Tonight we went to the residents’ preview of the Bath Christmas Market that runs from 23rd November to 10th December. Going to the resident’s preview means that we got to see the stalls when they’re fresh and before the real crowds arrive. Even so, there were lots of people there tonight and from the diversity of accents and ethnicities in the crowd, I’m sure they weren’t all local. They did all seem to be having a good time. 

This is the twenty-first Bath Christmas Market and it’s a big deal these days. Last year, the market attracted around 426,000 visitors and is estimated to have boosted the local economy by £50 million.

This year, there are 170+ chalets set up around Bath, selling handmade Christmas gifts and decorations, confectionary and hot food and drinks. The chalets wind their way around Bath Abbey, through the Georgian shopping streets and on to Royal Avenue in the parklands below the Royal Crescent. 

Many of the buildings have light shows set up to show them off. The Abbey looks magnificent as it rotates through a range of colours.

The large Christmas tree is already up in front of the Abbey and tonight there was a busker enlivening the crowd by playing Irish music on his fiddle.

My favourite part of the Market is in Abbey Churchyard, where the Chalets have been set out around the large tree that dominates the square.

After an hour or so of shopping and people-watching, we decided to leave the chalets in Royal Avenue for another day and went for a drink at The Architect, opposite Bath Abbey. It’s a recently restored bar and restaurant with wooden floors, huge fireplaces, tall ceilings and a beautiful wood and brass bar.