Shockingly, this week’s instalment of the Bucket List doesn’t actually occur in Bristol. Last weekend I decided to get in to the Christmas spirit with a couple of friends and go to the Bath Christmas market.
Considered a Christmas staple by many Bristol students, the Bath Christmas market is a collection of over 170 stalls with products ranging from your traditional Christmas puddings to quirkier artisan produce like chocolate wine, wooden ties and even Christmas themed dog food!
It seemed like the perfect place to do your Christmas shopping whilst soaking up the festive spirit with a mug of mulled wine, so some friends and I decided to hop on the ten minute train down to Bath last Saturday. The day did not look like a good day to be outside, with overcast skies, sporadic gusts of wind and occasional showers, but we were not to be deterred.
Despite the wind claiming my umbrella soon after we arrived, I could not deny how beautiful Bath looked, with its Georgian architecture adorned with fairy lights. It seemed that many people had the same idea, however, and the gorgeous narrow streets were rammed with people shopping and taking photos; queuing for a cash point took 20 minutes!
(Image credit: Bath Christmas Market)
However, the stalls were lovely and interspersed in the city of Bath, so you could find a less crowded spot. My favourite spot was Abbey Green, just round the corner from Sally Lunn’s Buns (if you haven’t been, go, it really is lovely). It was so picturesque, the cobbled streets with an illuminated giant tree in the middle, looking like something out of a fairy tale. It had a lovely collection of stalls espousing various food and drink, as well as knick-knacks. There was a stall selling little Russian dolls, which was adorable, as well as a huge selection of drinks including gin, cider and of course mulled wine. Food-wise we were spoilt for choice, but I decided to partake of the tartiflette, which is basically just potatoes, cheese, cream, bacon and cream… All good things!
A lot of the permanent shops, cafes and pubs also had stalls outside their establishments, with many places offering mulled wine and a free mince pie for about £3.50. A deal too good to pass up! They also allowed us to shuffle inside away from the cold and wet day outside. The copious amount of mulled wine helped warm the cockles of our hearts, and the cosy atmosphere inside made me feel like I was in Love Actually! The permanent shops of Bath are also very good to explore; with some great vintage stores and few great tea rooms, it is definitely a good spot to do some Christmas shopping.
(Photo credit: Anna Sagar)
I managed to get some of my Christmas shopping done, sampling a lot of great food along the way and though I would definitely say that most of it was not cheap by student standards, all the products are of great quality and locally produced, with up 75% of the goods available handmade in the UK.
Overall, I think the Bath Christmas market was very enjoyable and really got me in the mood for Christmas. I would recommend going on a weekday when it may not be so busy, and also checking the weather so you don’t get rained on like I did! I also think that Bath is a great day trip, with an off peak return costing just £5 with a 16-25 railcard, it would be silly not to go to Bath for the day as a Bristol student.
(Featured image credit: Snaptrip)