Top UK festive market towns

One of the best ways to celebrate the build up to Christmas is by discovering the UK’s wealth of delightful market towns. Spread across the country and proud to honour their roots and age-old festive traditions; these historic destinations sparkle to life come Christmas.

To help inform your festive itinerary, and perhaps inspire a Christmas staycation in the UK, we’ve crunched the data to highlight the country’s most popular festive market towns. We’ve also featured the best market towns for Christmas lights, seasonal pantomimes and Christmas markets, making it easy for you to decide which to visit first this winter!

If you’re feeling festive and inspired, click the link below to explore our collection of cottages for Christmas. Whether you’re planning a family staycation in the UK, a romantic retreat, or a dog-friendly getaway, our collection is sure to offer you the perfect Christmas base.

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Top 20 festive market towns

Accounting for all things Christmas walking trails, cosy pubs, Christmas light switch-ons, seasonal markets, average snowfall and even pantomimes; we’ve ranked the UK’s top 20 festive market towns. Which will you visit first?

Bakewell, Derbyshire

Set in the heart of the Peak District, Bakewell is one of the best market towns in England for natural scenery and rich local history. In winter, this festive fusion of snowy peaks and age-old traditions combine to offer the perfect spot for a Christmas staycation in the UK. 

At Christmas, the cherry on the cake (or the tart in Bakewell’s case) is the Bakewell Christmas Sparkle. One of the biggest events of the year, this Christmas extravaganza plays host to a popular Christmas market, a heated marquee bar, Santa’s grotto, a festive food court and much more. 

Our data also shows that Bakewell offers a solid choice of eight pantomimes, almost 16 days of snow every year and plenty of cosy pubs with roaring fires, providing all the ingredients for a family staycation in the UK this Christmas.

Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire

If it’s frosty winter walks through snow-blanketed countryside you’re seeking this Christmas, then Stow-on-the-Wold is up there with the best market towns in England. Set in the northern reaches of the Cotswolds, this pretty town is perfect for a Christmas staycation in the UK thanks to its winding streets, stone-built cottages and enchanting surroundings that sparkle to life every winter. 

Kick off your festive celebrations with a visit to the town’s annual Christmas Tree Festival and buzzing Christmas market. Just a couple of days later, learn everything there is to know about a nativity scene at the Community Crib Festival. 

Our desk research highlights that Stow-on-the-Wold is a wonderful place for festive splendour thanks to its many winter walking trails in the surrounding countryside. After your rambles, you’re likely to find a traditional pub with a crackling fire to warm weary walking muscles.

Holt, Norfolk

Set close to Norfolk’s golden coastline, the market town of Holt is better known for its generous weather, verdant woodlands and sweeping country parks. But each year this pretty destination makes a great case for a Christmas staycation in the UK thanks to its vibrant festive calendar. 

Kicking off the Christmas proceedings is the nearby Norfolk Artisan Fair, where over 100 local craft, food and drink stands combine to present a Christmas paradise for gift buyers and festive food lovers. Don’t miss the twinkling Christmas lights that swing above the town’s narrow streets from November to January, and make sure to climb aboard one of the North Norfolk Railway Santa Specials which run from nearby Sheringham. 

Our data also highlights that Holt is one of the best market towns in England for winter walks, with over 100 trails weaving through the surrounding, frost-kissed countryside.

Keswick, Cumbria

If you’re planning a family staycation in the UK this Christmas and love exploring the great outdoors, look no further than the town of Keswick. Offering a fantastic base for Lake District excursions throughout the year, Keswick oozes Christmas spirit with its busy schedule of festive events. 

Wrap up warm and gather in the town centre for the annual Christmas Lights Switch On, and get ready for a special night of music, festive food and Christmas cheer. Another key date is the Christmas market, otherwise known as the Keswick Victorian Fayre with a festive spin. Finally, combine your passion for walking with winter by joining the local Festive Welly Walk, which welcomes all the family, including the dogs! 

What’s more, our Christmas crunching of data highlights Keswick’s wealth of cosy pubs with open fires, highly rated restaurants for festive meals, and the town’s above-average days of snow each year.

Bishop Auckland, Durham

County Durham’s very own Bishop Auckland is quickly earning a reputation as the Christmas capital of the North. One of the best market towns in England for enchanting local history; Bishop Auckland’s heritage centre exudes timeless charm and offers a festive spin each winter thanks to the popular 10-day Christmas Town celebrations. 

Spread across the old market square, Christmas Town Bishop Auckland glows with its Christmas markets, popular ice rink, live entertainment and giant tipi bars. Blend these events with seasonal craft workshops and a Santa’s grotto – you’ve got everything needed for a family staycation in the UK this Christmas. 

Bishop Auckland goes on to lead our data in the way of average snowfall each year, which combined with the wealth of festive pantomimes, makes the town perfect for a festive getaway.

Wetherby, West Yorkshire

Set close to the Yorkshire Dales, the market town of Wetherby is a picturesque and charming destination that glows to life in the festive season. The West Yorkshire town offers the perfect base for a Christmas staycation in the UK thanks to the merry lights that sparkle above its cobbled streets and the wealth of independent shops that stay open for late-night Christmas shopping. 

For seasonal events, nearby Stockeld Park hosts the annual Christmas Adventure, where Santa’s grotto, ice skating, magical Christmas trees and even an enchanted forest await. Elsewhere, Wetherby’s Christmas market and Craft Fayre overrun the historic market square in the centre of town, offering endless lodges full of unique presents. 

