The ultimate 2019 Lincoln Christmas Market superguide

The 37th annual Lincoln Christmas Market will officially open for visitors on Thursday, December 5.

More than 250 stalls will line the grounds of Lincoln Castle and the streets surrounding the city’s Gothic Cathedral, as 250,000 people pour into the Cathedral Quarter.

The theme for the 2019 market will be Victoriana, in line with other events in the city this year. There will also be some new features including The Christmas Postbox, where people can post letters to Santa in an area transformed into the North Pole.

It’s one of the oldest markets around, and visitors will be able to explore traditional German cabins, tantalising food and drink zones, unique crafts and gifts, art and fun rides all the family will enjoy.

New and returning traders will offer people the chance to slurp their way through a selection of mulled wine, cider and spiced gins before trying roasted chestnuts, mince pies and bratwurst sausages.

Here’s what to expect at this year’s market:

Skip to section:

• Opening Times
• What to expect at the market
• Security
• Extra parking restrictions
• Park and ride
• Zones
• Travelling by bus
• Travelling by train
• Weather
• Taxi numbers
• Further information
• Social media

Opening times

Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

• Thursday, December 5: 12pm – 9.30pm
• Friday, December 6: 10am – 9.30pm
• Saturday, December 7: 10am – 9.30pm
• Sunday, December 8: 10am – 7pm

Admission to the market is free. The cost for raises may vary.

What to expect at the market

• Lincoln’s traditional Christmas market is one of the oldest in the UK
• There are more than 250 stalls this year nestled in and around Lincoln Castle, Cathedral, and The Lawn complex

Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

• There is something for everyone, from unusual gifts to food and drink from near and far
• There is also a whole host of entertainment for all the family to enjoy

Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

• From its beginnings in 1982, with just 11 stalls, the German-inspired Christmas market now takes over most of the cultural quarter of the city, with festivities expanding cross the wider area
• Stalls include hand-made crafts, gifts, jewellery, candles, toys, art, local produce, food and drink
• Full details of entertainment at the market can be found here.

There will also be some features new for 2019. The Christmas Postbox will be found on St Paul in the Bail off Bailgate. The area will be transformed into the North Pole, where you can post your letters to Father Christmas in the giant post box, or write and decorate a letter to send too.

The area will also have live music, and food and drink for sale too for a great new experience at the market.

At Wickham Gardens, near the Westgate Water Tower, there will be a Medieval Christmas Market, where select stall holders will be attending alongside English Heritage.

Security

Photo: Lincolnshire Police

Robust security is in place throughout the weekend to ensure visitor safety. This will include armed police.

Police will be using drones and CCTV to monitor the crowds at the market.

Extra parking restrictions

The Christmas Market takes place in uphill Lincoln and access to the area and its boundaries will be restricted throughout the event.

The inner area will have a cordon for vehicle movement. The outer area will have various traffic management restrictions in place.

Residents within the inner area received communications from the city council detailing the arrangements of the vehicle restrictions. In the best interests of public safety, there will be no vehicle movement during the following times:

• Thursday, December 5 – 11.30am-10pm
• Friday and Saturday, December 6 and 7 – 9.30am-10pm
• Sunday, December 8 – 9.30am-10pm

Vehicular access during these times is prohibited. The inner area will be accessible outside of the times. Residents within the inner area can apply to use the alternative parking arrangements provided by City of Lincoln Council at Bishop Grosseteste University and Yarborough Leisure Centre on a first come first served basis.

Residents within the inner area will also be able to use the park and ride located at the Lincolnshire Showground free of charge.

Every residential household within the market area will receive an Outer Resident Access Pass.

Click here for more information regarding parking restrictions.

Lincoln Christmas Market 2019 – Traffic Orders. Photo: City of Lincoln Council

Several traffic restrictions and road closures will be in place.

From 10am on December 3 until 11.59pm on December 8, One Way Orders will be in place on Burton Road (Northbound only from Union Road to Rasen Lane) and Union Road (Northbound only).

