Somewhere to go before christmas

[christmaspudding43]

Hi all,

For various reasons we are not going on our normal European Christmas Market trip this year and are wondering about going somewhere in the UK.

We don't necessarily want to go to somewhere with a "Christmas market" - most of them are shite. We may go back to Bath or to Edinburgh for the first time just because the cities have other attractions. Also wondered about somewhere much smaller with a local market - Hay on Wye for example, or I have a vague notion of Kirkby Lonsdale, somewhere with independent shops where we might enjoy pottering, a local market or shops where we can get poncey jam etc. Does that make sense? If they happen to do a Christmas version of their normal market that would be great but I don't want the German market type stuff of horrible gluhwein, cheap factory made bobble hats, that stuff.

Can anyone tell me first whether Kirkby Lonsdale might fit that brief or suggest somewhere else? Preferably on the small town scale (and definitely not Birmingham, Manchester or Glasgow).

Oh and not Chester.

Whitby is a fantastic little place!

We're going to Blenheim Palace this year. There is a beautiful light trail, something inside the palace and a little market. Never been before but heard good things about it

I’d be inclined to give Canterbury a whirl. It does have a Christmas market. Some years it is brilliant and some years it is crap. But the city is full of independent shops, cafes and restaurants. You’ve got the cathedral, complete with Christmas services on certain dates (I’ve been to one and the choir by candlelight is spine tingling). Plus you’re very near lots of other small towns with lovely bits for independent shopping. The Falstaff hotel is very lovely and does fantastic cocktails.

I've been thinking the same .
Last year we went on a 2 day Christmas Market trip (Bath for the market/overnight hotel/Oxford ) coach trip

Next year (2024) might be more adventous and try Bruges ?

But need something for this year in UK.