If it’s festive walks and pantomimes you’re seeking, then Wetherby makes for one of the best market towns in England. Our research shows that the town leads the way when it comes to this wintery entertainment.

Sandbach, Cheshire

Christmas lights always look extra-special weaving between age-old buildings above winding streets, and that’s just what Cheshire’s market town of Sandbach offers in abundance. Medieval Sandbach Crosses offer reminders of the Anglo-Saxon era in Sandbach’s centre, setting the ideal scene for a historic family staycation in the UK this Christmas. 

One of the biggest events on the festive calendar is Sandbach’s Christmas Lights Switch On at the market square. Just days later, the same stone-paved streets are lined with seemingly endless stalls for the Sandbach Christmas Market. If that wasn’t enough, a taste of local life can be experienced with a visit to Sandbach School, where the Foden Band perform their festive concerts. 

Our market town research also shows that Sandbach is a popular spot for Christmas walks, thanks to the wide range of scenic trails leading out of town and into the surrounding Cheshire countryside.

Bicester, Oxfordshire

Deep in the Oxfordshire countryside lies historic Bicester, and it’s in this market town where a famous shopping village, quaint architecture and a traditional atmosphere combine – all of which are made more magical at Christmas. 

Kick off your Christmas staycation in the UK by attending Bicester’s Christmas Light Switch On. Fill up on festive food here before moving on to the Victorian Christmas Market. Transforming the town’s centre into a winter wonderland; the market is the best spot to hunt down those hard-to-find presents that you can guarantee no one else is gifting this Christmas. 

Bicester also ranks highly in our research for Christmas lights. Beyond the town’s big switch-on, you can attend Garth Park’s Christmas Lights Trail which attracted over 10,000 festive fans in 2022 alone.

Corbridge, Northumberland

The beautiful county of Northumberland plays host to lesser-known Corbridge, a charming destination known for its pretty stone cottages and rich Roman heritage. Its history is made evident by the narrow streets and medieval buildings, which come Christmastime, spring to life with a festive cheer. 

A unique and age-old Christmas tradition is the annual Christmas Tree Festival. Held in the local church, this is the prime spot to see almost 100 glimmering trees decorated and entered by Corbridge’s residents, schools and businesses. With carol singing and festive drinks, this is a lovely way to spend a Christmas staycation in the UK. 

With above-average snow days and a high-ranking number of winter walking trails nearby, it’s no surprise that Corbridge made it into our top 20.

Aldeburgh, Suffolk

Answer the calls of the chilly seas this Christmas with a visit to the colourful town of Aldeburgh on Suffolk’s golden coastline. Usually associated with summer holidays and days on the beach; Aldeburgh charms come winter thanks to its eclectic calendar of Christmas events. 

Beyond the usual sculpture trails and bracing beach walks, Aldeburgh beckons at Christmas – kicking off with the Christmas Lights Switch On, held outside Jubilee Hall. It’s also here where the town hosts its annual Christmas Craft Fair, which offers the perfect opportunity for hunting down one-of-a-kind gifts, festive foods and artisan produce. 

For more merry memories, Aldeburgh tops our data list for pantomimes, which isn’t a surprise for such a popular seaside town.

Lesser-known festive market towns

We’d love to celebrate every festive market town in the UK, but we’d be here until next Christmas if we did! Instead, we’ve highlighted some hidden gems that offer all the historic charm and festive cheer for a Christmas staycation in the UK. We’ve also featured some of their most popular festive events – do any take your fancy?

Best towns for Christmas lights

Some of our favourite festive memories involve huddling outdoors in the cold, waiting for the newly adorned Christmas lights to burst into life. Below are three of the best market towns in the UK for these enchanting evenings of festive cheer and colourful illuminations.

Best towns for Christmas markets

While most major towns and cities host bustling Christmas markets, you can’t beat that of a market town. Narrow streets, overhanging historic buildings and a community spirit combine to offer unforgettable festive evenings. Below are three of the most popular market towns for such an occasion.

Best towns for festive pantomimes

It doesn’t matter if this year marks your 50th Christmas or your little one’s third – you can’t recreate the traditional charm of a festive panto, and no one is too old to join in! If this sounds like your idea of seasonal fun, then see three of the most popular market towns in the UK for Christmas pantomimes below.

Book a Christmas staycation in the UK

Has all this talk of market towns lined with Christmas chalets and illuminations inspired you to get away this winter? If so, why not start planning your festive retreat today? Click the button below to explore our wide range of cottages for Christmas. Find large properties for groups of friends, cosy boltholes for couples, traditional cottages for families and plenty more.

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Methodology 

This blog's dataset ranks 20 towns in the UK based on how festive they are. To do this, six different factors were used. Once the data for the factors was collected, the factors were normalised to provide each factor with a score between 0 and 1. If data was not available, a score of 0 was given. The normalised values were then summed and multiplied by 14.3, to give each town a total score of 100. The towns were then ranked from highest to lowest, based on their total scores.

All data is correct as of 15 October 2024. The ranking data shown is a compilation of multiple data sources and may not be representative of real life. All data is accurate concerning the sources provided. For search volume and Christmas walks, if the town wasn't listed on the sources, then we used data for a nearby town of a similar size.