UK Christmas markets - recommendations needed

WestonDave

Lucky escape then if you missed the Bath shed fest! As an exercise in seeing how many cheap B&Q style sheds you can cram into an area smaller than a football pitch, its quite impressive, but when you ram up to 20,000 people into that space as well and gridlock half of Bath with coaches it really isn't a pleasant experience. Most of the locals avoid it like the plague - come Sunday we can go back into the centre.

I quite like the one they have in Bristol - a few stalls selling things but mainly German style food and drink stalls including an impressive "propellor" topped bar in the style of the Bavarian candle powered decorations.

Bella_b

The Bristol market is in the streets of Broadmead shopping area, pretty small. It's ok but not worth it just to come to see it if travelling a long way.

cyclingyorkie

York used to have a continental food market at this time of year. Seems to have been replaced by a shed-fest - sadly!

Seriously don't ever get sucked into coming to St Nicholas Fair in york - a shedfest but so cramped it's dangerous! Another event where the locals avoid it like the plague...

cazpumpkin

Last sunday we headed over to Winchester. First we went to Gunwharf Keys shopping outlet at Portsmouth which was fantastic, we noticed they had an ice skating rink there and we wish we had stayed but we had already paid online for tickets at Winchester ice rink.

So off we went to Winchester which was a total waste of time and im glad I went to Gunwharf Keys first. Winchester was totally boring with hardly any shops and a generally run down looking high street packed with people and market stalls but not in a good way.

The actual ice rink area by the cathedral was tiny, surrounded by wooden sheds selling either non related xmas items such as glass or gardening items and a lot of over priced xmas tat, the ice rink besides being small, was packed and I mean packed with hardly any space to skate except to shuffle round in a circle slowly for the hour.

We wish we had stayed at Gunwharf Keys which also had an ice rink actually set in the centre itself , which was less busy, fabulous shops, loads of great places to eat reasonably , the car parking was cheap and right next to the shops so we didnt have miles to walk or difficulty parking.

The historic waterfront was right beside the shopping mall with yachts and fantastic views. The shops were mostly outlet at great prices.

For example I got my son a technical windcheater coat at the superdry store for xmas which is £65 in store and at the outlet shop I paid £38.99 Brand new and not factory seconds.

We too wanted a christmassy day out and the Keys had a traditional brass band playing christmas carols this last sunday plus the ice rink.

We thought Winchester was difficult to find car parking spaces with hardly any available, a long walk to the actual shops, very few shops when we got there, I can only recall primark and debenhams, there was a charge to walk around the cathedral and the cost of the ice skating even booking online for one child was £7.95 each.

The chalets to give an idea of cost were charging £6 for a turkey sandwich. There was one stall selling mulled wine and mince pies (english) , but I didnt see any selling gingerbread or german/continental goods/food normally associated with the traditional european markets

themoleman

Bristol's good but small - not worth a day trip imho.

WestonDave

Bristol isn't that big on its own, but if you can find your way to St Nicholas Market on Corn Street, at this time of year there are various additional stalls outside as well as some interesting year round stalls inside - it is a 5/10 minute walk from Broadmead but if you are looking for something different its worth a look.

We caved in to pressure from the kids on Sunday to go into the Bath market and it was hell - you could barely move let alone actually see what was in the stalls. Even the kids wanted to go home after ten minutes and they were the ones wanting to go! Its just too many stalls crammed into a small space with far too many people coming on coaches etc to make for a pleasant relaxed atmosphere.