Pretty Christmas market opening in a cathedral an hour from London with a carousel and live music

Following a 200-year hiatus, a historic Christmas market is set to return to the grounds of Canterbury Cathedral. The market's origins date back to 1383 when King Richard II granted a Royal permit, but it was eventually shut down in 1813 due to concerns over "indecency and tumultuous conduct".

The revamped market, featuring traditional German-style wooden huts, is scheduled to open on Friday, November 15, as an extension of the city's festive celebrations. Visitors can expect to find food, drinks, a vintage carousel ride, live music, and Saturday carol services.

A Canterbury Cathedral spokesman said: “After a break of over 200 years, we’re excited to welcome the historic Christmas market back to the cathedral precincts, and to revive this centuries-old tradition for new generations.

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“We hope that the return of the cathedral Christmas market – an extension to Canterbury’s existing much-loved festive city-centre market – will help make what is already one of the most magical festive shopping experiences in the country, a cornerstone of everyone’s annual celebrations.”

The city is extending its Christmas markets to St George’s Street and Whitefriars shopping centre, and offering late-night shopping on November 27.

Canterbury’s business improvement district chief executive, Lisa Carlson, said: “This is a really key time of year for our business community, of which over 68 per cent are independent, so we hope to see lots of people making a beeline for Canterbury over the coming weeks.”

Canterbury Catherdral Christmas market visitor information

It is free to attend the market with no ticket booking required. There are some activities visitors will need to book inclusiding a breakfast with Santa himself, a Lapland VR experience and minigolf. Check out the full list of activities here.

If you are driving, you can find nearby car parks here. If you are taking public transport, you can take a Southeastern train from St Pancras to Canterbury West, stopping at Stratford International among others. The slower train from Victoria also stops at Bromley South.

The market is open from Friday, November 15, until Christmas eve. On weekdays, it is open from 10am to 6pm. Saturdays, it is open from 9am to 6pm, then Sundays it is open 11am to 4pm. On Chritmas Eve, a Tuesday, it is open from 10am to 4pm.

For more information, check out the FAQs here.