# Winchester Cathedral Christmas Market 2026 > Winchester Cathedral Christmas Market runs 20 November to 22 December 2026 in Winchester. Opening times, where it is and entry cost, checked against the organiser on 11 October 2026. Source: https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/winchester/ Winchester, [Hampshire](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/areas/hampshire/) Runs Friday 20 November to Tuesday 22 December 2026 | Dates | Friday 20 November to Tuesday 22 December 2026 (33 open days) | | --- | --- | | Days Closed | None listed: open every day of its run | | Opening Times | Friday and Saturday: **10am to 8pm** Sunday to Thursday: **10am to 6pm** | | Where | Wooden chalets in the Cathedral Close beside Winchester Cathedral SO23 9LS [Open in Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=51.0606,-1.3131) | | Entry | Free to enter | | Organiser | Winchester Cathedral. [Official page](https://www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk/christmas/christmas-market/) | ## Checked Against the Source These dates and times come from the organiser's own page, not from another guide. - [Winchester Cathedral](https://www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk/christmas/christmas-market/), checked 11 October 2026 Organisers sometimes change hours or close early in bad weather. On the day, check the [official page](https://www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk/christmas/christmas-market/). Spotted something out of date? [Tell us](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/contact/). ## Winchester Cathedral Christmas Market: Quick Answers ### When does Winchester Cathedral Christmas Market start in 2026? It opens on Friday 20 November 2026. ### When does Winchester Cathedral Christmas Market end? The last day is Tuesday 22 December 2026. ### What time does Winchester Cathedral Christmas Market open and close? Friday and Saturday 10am to 8pm; Sunday to Thursday 10am to 6pm. ### Is Winchester Cathedral Christmas Market open every day? Yes. The organiser lists no closed days between 20 Nov and 22 Dec. ### Is Winchester Cathedral Christmas Market free to enter? Yes. ### Where is Winchester Cathedral Christmas Market? Wooden chalets in the Cathedral Close beside Winchester Cathedral, Winchester SO23 9LS. ## About Winchester Cathedral Christmas Market Chalet market in the grounds of Winchester Cathedral selling gifts, crafts and food. It runs daily for just over a month and entry is free with no booking. [Add the Dates to Your Calendar](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/winchester/dates.ics) ## Where Is Winchester Cathedral Christmas Market? Wooden chalets in the Cathedral Close beside Winchester Cathedral, Winchester SO23 9LS. The other dots are nearby markets. ![A row of small wooden chalets glowing with warm light after dark, with visitors browsing and trees lit red behind.](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/assets/photos/winchester-cathedral-christmas-market-960.webp) *Chalets lit after dark at Winchester Cathedral Christmas Market, December 2014. Photo: [Fernweh](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:After_dark_scene_at_Winchester_Cathedral_Christmas_Market_(geograph_4278751).jpg), CC BY-SA 2.0.* ## Getting There and Parking ### By Train Winchester station is the nearest, managed by South Western Railway. The cathedral says the city has direct trains from London, Southampton, Basingstoke, Reading and the Midlands, and asks visitors to come by rail where they can. The organiser gives no walking distance: in a straight line the station is roughly half a mile north-west of the Cathedral Close (our estimate from map coordinates), and the walk is downhill through the city centre. The station has lifts and step-free access to all platforms, though National Rail notes this may be by long or steep ramps or via streets. Source: [National Rail](https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/winchester/), checked 11 October 2026; [Winchester Cathedral](https://www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk/christmas/how-to-get-here/), checked 11 October 2026. ### Park and Ride Winchester City Council runs five park and ride car parks on the south, east and west sides of the city, with one bus route linking them all to the centre. A ticket costs £3.50 a day for a car and up to six passengers, or £3.00 off-peak after 10.30am on weekdays (October 2026). Buses run Monday to Friday 6.25am to 7.30pm and Saturday 7am to 6.30pm. There are no buses on Sundays or public holidays, when the car parks are free to use. The cathedral says stops are two to three minutes' walk from the market and that services are extended into the evening on late opening nights. | Site | Postcode | Spaces | | --- | --- | --- | | South Winchester | SO21 2FG | 884 | | East Winchester (St Catherine's) | SO23 9NP | 583 | | East Winchester (Barfield) | SO23 9SQ | 195 | | East Winchester (Barfield Phase II) | SO23 9SQ | 276 | | Pitt | SO22 5PR | 199 | Source: [Winchester City Council](https://www.winchester.gov.uk/parking/parkandride/park-and-ride-faqs), [page 2](https://www.winchester.gov.uk/parking/parking-and-car-parks), [page 3](https://www.winchester.gov.uk/parking/park-and-ride), checked 11 October 2026; [Winchester Cathedral](https://www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk/christmas/how-to-get-here/), checked 11 October 2026. ### Parking The cathedral asks people not to drive into the centre if they can avoid it: parking is limited and the roads clog up in December. If you must, the council's central car parks charge £2.00 to £18.60 in the daytime (8am to 7pm). Its "park and walk" car parks, five to ten minutes from the centre, are cheaper, give the