Christmas On The South Coast

If you follow me over on Instagram (linked here) you'll have seen that I've recently been going to allllll of the festive spots down here on the South Coast. For those of you who are new around these parts, I'm from Bournemouth but currently live and study in Southampton, so yeah, it's fair to say I consider the south coast my stomping ground. In today's post, I thought I'd give you a little roundup of the five Christmas spots I've been to so far this year.

I was recently invited to visit Beaulieu as a blogger on their opening night and took my Mumma as my plus one. We had a really nice evening wandering the grounds looking at all the beautiful Christmas lights. The tunnel pictured above was by far the highlight for me, it was beautiful. The only criticism we had was there wasn't enough music... If you're after an all singing, all dancing festive experience, this isn't the one for you. If you are, however, after lots of photo opps and a nice, classy evening stroll, then this is ideal.

A few weeks ago I visited Bath Christmas Market and it was PACKED. To be fair, we did go on opening weekend, so what were we expecting, but from what I've heard, it's busy all month. The city of Bath itself is so so pretty, so throw in a load of Christmassy stalls selling delicious food and homemade gifts, and it only gets better. The shopping in Bath is also incredible, so if you're looking for a proper day out then Bath is the one. Be prepared for the crowds though, everyone and their brother is planning a trip.

I was recently invited to experience the Southampton Christmas Market with a few other local bloggers and it was a really nice evening. We sampled alllll of the market food, and let me tell you, the crepes are INCREDIBLE. We had mulled wine in the balcony bar overlooking the entire market and chatted all things blogging. My favourite thing about Southampton at Christmas is by far the huge German bar with alllll the Christmas music playing. The market shopping isn't as good as some of the others I've been to, but if you're after good food and festive music, then this is the one for you.

Winchester at Christmas is a lot like Bath. It's a really pretty city and its Christmas market is always really well thought out and organised. That being said, compared to Bath there isn't an awful lot to see and do in the city generally, it's just a nice place to wander around. So, if all you're specifically after a pretty market, and not fussed about it being a full day trip, then this is the place to go. 

It's fair to say Bournemouth is a bit of a Christmas hub at this time of year... There are all sorts of things going on, from two ice skating rinks, to the lights in the gardens, the Christmas markets and the bar in the square. I've also heard there's a hot chocolate stand that is next level, so if I get the chance to check it out I will definitely report back on my thoughts... The Christmas trees that have been put up in the gardens really are pretty and are nice to wander around if you get the chance. They're also free, obviously, so a nice budget friendly option if you're out and about in town and don't want to pay for entry to something!

And there we have it, Christmas on the south coast wrapped up and rated...

Have you been to any of these spots this year?

Which is your favourite Christmas market?