Atmospheric Winchester, with its lively Christmas market and historic architecture, provides a perfect start to the festive season for Susan Taylor
WHAT TO DO when you want to go away exploring in the dark days of November? For us, the default is to throw on an extra layer, waterproofs and a scarf, and just get out there for a pleasurable spot of puddle jumping and mud splashing.
You really can’t beat the fresh smell of the earth following a rain shower, or the sparkling scenery on a frosty morning.
But this time, we wanted to mix things up and do something a little different. So with thinking cap firmly in position, I pondered our options.
The freedom to do some more leisurely, relaxed Christmas gift shopping, rather than the usual Saturday afternoon dash, seemed like a good idea, combined with an excellent opportunity for some towny sightseeing and exploring.
Christmas market
After further use of the trusty thinking cap, we decided on Winchester – renowned as one of the very best Christmas markets around and with plenty of interest to keep us happy for a few days.
But would we find a nearby campsite? Aware that many sites close during the winter, it was with some trepidation that I set about the search.
I needn’t have worried – Three Trees Campsite sounded absolutely perfect: open all year, small and adults-only, set among woodland but with a bus to Winchester stopping just outside the site, so we could choose to have a drink if we wanted!
All pitched up and settled in, we decided to do the gift shopping first, then spend the rest of our trip relaxing and exploring.
Housed in the grounds of Winchester’s splendid gothic cathedral (which was built around 1083), the bustling market contains more than 100 stalls, many set in charming wooden chalets reminiscent of traditional German markets. Most stalls are sited on the Inner Close, which involves following the crowds through the archways of Curle’s Passage, named after Bishop Curle, who commissioned it back in 1632.
There is also an excellent British Craft Village, where we found unique handmade gifts, which family and friends definitely wouldn’t see on the high street. These included a quirky foot-shaped cheeseboard with the carved inscription ‘cheesy feet’ – perfect for a cheese-loving friend!
Our day was pleasantly punctuated by winter scents: mulled wine, cinnamon, roasting chestnuts and mince pies… and I’d be fibbing if I said that we
