.  It’s wonderful to see the involvement of so many schools and local businesses”.

This year, proceeds from the festival will go to The Baby Grow Appeal at the Countess of Chester Hospital.  In 2013, the festival raised more than £2700 for local charity The Hospice of the Good Shepherd.

Kathy Kenny, Community and Events Fundraiser at the Countess of Chester Hospital, said:

“I was delighted to learn that our Babygrow Appeal was going to be the beneficiary charity for this year’s Christmas Tree Festival.  I visited the Festival last year and can say it is a truly magical experience and lovely for all ages – perfect to get into the Christmas spirit.  Our Babygrow supporters will be keen to see their own Babygrow Christmas Tree in the Cloisters and will then visit the new The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe exhibition too.”

The festival will run from 29 November 2014 until 6 January 2015 and will be open daily.  Entry will be free of charge and visitors can vote for their favourite trees using festival voting slips.

Chester Cathedral has a packed schedule for Advent and Christmas this year, with something for everyone.

In a first for the cathedral, spaces within the building will be transformed into scenes from C. S. Lewis’s classic tale, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.  Visitors will be taken on a journey, through fur coats and wardrobes via a winter palace, to the magical land of Narnia.

Services will run throughout November and December and will include an Advent procession by candlelight on 30 November and a crib service for families on Christmas Eve.  The Chester Cathedral Choir will perform their ever-popular annual carol concert on 20 December, with seasonal readings and special guests, Inspired Brass.