6 of the best UK Christmas markets

Winchester

Why it’s great
Framed by idyllic water meadows that inspired Keats to rhapsodise about “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”, Winchester became England’s first capital under the famed Saxon king Alfred. The Christmas Market (18 November to 22 December) taps into its historic ambience with 100-plus festive wooden chalets on the medieval Cathedral green.

Edible highlights
Regional food champion Hampshire Fare sources diverse goodies from over 400 producers, with local star turns including trout (smoked, pâté and gravadlax), myriad cheeses, plus sweet treats like New Forest shortbread, Beaulieu chocolate and Great Taste award winners Cherry Tree Preserves.

The drinks
Delve into wines from Hampshire’s excellent vineyards, bag beer from award-winning Downton Brewery, or distilled delights from Wyrd Spirits and River Test distillery.

Stay over
Winchester is home to the pathfinder for the Hotel du Vin chain – a 24-room revamped 1715 Georgian townhouse (from £125 B&B) – but for truly local character, The Black Hole (from £95 B&B) is an intimate spot with 10 double bedrooms styled with vintage panache.

 

Padstow

Why it’s great
Set around a Cornish harbour famed for its stellar seafood, Padstow’s four-day food-focused Christmas Festival (1-4 December) sees the chic fishing village made famous by Rick Stein hosting demos from celeb chefs like Nathan Outlaw, Paul Ainsworth and Clodagh McKenna, alongside parades, artisan stalls, live music and fabulous fireworks.

 

Festive feasting
Expect around 100 local producers including Chough Bakers, Kernow Chocolate, Cornish Meadow Preserves, fish smokers Tregida, and Kernow Sausage. Cheese lovers can pick up the World Cheese Award champion creamy cornish blue, as well as Cornish takes on both gouda and cheddar.

The drinks
Bag wine from award-winning Camel Valley Vineyard, grab some Tarquin’s Cornish Gin, and sup local ales from Sharp’s, St Austell Brewery and Padstow Brewing Company. You’ll find Cornish rum, cider, vodka and liqueurs too.

Stay over
On the hillside above the harbour in one of Padstow’s oldest buildings, St Petroc’s outstanding bistro-with-rooms – and cocktail bar – is tailormade for food-loving travellers (from £165pn B&B). Guests also receive priority booking and a discount at Rick Stein’s Padstow gaffs.

 

Chester

Why it’s great
From 18 November to 23 December, Chester Christmas Market sees 70 traditional wooden chalets light up a historic square by Chester Cathedral. Add parades featuring characters like the Lord of Misrule and centurions, in a riverside city whose Roman roots are complemented by the gorgeous medieval shopping streets known as The Rows.

 

Festive feasting
Try Cherry mulled wine to wash down scrumptious meaty offerings from Shires Kitchen, including award-winning Cumberland sausages and a novel Marrow Burger. There’s fine cheese and charcuterie too, plus sweet pleasures including local fudge.

The drinks
Sip a sophisticated Prosecco Royale cocktail at the Gin & Prosecco Bar or discover Bar Humbugs’ Mulled Gin. Look for distinctive local liqueurs too, with producers like Cwm Deri working wonders with flavours such as wild bramble.

Stay over
Oddfellows (from £89pn B&B) is a Georgian townhouse transformed into a boutique hotel as whimsical as it is stylish, with arty bedrooms and a tea room inspired by Alice in Wonderland.

Blenheim Palace

From 18 November to 18 December, Blenheim Palace’s Great Court hosts a spectacular Christmas Market whose wooden chalets showcase upmarket design, from handcrafted tweed to old-school kaleidoscopes. Add the 18th-century Baroque palace and dazzling light displays wending out into the Capability Brown-designed parkland and gardens.

Festive feasting
Stock up on great British cheeses, award-winning sausages, gourmet nuts and locally sourced charcuterie, or assuage a sweet tooth with posh gingerbread, marzipan or traditional sweets such as chocolate kisses.

The drinks
Toast the season with local beers, Hebridean gins from the island of Colonsay, flavoured rums, plus craft vodkas from Sapling Spirits – so named because they plant a tree for every bottle they make.

Stay over
Within a short walk of Blenheim Palace in the adjacent village of Woodstock, the Woodstock Arms (from £98pn B&B) offers five cosy rooms and a picture-perfect historic pub vibe (Victorian tiled floor, exposed beams). Quirky touches include wallpaper inspired by Sir Winston Churchill, born at the nearby Palace.
 

Edinburgh

Why it’s great
Dive into Edinburgh’s Winter Festival (19 November to 3 January), wandering Princes Street Gardens in the lee of the magnificent castle. The main Christmas market will be complemented by a dozen community Christmas events around the city, such as the Winter Windows display of local artists.

 

Festive feasting
Caledonian offerings include mulled Irn Bru, haggis and grilled Scottish salmon. Meat lovers can tuck into venison and pheasant burgers from Fife’s Screaming Peacock, while non-meat folk can feel virtuous with vegan pigs in blankets. Look out for hot cheese delights such as oven-baked camembert from Melted by The Pitt, while Churros Baby Edinburgh brings a sweet taste of Spain.

The drinks
Whisky galore – smuggled into seasonal hot toddies – alongside mulled cider and local ales such as Cold Town Beer.

Stay over
Fusing country house and cosy traditional club vibe on one of the historic New Town’s grandest streets, the Royal Scots Club (from £90pn B&B) offers non-members 24 bedrooms and burnished wood panelled spaces oozing timeless luxury style. Classic old-school breakfasts and afternoon teas are a tasty bonus.
 

Cardiff

Why it’s great
Enlivening the heart of the Welsh capital from 10 November to 23 December, Cardiff Christmas Market combines top quality craft/design with distinctive Welsh food and drink.

Festive feasting
Scoop up artisan farmhouse cheeses, hot roasted nuts and Welsh honey, or go marshmallow mad at Cottage Sweets. Melted raclette with new potatoes will ward off any Welsh chill, while Bake Off fans can bag bara brith kits from Calon Lan Cakes, as well as scrumptious Welsh cakes.

The drinks
Discover liqueurs, poteen and aged Celtic whiskey from Condessa Welsh Liqueurs, local cider and perry from Afal-y-Graig, flavoured rums and gins from Field Bar Wine, plus Severn Cider’s mulled cider (they do chilli apple jelly too).

Stay over
Each of the rooms at Hotel Indigo reflect different aspects of Welsh culture (Music, Welsh Industry and Made in Wales), while its coolly monochrome Marco Pierre White top floor diner combines a bar and restaurant vibe (from £99pn B&B).