Festive fairs and markets celebrate many of our rural traditions. Simon Whaley reveals some of his favourites before puckering up for Tenbury Wells’ charming Mistletoe Festival, where druids, drummers and royalty pay homage
WALK: Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire
PICTURED A buyer assesses the quality of the holly and mistletoe before auction at Tenbury
Our rural Christmas markets, fairs and festivals are a nostalgic blend of traditional ingredients, from the northerly chill that caresses your cheeks to the internal hug from a warming sip of spiced, mulled wine.
Add the gorgeous metallic tones from a local brass band as they play the opening bars of Silent Night, accompanied by the angelic voices of the local infant-school choir. Finally, stir in lashings of festive spirit, with twinkling lights, and the aroma of fresh mince pies or roasting chestnuts. And, if we’re lucky, it’s all topped off with the softest of snowflakes dancing gently in the air.
MERRY MARKETS
Our cities tempt tourists with large German markets, but Britain’s market towns, villages and country houses celebrate rural customs, local produce, crafts and ancient traditions. They are a magical place to buy that special ingredient for Christmas dinner, or a unique handcrafted gift for a loved one.
Savour the produce from festive farmers’ markets, such as Creake Abbey’s Christmas Farmers’ Market in Norfolk (17 December), or the Argory’s Christmas Fair in County Armagh (3 December). Aberglasney’s Winter Fair (2–4 December) showcases local Welsh delicacies and crafts, while chefs at Padstow’s Christmas Market in Cornwall (1–4 December) offer tasty Christmas dinner tips.
Victorian entertainment appears on the cobbled streets of Ulverston’s Dickensian Festival (26–27 November) in Cumbria, while Thursford in Norfolk puts on its 45th Christmas Spectacular of non-stop singing, dancing, music and humour (8 November – 23 December).
Make your own lantern at Hawkshead’s Christmas Fair in Cumbria (3–4 December) before parading through the village at night, or create a festive decoration at Stourhead’s Christmas Wreath Workshops in Warminster (26–27 November, 6 and 10 December).
Meanwhile, visitors to Beecraig’s Illuminated Festive Forest (2–3 December) in West Lothian can keep wa
