After inheriting the sleigh from the previous organisers, Batchworth Sea Scouts in collaboration with other local scout groups, organise a series of routes around the Rickmansworth, Croxley and Chorleywood area across weeknight evenings in December. Rudolf’s Sleigh is accompanied by a team of Elves that encourage people out to see Father Christmas, and to invite donations towards the charities we support.
In 2023, we continued to support New Hope, a Watford based charity helping those who find themselves without a home and who need support at this time of year more than any other. 50% of all the donations collected during the Santa Sleigh rides are passed directly onto New Hope.
The remaining profit is split across the Scout Groups that run the sleigh rides, ensuring that the local community can access active adventures at a young age. Everyone involved in the sleigh rides is a volunteer – most are either scout leaders, parents of scouts or scouts themselves (aged 16 and over, due to licensing restrictions).
Santa Sleigh Routes
The 2024 dates and routes will be published in the Autumn. Below are the routes covered in prior years and we expect a similar pattern going forwards:
| Rickmansworth Money Hill | |
| From Money Hill Road, Mount View, The Close, Park Way, Elm Way, Field Way, West Way, The Highlands, Shepherds Way, Pheasants Way. | |
| Rickmansworth East | |
| From Berry Lane Methodist Church, Berry Lane, Tudor Way, Pheasants Way, Beacon Way, Highfield Way, Meadow Way, Hill Rise, Ridge Way, Berry Way. | |
| Mill End South | |
| From junction of Springwell Avenue with Cress End, Springwell Avenue, Penn Road, Mill Way, Whitfield Way, Beresford Road, Home Way, Fotherley Road, Basing Way. | |
| Maple Cross | |
| Woodland Road, Hornhill Road, Downings Wood, Horsleys, Long Croft Road, Bradbery, Long Croft Road, Hornhill Road, Chalfont Road, Denham Way. | |
| Rickmansworth Central | |
| Norfolk Road, Waters Drive, Skidmore Way, Church Street, Bury Lane, Ebury Road, Wensum Way | |
| Croxley Green East | |
| Beechcroft Ave, Valley Walk, Sycamore Road, Valley Walk, Oakleigh Drive, Hazelwood Road. | |
| Croxley Green South | |
| From Frankland Rd, Frankland Close, Harvey Rd, Gonville Avenue, Dickinson Square, Dickinson Ave, Yorke Rd, New Rd. | |
| Croxley Green North | |
| From St Mawes Close, Appleby Drive, Scarborough Drive, Pevansey Way, Lincoln Way, Rochester Way, Kenilworth Drive, Durrants Drive, Little Green Lane, Norwich Way, Lewes Way, Hastings Way. | |
| Croxley Green Central | |
| From Croxley Green Baptist Church, Sherborne Way, Owens Way, Dulwich Way, Fuller Way, Sherborne Way, Rugby Way, Fuller Way, Barton Way, Malvern Way, Lancing Way, Winchester Way, Barton Way. | |
| Chorleywood North | |
| From New Parade, Blacketts Wood Drive, Carpenters Wood Drive, Whitelands Avenue, Shire Lane, Green Street, Orchard Drive. | |
| Chorleywood South | |
| From Lower Road, Chorleywood Bottom, Hubbards Road, Capell Way, Capell Road, Furze View, Rendlesham Way, Stag Land, Heronsgate Road, Dove Park, Burfield Road. Plus, if time allows: Shire Lane Haddon Road, Berks Hill. |
All routes aim to depart at 5.45pm and will finish by 8pm.
Seeing and hearing Father Christmas pass along your road can be a magical experience for our young residents and we try to choose routes that cover popular roads. However, we have limited nights a year when we can run the sleigh due to the restrictions on our charity collection licence, and each night requires over 10 volunteers to be successful.
We appreciate the frustrations if we can’t pass along your route; but please do come and find Santa whilst he is out and about! Keep an eye on local Facebook groups for live posts about his travels
For any queries regarding the Santa Sleigh, please contact santa@batchworth.org.