Undoubtedly, Christmas markets are one of the best things to get you feeling festive in the build up to Christmas day. I, for one, have a seriously soft spot for all things jolly. Also, the festive period is my favourite time of the year. When the weather outside is frightful and the fire is so delightful, I am far from a Grinch and more of a Buddy and want to surround myself with all things Christmas.
There’s nothing better than a great Christmas Market to help feed one’s festive appetite. The best part? You don’t need to travel to another country to find a good one (if you live in the UK, that is!). Just an hour and a half train ride from London, Bath is home to the ultimate Christmas Market. And guess what? The Bath Christmas Market is considered one of the best in the UK and perhaps even in the world!
What to see at Bath Christmas Market
Bath Christmas Market smells like…Christmas, literally. Surrounded by cobbled streets with burgundy and gold wooden stalls, it sells unique artisan and homemade products. You can find everything from handcrafted garlands and Christmas decorations to mince pies, mulled wine, hot chocolate and cider. A literal heaven! There’s even people singing Christmas carols on the street! It’s no surprise this multi-award winning market was listed among the Telegraph’s Best Christmas Markets and Vogue’s Favourite Christmas Markets.
Running since 2005, Bath Christmas Market has increasingly grown in size each year. Just its 2018 edition (which opened daily from 22nd November to 9th December) featured over 160 chalets. It’s now spread across a large part of Bath city centre and even twists around Bath Abbey and the Roman Baths.
Quick tip: don’t miss the opportunity to not only visit Roman Baths, but also make sure to poke your head over the terraces for a splendid view above the market stalls in the Abbey Churchyard! A Festive Family Artisan Market also opens in Queen Square on each of the Saturdays while the Bath Christmas Market is on.
Naturally, Bath Christmas Market is a great place to find unique Christmas presents and stocking fillers. Most of the stalls are local to Bath with over 80% belonging to the South West of England. Stalls include the mouthwatering Snowdonia Cheese Company (we couldn’t resist buying smoked Cheddar and Cheddar with cranberries after sampling a large amount of cheese varieties), the irresistible Bath Gin, Slimbridge Soaps, Chatley Chocolate Brownies and its gooey brownies, The Chilli Alchemist, Georgie Porgie’s Puddings and Green Park Brasserie. Profits from the market are invested in Bath so I would suggest getting as much food as you can!
Despite its size, Bath Christmas Market can easily be seen in a day, with its busiest times being at weekends and particularly after lunchtime. However, we’d recommend making a weekend of it and seeing all the wonders Bath has to offer. Just make sure you book accommodation in advance. This is by far one of Bath’s most popular times of the year!
Bath Abbey and Christmas Tree
To get you feeling even more festive, make sure you check out the Christmas tree in front of Bath Abbey (another perfect Instagram opportunity). The Abbey, whose site has been home to a church since 757 AD, puts on Christmas Carol services on one of the Saturdays during the Christmas Market. The informal services with traditional carols start every hour from 1pm to 5pm, lasting about 20 minutes.
While you’re inside, look up at the stone fan vaulting, similar to the one inside Kings College Chapel in Cambridge. If you have enough time, take the Bath Abbey Tower tour up to the tower and along the flying buttresses, finishing with spectacular views of the Roman city.
So there it is – our guide to Bath Christmas Market! What’s your favourite thing about this festive time of the year? Are there any other Christmas Markets you would recommend? If you really loved our post, please leave us a comment and show us some love on social media using the buttons below 
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So glad you loved the market! Definitely my favourite 😊 loved this post x
It was one of the best bits of our short trip to Bath, can’t wait to go back! x
Your photographs are lovely. Bath is on my list of UK cities to visit in 2019, along with Edinburgh and Cambridge. I too love buying a good cheese at Christmas markets. I visited one in Kingston this year and had to revisit to repurchase all the cheeses I wanted 😂😍 x
Thanks Ellie! Bath, Edinburgh and Cambridge are all lovely and definitely a must if you are travelling around the UK, couldn’t recommend them enough! Oh and there is ALWAYS time (and space) for cheese x
Bath looks like such a gorgeous place to visit, I really need to get myself there! Thanks for sharing this 🙂
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Thank you so much Ellie! Bath is absolutely incredible, such a cute little city! x
It looks so charming. I really wish to visit this place once, especially in December now. 🙂
It looks even better in person! The market is open for three weeks from late November to early December every year; make sure to add it to your list for next year! x
I feel like Bath market needs to be on my list to visit next year!! Looks so festive
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Absolutely! It’s by far one of the best Christmas markets I’ve been to! x
Fantastic photos. I was at the Bath Christmas Market this year too, I took some evening shots.
