Fun of the fayres
ENGLAND’S ancient villages and market towns are the perfect place to find the traditional spirit of Christmas. KATIE ROWE highlights some of the most atmospheric…
LAVENHAM, SUFFOLK
WITH crooked, half-timbered houses and pastel-pink cottages overhanging twisting passageways, the Tudor wool town of Lavenham was made for the front of a Christmas card. Its historical charms are even more alluring in winter when the Christmas Fair lights up the old Market Place and Guildhall from December 4 to 6. You can browse more than 80 stalls selling locally made gifts, clothing and toys, then enjoy roasted chestnuts, mince pies and hog roast, washed down with a hand-warming cup of mulled wine.
COCKINGTON, TORBAY
JUST half a mile from Torquay, you’ll find the epitome of a quintessentially English village. Step back in time as you meander through narrow lanes lined with thatched houses and ornate gardens.
Everything about Cockington screams history: there’s a water mill, a 500-year-old forge, a cricket pitch that was once part of a medieval deer park, and Cockington Court at the heart of the village. This manor house was once frequented by Agatha Christie and is now a hub for art and crafts, with glass-blowers, blacksmiths, a chocolatier and even a canoe-maker all working on site. Stop by on December 5 and 6 for the annual Christmas Fayre, which includes Santa’s grotto, craft and food stalls, choirs and a lantern parade. The Grand Hotel in Torquay is offering Winter Warmer packages until December 23, and you’ll be greeted there with a hot chocolate and mince pies, and enjoy a delicious AA rosette three-course dinner.
DEVIZES, WILTSHIRE
GET into the Christmas spirit as the Devizes Christmas Festival comes to town on November 27. There’ll be firework displays and a gigantic parade of lanterns adding festive sparkle to this pretty Georgian market town.
Mooch around the Christmas markets in the Market Place and Corn Exchange and catch live music and street theatre performances, before experiencing a 2,000-strong parade lit up by hand-made lanterns. Father Christmas will switch on the town’s festive lights in the Market Place.
CORFE CASTLE, DORSET
ON THE Isle of Purbeck, Corfe Castle and the surrounding medieval village it overlooks are transformed into a winter wonderland as colourful fairy lights bejewel rows of Purbeck stone cottages, and the castle ruins are drenched in atmospheric lights for the Festive Glow from December 4 to January 3. See flames dancing from medieval beacons, and hidden nooks and crannies illuminated by candlelight as Corfe Castle opens after dark for the first time. Christmas trees will line the gatehouse bridge and, inside, you can tuck into festive treats at the Tea Rooms.