From late November, Salisbury quietly turns into one of the loveliest Christmas cities in the south. The trees around Market Place are wrapped in lights, the stalls come out on the square, and the cathedral spire watches over all of it. And because Salisbury is so compact, you can see the whole thing on foot from our cottage.
Christmas on the Square: 20 November to 31 December 2026
Christmas on the Square runs in Guildhall Square from Friday 20 November until Thursday 31 December 2026, so it’s there for the whole of the festive season, New Year’s Eve included. The season opens with Christmas Begins in Market Place on the same Friday, 20 November.
Salisbury City Council hasn’t confirmed opening times yet. We’ll update this page as soon as it does.
The Sunday festive markets
Alongside Christmas on the Square, Market Place hosts Sunday festive markets from 10am to 4pm on 29 November and 6, 13 and 20 December 2026. They’re perfect for a slow Sunday of Christmas shopping before you head home. If you’re here on a Saturday too, the city’s regular market fills the square with local traders and street food.
The cathedral at Christmas
Salisbury Cathedral is an eight-minute walk from the cottage, and it’s at its most atmospheric in Advent. It’s well worth an afternoon. For this year’s Advent and Christmas services, concerts and any ticketed events, check the cathedral’s own website, as some sell out early.
Getting here without the car
Christmas weekends get busy in the city centre, so the train is the easy option. Salisbury station is under five minutes’ walk from the cottage, with direct trains from London Waterloo, Bath, Bristol, Southampton and Exeter. Our guide to Salisbury without a car has everything you need. If you do drive, a digital Zone B visitor parking permit for one vehicle is included with your stay.
A cosy base for a festive weekend
When you’ve had your fill of the market, come back to a two-bedroom cottage with a log burner, room for up to four guests, and space for up to two well-behaved dogs. Market Place is about a seven-minute walk away, and self check-in means you can arrive whenever your train gets in from 3pm. Take a look at the cottage, or check your dates below. Stays are two nights or more.
Photos: Salisbury Market Place, Market Square and Market Walk at Christmas by Richard Avery, released into the public domain (CC0) via Wikimedia Commons. “Salisbury Cathedral, 2016 christmas tree” by Rwendland, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, resized for the web.
