Canterbury Christmas Market

Canterbury's Christmas Market transforms the medieval cathedral city into something properly festive come December. The market sprawls across the city centre - Cathedral Gate is the heart of it, though stalls wind through the High Street and around the Cathedral precincts too. You're walking cobbled streets lined with wooden chalets selling the usual suspects: mulled wine, roasted chestnuts, German toys, handmade jewellery. It's busy. Very busy on weekends. The Cathedral itself provides a stunning backdrop, and there's something undeniably satisfying about sipping hot cider while standing in the shadow of eight centuries of stone.

Really it's about the atmosphere rather than finding anything you couldn't get elsewhere. The market runs for several weeks in late November and through December, and it's free to wander - you only pay for whatever you fancy eating or buying. Allow a couple of hours minimum, longer if you want to actually browse rather than just jostle through crowds.

Families get the most from it. Kids will go daft for the mulled cider stalls and the festive decorations, and there's usually some sort of entertainment happening - carol singers, that sort of thing. If you're staying at Canterbury Camping and Caravanning Club Campsite just down the road, it's an easy walk into town. The glamping options at Canterbury Lodges or Preston Court are slightly further out but still manageable for a day trip. Worth doing once, particularly if you've got children. Just go on a weekday morning if you value your sanity.