first hour free and are free in the evenings and on Sundays. Blue Badge holders park free in the council's city centre pay and display car parks at all times. Prices were read in October 2026. | Car Park | Postcode | Spaces | Price | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Colebrook Street | SO23 9LH | 86 | £2.00 to £18.60 daytime (October 2026) | | The Brooks | SO23 8QY | 313 | £2.00 to £18.60, open 8am to 6pm (October 2026) | | Tower Street | SO23 8TA | 515 | £2.00 to £18.60 daytime (October 2026) | | Chesil Street multi-storey (park and walk) | SO23 0HU | 616 | £1.50 to £7.30 (October 2026) | Source: [Winchester City Council](https://www.winchester.gov.uk/parking/parking-and-car-parks), checked 11 October 2026; [Winchester Cathedral](https://www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk/christmas/how-to-get-here/), checked 11 October 2026. ### Accessibility The cathedral publishes access information for the building and Close rather than for the market itself. It says there is step-free access to the grounds and buildings of the inner close, ramps into the cathedral, gift shop and café, and accessible toilets with baby changing inside the cathedral. Blue Badge holders can park in Colebrook Street, about three minutes away, and wheelchairs can be borrowed subject to availability. On the market page the cathedral suggests wheelchair and pushchair users pick a weekday, when there is more room to move. Source: [Winchester Cathedral](https://www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk/welcome/accessibility/), [page 2](https://www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk/christmas/christmas-market/), checked 11 October 2026. ### Quiet Times to Visit The cathedral says weekends can be very busy and recommends a weekday for anyone who wants more space. It also points out that the market has three entrances, so if one has a queue you can try another: Curle's Passage to the right of the cathedral (the most used), Colebrook Street (the Water Gate) and St Swithun's Street. Source: [Winchester Cathedral](https://www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk/christmas/christmas-market/), checked 11 October 2026. ### What Else Is On The cathedral runs its own Christmas programme alongside the market. The Lantern Parade sets off from the cathedral through the city from 5.30pm on Monday 23 November 2026. The Gift by Luxmuralis, a ticketed light and sound show inside the cathedral, runs from 14 to 19 December 2026, 6.30pm to 9pm. Advent and Christmas services are listed from 28 November to 25 December 2026. Source: [Winchester Cathedral](https://www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk/christmas/family-activities/), checked 11 October 2026. ### Where to Stay Winchester is small and the whole of the centre is within a ten-minute walk of the Cathedral Close. Anywhere around the High Street, the streets south of the cathedral towards the college, or the area between the centre and the station will do without a car. Places near the station are about a quarter of an hour on foot from the stalls. **Staying the night?** See hotels and rooms near the stalls on a map, priced for Saturday 21 November. Map by Stay22. [affiliate](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/affiliate-disclosure/) **Making a weekend of it?** A cottage within reach of the market gives you an early start before the day trippers arrive. [Holiday cottages from Sykes](https://www.sykescottages.co.uk/) ## Questions People Ask **Do you need a ticket for Winchester Cathedral Christmas Market?** No. The cathedral says admission to the market is free and no pre-booking is required. **What days is Winchester Christmas Market open in 2026?** Every day from Friday 20 November to Tuesday 22 December 2026: 10am to 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays, 10am to 6pm Sunday to Thursday. **What is the nearest station to Winchester Christmas Market?** Winchester station, managed by South Western Railway. It is roughly half a mile in a straight line from the Cathedral Close. **Does the Winchester park and ride run on Sundays?** No. The council says park and ride buses run Monday to Saturday only. The car parks stay open and are free on Sundays, but you would have to walk in. **When is Winchester Christmas Market quietest?** On weekdays. The cathedral says weekends can be very busy and recommends a weekday if you are bringing a dog, pushchair or wheelchair. ## Have You Been to Winchester Cathedral Christmas Market? Tell other visitors whether it was worth the trip. One vote per market, no account needed. ## Other Christmas Markets Nearby [Artful Christmas Market at Sir Harold Hillier Gardens Romsey, Hampshire 21 to 22 Nov 2026 8 miles away](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/hillier-gardens/) [Southampton Christmas Market Southampton, Hampshire 12 Nov to 27 Dec 2026 Closed on Fri 25 Dec 12 miles away](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/southampton/) [Hawk Conservancy Trust Christmas Market Andover, Hampshire 26 to 29 Nov 2026 15 miles away](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/hawk-conservancy/) [Milestones Christmas Market Basingstoke, Hampshire 5 to 6 Dec 2026 17 miles away](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/milestones-basingstoke/) [Petersfield Christmas Market Petersfield, Hampshire 13 Dec 2026 17 miles away](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/markets/petersfield/) See all [Christmas markets near Southampton](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/near/southampton/). More in [South East](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/regions/south-east/), or see [every market's 2026 dates](https://bestchristmasmarkets.co.uk/dates/).