Best Christmas markets in the UK!

[sopeas]

Hi all 🤶🏻

Does anyone have fab suggestions for a Christmassy long weekend (Christmas markets, lovely little towns etc- not London, that’s where we live and Winter Wonderland is so commercial- we are looking for something as genuinely christmassy as possible) getaway within the uk? Was hoping to take DP and myself away to Germany for a Christmas market getaway this year but we are unable to due to his job commitments and my passport needing renewed and apparently that can take up to ten weeks 😬 so I think it’s on the cards for next year instead!

ideas and recommendations and any tips very very welcome please ❤️

I went to Birmingham last year and it was dire to be honest. Just a massive piss up. Disgusting toilets. No real festive atmosphere. Swarming. Crap stalls. Was very disappointed.

Not Winchester. It’s very tacky and commercial now.

Winchester is only worth a quick reccie if you are there anyway I certainly wouldn't travel any distance to attend , it's too small and imo not overly festive . Our biggest purchase last year was from a garden sculpture stall .
Bath I found small again and the stalls were very samey.

@Shunkleisshiny yes you're right. I was thinking of Tamworth snow dome where we are taking the kids. Not quite the same effect

Went to Chatsworth today, was fully booked and you needed to show your car park pass, couldn’t pay on the day. The stalls were nicely set out with a huge mix of different things (unlike Manchester where every other stall is those horrible twiggy reindeer things). Wasn’t rammed either, easily got a table to have a hot chocolate and had a roast turkey carvery lunch which was delicious. The Chatsworth shop itself had some gorgeous things in too.

We’re going to Chester markets tomorrow… will update on if they have improved!

@mnahmnah we are going sunday. look forward to your info!

@MrsMitford3

Change of plan for us today, so we’re going tomorrow too!

oooh we can do the secret MN handshake @mnahmnah see you by the mulled wine!

we are driving to chester tomorrow but probs too late for market...

@MrsMitford3

haha yes! We can walk to them from our house. I’ll be the one complaining about my mother, with a disgruntled husband and two children demanding over-priced fudge

As others have said, Winchester is very small, so only worth it if you’re local or going there anyway. Bath is bigger (it is quite spread out around the city, so worth getting the map off their website to make sure you don’t miss parts) and of course plenty of other stuff to do in Bath

I've not been to many, but I think Bath is a good one. Last time I went, there was a good amount of local and independent stalls.

Birmingham Christmas market is to be avoided imo. I actually love Birmingham as a city, but the Christmas market is a huge disappointment. Just the same sausage and alcohol stalls one after another, along with a load of mass-produced tat. Last time I went to the Bristol one, it was basically just a smaller version of Birmingham's so I wouldn't bother with that either.

We go to Winchester every year as we are local, it is a beautiful setting and the city is nice to visit anyway but it is small and it has lost its atmosphere somewhat over the years IMO (there used to be an open air ice rink in the middle which was lovely, then they put a roof on it and that spoiled it a bit but saved the ice when it rained). The ice rink has gone now to make way for a bigger food court. We went this afternoon and it was not as rammed as we were expecting (although the High St market was). Perhaps because most of the stalls seem to be the same every year. They had loud music blaring on the PA, Mistletoe and Wine etc which was awful. If you are going to go, go after dark, it is much more atmospheric and gets quieter.

I am hoping to get to Cirencester in a couple of weeks, any thoughts on parking from those that have been?

Chatsworth Christmas market is good, and it’s worth it to look around the house. I’ve been to Nottingham’s Christmas market tonight

We are going to Edinburgh middle of December, I just love it.

@MrsMitford3

Well Chester markets were definitely better than the past! There’s a new section of stalls in the courtyard of the Coachworks Arcade, off the main strip of stalls. Lots of nice stalls that you would actually buy things from too, rather than the usual predictable stuff. I would recommend eating in the indoor market. It’s new, lots of great food and a great atmosphere

York. Going again this year love it 😊🎅

@mnahmnah thanks. I went with very very low expectations and I thought it was nicely done-although agree small. And I didn't see any olives at all 😂@LubaLuca . What was a huge hit was this fab shop called Sostrene Grenes. It is Danish-only 5 in UK and I spent a fortune (not easy because it is so inexpensive) Just beautifully done-I'd go to Chester just for that!

Reporting back from Cirencester yesterday. The market is tiny, but the town feels festive with the lights especially as it gets darker in the afternoon. The stalls were all high quality, no tat, but mostly crafts and artisan foods, not particularly Christmassy. I went about 3pm yesterday and parking was not an issue.

That sounds a bit negative which it wasn't meant to be, I had a lovely time there and earlier in the week managed to spend an entire afternoon mooching very happily around the shops and cafes. But its not a big Christmas market experience like the city ones, and closes fairly early.

York lass here. The Christmas Market is extremely popular (which of course is great for the city). It is absolutely rammed though - but I guess I'm coming from a local point of view (many of us avoid it for that reason!).

Just bear in mind that many hotels may request a minimum of 2 nights' stay if you're thinking of staying over. At this late stage it may also be difficult to get hotel reservations. Don't got to the stalls in Parliament St (main area for stalls). Go slightly off track and go to the Shambles food market instead - just a 5 minute walk from the stalls but hidden from view. There are more stalls in coppergate (near the Jorvik museum) which many seem to miss.

Have a wander in Little Stonegate (off Petergate / stonegate). Not stalls, but a pedestrian area worth a look with lovely lights and several shops and places to eat.

Arrive early and definitely before 11am ish if you're adverse to crowds!

I meant don't necessarily go to the stalls in Parliament Street for food. Sorry!

We went to Bath pre- Covid. It's the only large Christmas market I've been to (went to Liverpool but at the time it was tiny & awful!). It's put me off ever going again, you couldn't get near the stalls for people & it was all overpriced tat!

Went to Lincoln Thursday night and it was not horrifically busy. Steep hill is gorgeous and the cathedral is beautiful. Went yesterday later on with DP and it was rammed, far, far too overcrowded. Stalls are the usual with a few craft ones.