Really nice post!
Thanks Dylan, such a charming place to visit during the festive period! x
Loved seeing all the photos of Bath’ Christmas Market. I only went there last weekend with the hopes of seeing it myself, and didn’t find it unfortunately, it must only be there for certain dates! – hopefully next year (:
Oh, the market is open for three weeks every year (from late November to early December). Make sure to add it to your list for next year, it’s absolutely worth the wait! x
I’ve heard Bath is such a lovely place! This definitely shows I must visit, I love visiting a Christmas market, they’re always soo pretty and Christmassy. I visited the Oxford one and felt it was a little on the small size. I love how there are soo many different stores! Perfect for picking up the Christmas presents.
Gemma | https://anoceanglimmer.wordpress.com/
Agreed, there’s nothing better than a good Christmas market and loads of festive food during this time of the year! x
I have always wanted to visit Bath, I wish I had gone before Christmas. Perhaps next year 🙂
Definitely, it’s the perfect place to visit for a short weekend escape!
WOW – what a gorgeous looking market! I’d love to visit Bath next year, I’ll have to add this to my list! xx
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Glad you liked it, I can’t wait to go back myself 🙂 x
We loved Bath when we went, glad you had a great time at the market – the pictures look fab!
Thanks so much for the lovely comment! x
This is the perfect post for me! I am heading to Bath for the first time when I’m back visiting the UK in Feb! I am so sad that I still have missed the market but it still looks gorgeous just the same. I am hoping to visit in a few years in Nov so I can actually go to the market!
Funny you mention Cambridge, I will also be heading there!
That’s amazing! You won’t be disappointed, both Bath and Cambridge are absolutely beautiful x
I think I need to set a new bucket list goal of visiting ALL of the Christmas markets in Europe!!!!
Hahahah, can I add it to my bucket list too? 😛 x
I went to Bath literally the week before the market opened and I absolutely loved it, even without the Christmas market! Sounds like it’s well worth the trip late in the year!
Holly | http://www.honestlyholly23.com
Same! Bath is one of these charming cities in the UK that you just can’t get enough of x
I visited Bath Christmas market this year and loved it! We did go on opening weekend, mind, and it was CRAZY. There literally wasn’t room to move
Becca / becc4.co.uk
It was like that when we visited too! Still, an incredibly charming place! x
Great post! I too love Bath particularly when the Christmas market is on. Love your photos – really bring the market to life.
Glad to see the Bath Gin stall featured X
Thank you Jane! We loved it too! x
You have some really lovely photos! It got me into the Christmas spirit. I think the Christmas tree in front of Bath Abbey is a great spot to check out – it is always nice to see a gorgeous lit up tree!
Love the pictures and the article! I wish I had time this Christmas to visit for the market and decorations but I don’t think I will! But definitely adding Bath to my bucket list to visit next year even for a day!
I had no idea Bath had a Christmas market! Looks soo lovely, now I almost feel bad I chose to spend my Sunday in Oxford (no Christmas markets there) and not in Bath 😀 I gotta keep this in mind and visit maybe next year.
Teresa Maria | Outlandish Blog
I have a Christmas market post coming up. Like you I think they are the perfect Christmas warm up, even better now the weather has dried up and is that lovely crisp winter feel about it x
Thanks for sharing this! I’m planning to tour European Christmas markets one year in the future, and Bath’s is definitely going on my list now. 🙂
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Great post! This looks amazing and like so much fun. We went to a much much much smaller version of this in Denver last week and had a blast looking through all the goods and sipping on some mulled wine. I’d love to experience one this large! Thank you for sharing.
Ohh I havent been to bath xmas market in forever!! This is making me want to go now!!!! Great post!!
This is so beautiful! I wish my city had a Christmas Market like Bath does. Looks like so much fun and perfect.
Thanks for sharing
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