As the Bath Christmas Market opens on Thursday, November 27, motorists are being warned of potential travel delays throughout the city. Several key roads around Bath, including areas near the Abbey, the Theatre Royal, and St Michael’s Church, will experience periodic closures until the market concludes.
Traffic monitoring service INRIX has issued a warning: “Delays expected due to Bath Christmas Markets with road closures at times until late on December 19 on many roads around the Abbey, the Theatre Royal, and St Michael’s Church.”
While most roads will fully reopen after the market closes on Monday, December 15, York Street will remain closed until Friday, December 19.
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Bath and North East Somerset Council encourages visitors to use public transportation where possible. Councillor Manda Rigby, Cabinet Member for Communications and Community, expressed enthusiasm about the event, stating, “We are excited for what is sure to be another brilliant Christmas Market in Bath and to welcome visitors from around the world.”
She also advised planning journeys carefully due to expected crowds, especially on weekends, recommending walking, cycling, buses, trains, or one of the three Park & Ride services. These Park & Ride facilities—located at Lansdown, Newbridge, and Odd Down—offer a combined 2,806 parking spaces, with additional overflow parking available at Lansdown. Impressively, Bath’s Park & Ride service secured second place in a national user satisfaction survey for the third consecutive year.
To ease congestion, the council has placed an embargo on all non-emergency highways works on major routes during the market period.
The Bath Christmas Market is a major event, attracting an estimated 440,000 visitors in 2024 alone, who spent approximately £60.4 million in the city. To accommodate this influx, road closures have been extended to facilitate smoother operation of the market.
The market chalets will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, extending to 8 p.m. on Thursdays through Saturdays, and closing at 6 p.m. on Sundays. The market will run until Sunday, December 14.