November and December in this part of the Cotswolds gives you a straightforward choice: drive to a Christmas market and drive home, or turn it into a proper weekend. Pettifers is in Crudwell, which puts you close to Cirencester, Tetbury and Malmesbury, and within easy reach of Cheltenham and Bath, so there’s enough within range to fill two days without much repetition. Why not fuel your Christmas market days by choosing our Full-Cotswold breakfast, served 7 days a week, before you head out into the crowds amongst the market stalls.
Cirencester: the most substantial Christmas market nearby
Cirencester is the nearest town of scale to Crudwell and does Christmas better than its size might suggest. The anchor event is the Advent Market, confirmed for Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November 2026 in the Market Place. It’s a large outdoor market, with over 200 stalls in previous years spreading from the Market Place into Cricklade and Castle Streets, along with live music from local community groups, the town’s Christmas lights switch-on and a low-noise firework display. It’s free to attend and tends to be busy, particularly on the Sunday afternoon.
The Corn Hall indoor Christmas market runs from Saturday 21 November 2026 right through to Christmas Eve, which gives you more flexibility if you miss the Advent weekend. The Corn Hall sits in the centre of the Market Place and covers clothing, jewellery, crafts, art and food, and the Diversitea café inside is a useful stop if you need warming up mid-browse.
Through December, Cirencester’s outdoor Gift Markets return to the Market Place on several dates, typically Saturdays and Sundays through the month, though Cotswold Markets hasn’t yet confirmed the 2026 schedule. Their website will have the December dates once they’re released. While you’re in town, Black Jack Street is worth a wander for independent shops and places to eat.
Tetbury: quieter and worth the detour
Tetbury is also a short drive from Crudwell and holds a Christmas lights switch-on event in the town centre each November, with market stalls selling crafts, gifts, food and drink, late-night shopping and a silver band. The Grade I-listed Market House makes a lovely backdrop for a small Christmas event. The town already has a good collection of independent shops and antique dealers, so a Christmas visit tends to stretch naturally into an afternoon of browsing, whenever the market itself runs. Dates for 2026 haven’t been confirmed yet, so Tetbury Town Council is the place to check for announcements.
Bath: chalets right through the city centre
Bath Christmas Market runs from Thursday 26 November to Sunday 13 December 2026, with more than 180 chalets spread across the city centre, from Abbeygate Street in the south up to Milsom Street in the north, taking in Bath Street, Union Street and the Abbey Quarter along the way. Opening hours shift through the week: 10am to 7pm Monday to Wednesday, 10am to 8pm Thursday to Saturday, and 10am to 6pm on Sundays. If you’d like a calmer browse, midweek mornings tend to be the quieter time to go, while evenings and weekends bring the full festive buzz.
The market finishes on 13 December, so Bath suits an earlier festive weekend, and its dates overlap with Cirencester’s Advent Market on 28 and 29 November if you’d like both in one stay. Roads in the centre are closed while the market is on, so it’s worth sorting your parking before you set off. The organisers recommend Bath’s Park & Ride, which runs from Odd Down, Newbridge and Lansdown, and as Bath has a Clean Air Zone, the gov.uk checker tells you in a few seconds whether your vehicle is charged. The Bath Christmas Market site has the full travel details and a market map.
Cheltenham: chalets along the Promenade
Cheltenham runs several Christmas markets across November and December, the most established being the Promenade market, which fills the town’s main pedestrianised street with chalets. In 2025 it ran from 10 to 23 December, and while the 2026 dates are yet to be confirmed, the format has been reliable. Cheltenham also hosts an Arts and Crafts Christmas market in December, typically running through the second and third weeks of the month along the Promenade and Long Gardens. It’s a bigger town than Cirencester or Tetbury and the markets reflect that, with more stalls, more food options and more of a crowd, but it’s a straightforward drive and easy to pair with a Saturday at the shops if that’s part of the plan.
Malmesbury: close to home
Malmesbury is close by and holds late-night Christmas shopping evenings through December, with independent traders lining the streets. It’s not a large market by any measure, but it works well as an early-evening addition to a day spent somewhere else, particularly on a Friday or Saturday when the town’s pubs and restaurants are open late.
How to structure a weekend
The natural shape for a festive weekend from Pettifers is Cirencester on Saturday, the Advent Market if you’re coming in late November or the Gift Markets if December suits better, followed by a slower Sunday that might take in Tetbury, Malmesbury or simply the countryside around Crudwell. If your dates fall between 26 November and 13 December, Bath makes an alternative Saturday, leaving Cirencester or Tetbury for a gentler Sunday closer to home. The towns are close enough that you don’t need to commit to a tight itinerary, so either direction works.
Staying at Pettifers
Our bedrooms are spread across the main hotel and courtyard, including family rooms, two accessible ground-floor rooms and dog-friendly rooms, so the dog can come along for the weekend too. After a day of outdoor browsing, the bar, snug and lounge are well suited to a slower evening, whether that’s dinner delivered from one of two local Indian restaurants at Pettifers, or dinner out and a nightcap. We are operating on a bed and breakfast basis through to Spring 2027.
Our two-bedroom country cottage has its own parking and a private garden, which is worth considering if you’re travelling as a group of four or would like your own front door for the weekend.
Planning a festive weekend? Take a look at our rooms and cottage, get in touch or call us on 01666 815060, and we’ll help you match a room to your plans.
