Hello everyone! I’m looking for insider tips on which Christmas Markets to visit in England over a 10 day travel period. We’re flying in and out of London, and will be renting a car to travel. I’m most interested in cozy, countryside markets with great food and drink, instead of massively busy huge markets.
Thank you!
Christmas markets are not really traditional in England like they are in say Germany. They’ve only become popular in more recent years. I didn’t go to a Christmas market until I was in my 20s and it was a total novelty.
There may be small markets dotted around. Sometimes National Trust properties host them for example. But these will all be one or two day affairs held at a weekend. You won’t find a small market that runs for a couple of weeks. This type are all in cities and they all tend to be very busy and relatively unpleasant (in my opinion).
A newspsper article at the weekend had Bath, Winchester. Lincoln and York among the best. Speaking personally, Winchester was OK, and Oxford was awful.
For instance in Cumbria (the Lake District) there are quite a few Christmas Markets, but they are all weekend affairs, such as Taste Cumbria at Cockermouth on 5 and 6 December, and the Ulverston Dickensian Festival on 29 and 30 November.
The Keswick Victorian Fayre is a one day event on 7 December.
The Hawkshead Christmas Fair is on 6 to 7 December.
Kendal Christmas Celebration is also on 7 December.
Whitehaven (on the Cumbrian coast) has a Christmas Market and Fireworks on Friday 5 December (the now traditional date for the fireworks, moved several years ago from Bonfire Night).
You'll have noticed they are all deliberately either on Advent Weekend or at St Nicholas' Tide.
Grassington Christmas Market (used to be the Dickensian Festival) in North Yorkshire (All Creatures Great and Small fame) is another one held on those two Saturdays- 29 November and 6 December.
Close by is the well known Skipton Christmas Market- on Sundays 7 and 14 December.
You will also come across Christmas Tree Festivals in many Churches and Cathedrals, during December.
(All 2025 dates)