There will also a No Waiting/No Loading At Any Time Order (including suspension of limited waiting bays) in place on Carline Road (South side only between B1273 & Yarborough Terrace) for the same time period.

Further restrictions will be in place from 12.01am on December 5 until 11.59pm on December 8, with signage detailing accurate dates and times to be displayed on site in advance.

Road closure orders will be in place (full length unless otherwise stated) on:

• Albany Street
• Bailgate
• Belle Vue Terrace
• Belle Vue Road
• Burton Road (Yarborough Road to Westgate)
• Carline Road
• Carsbrooke Close
• Castle Hill
• Castle Street
• Cecil Street
• Chapel Lane
• Chestnut Street
• Church LaneClarence Street
• Danesgate (Steep Hill to Danes Terrace)
• Drury Lane
• East Bight
• Eastgate
• Exchequergate
• Gordon Road
• Garmston Street
• Gibraltar Hill
• Good Lane
• Gray Street
• Greestone Place
• Haffenden Road (From Nettleham Road to a point 30 metres West)
• Hereward Street
• Hungate (Spring Hill to Motherby Lane)
• James Street
• Kingsley Street
• Lillys Road
• Limelands
• Mainwaring Road (From Nettleham Road to a point 30 metres East)
• Manor Road (From Nettleham Road to a point 30 metres West)
• Michaelgate
• Middleton’s Field
• Mildmay Street
• Mill Road
• Mill Row
• Minster Yard
• Mount Street
• Naam Place
• Nettleham Road (Ruskin Avenue to Northgate)
• Newport
• Northgate (Eastgate to Church Lane)
• Olive Street
• Osborne Close
• Pottergate
• Priorygate
• Rasen Lane
• Reservoir Street
• Sastangate
• Saxon Street
• Spital Street
• Spring Hill
• St Martins Street
• St Martins Lane
• St Nicholas Street
• St Paul’s Lane
• Stonefield Avenue
• Steep Hill
• The Strait
• Turner Street
• Union Road
• Upper Long Leys Road
• Upper Saxon Street
• Vere Street
• Wake Street
• Waldeck Street
• Well Lane
• West Bight
• Westgate
• Wordsworth Street
• Wilson Street
• Woburn Avenue
• Willis Close
• Williamson Street
• Yarborough Terrace

Suspension One Way orders will be in place on Cecil Street and Pottergate (between Lindum Road and Minster Yard).

One Way Orders will be in place on:

• Church Lane (Westbound only)
• Lee Road (Eastbound only from Nettleham Road to Massey Road)
• Nettleham Road (Southbound only from Nursery Grove to Northgate)
• Newport (Northbound only from Church Lane to Vere Street)
• Northgate (Westbound from Nettleham Road to Church Lane)
• Burton Road (Northbound only from Union Road to Rasen Lane)
• Union Road (Northbound only)

A Bus Lane Order will be in place on Upper Longs Leys Road (Eastbound between Mill Road and Burton Road).

No Right Turn Orders will be in place in the following locations:

• From Willis Close onto Upper Long Leys Road
• From Palmer Road onto Nettleham Road
• From Broadway onto Nettleham Road
• From The Grove onto Nettleham Road
• From Northgate onto Church Lane
• From College Close onto Newport
• From Vere Street onto Newport
• From Spital Street onto Newport
• From Rasen Lane onto Newport
• From Vere Street onto Newport

No Left Turn Orders will be in place in the following locations:

• From Nursery Grove onto Nettleham Road
• From Geneva Avenue onto Nettleham Road
• From Church Lane onto Church Lane/Northgate
• From St Johns Road onto Newport
• From Williamson Street onto Newport
• From Newport onto Rasen Lane
• From Stonefield Avenue onto Church Lane
• From Lillys Road onto Newport
• From Byron Avenue onto Nettleham Road

Suspension of Residents Parking & Limited Waiting Bays/No Waiting/No Loading At Any Time Orders (full length and both sides unless otherwise stated) will be in place on:

• Bailgate
• Burton Road (Westgate to Rasen Lane)
• Burton Road (West side only from Rasen Lane to Yarborough Road)
• Carline Road (North side only from Union Rd to a point 90 metres West)
• Carline Road (South side only between Yarborough Road & Yarborough Terrace)
• Cecil Street (From Newport to a point 40 metres West)
• Chapel Lane
• Drury Lane
• Eastgate
• Garmston Street
• Greetwellgate
• Langworthgate
• Minster Yard
• Newport
• St Martins Square
• St Martins Lane
• Union Road
• Upper Long Leys Road (From Burton Road to a point 22 metres West of Willis Close)
• Westgate
• Willis Close (East side only from Upper Long Leys Road to a point 20 metres South)

Suspension of Disabled Parking Bays/No Waiting/No Loading At Any Time Orders (full length and both sides unless otherwise stated) will be in place on:

• Bailgate
• Eastgate
• St Martins Square

A 40mph Speed Limit Order will be in place on B1398 (between Burton Village and Tillbridge Lane). A 30mph Speed Limit Order will be in place on A1500 (from A15 to a point 50 metres west of Lincolnshire Showground Gate 7).

An Urban Clearway Order will be in place on Burton Road (from Bypass Bridge to Yarborough Road).

In addition, No Waiting/No Loading At Any Time Orders will be in place in the following locations (full length and both sides unless otherwise stated):

• A1500 Tillbridge Lane (From A15/A1500 Roundabout to LINCS Showground Gate 6)
• Bailgate
• Broadway
• Broadway Close
• Bruce Close
• Burton Road (West side only from Yarborough Road to Rasen Lane)
• Burton Road (From Rasen Lane to Westgate)
• Carline Road (North side only from Union Road to a point 90 metres West)
• Cecil Street (From Newport westwards for 40 metres)
• Chapel Lane
• Church Lane (From Nettleham Road to Newport)
• Drury Lane (South side only from Wordsworth Street to Spring Hill)
• Eastgate (South side only from Northgate to Greetwellgate)
• Eastgate (From Bailgate to Northgate)
• Elvin Close
• Greestone Place
• Greetwell Road (Wragby Road to Roman Pavement)
• Greetwellgate (South side only from Wragby Road to Eastgate)
• Langworthgate (Southside only)
• Lee Road (North side only)
• Lee Road (South side only from Nettleham Road to Massey Road)
• Lee Road (South side only from Wragby Road to Auden Close)
• Longdales Road
• Minster Yard
• Nettleham Close
• Nettleham Road (Northgate to Ruskin Avenue)
• Newport
• Northgate (Eastgate to Church Lane
• Pottergate
• Queensway (East side only)
• Riseholme Road (Longdales Road to A46)
• Sastangate
• Spring Hill (Drury Lane to Beaumont Fee)
• Union Road
• Upper Long Leys Road (From Burton Road to a point 22 metres West of Willis Close)
• Vicars Court
• Westgate (Bailgate to Burton Road)
• Willis Close (East side only from Upper Long Leys Road to a point 20 South)
• Winnowsty Lane
• Wragby Road (Egerton Road to Langworthgate)
• Wragby Road (Greetwell Road to Winnowsty Lane)
• Yarborough Crescent
• Yarborough Road (From Burton Road to a point 100 metres South)

Local diversion routes and access arrangements will be signposted.

Park and Ride

There is no parking in the vicinity of the Christmas Market so all cars should use the dedicated Christmas Market Park and Ride service which operates from the Lincolnshire Showground on the A15 just north of Lincoln.

The park and ride site will be well signposted on all approach roads and for those using a sat nav the postcode is LN1 2ZF. There is also a dedicated service for people with disabilities, using specially adapted vehicles, which also runs from the showground.

All buses drop off close to the Museum of Lincolnshire Life.

The service costs £12 per car if pre-booked. Click here to pre-book.

On the day charges per car:

• Thursday:  £13
• Friday: £14
• Saturday: £15
• Sunday: £14

A vehicle carrying 8 to 15 people is classed as a mini bus and the fee for per vehicle is £25

The service is on a fill and go basis and/or a frequency of every 7 minutes, whichever is sooner. Timings may be subject to variation subject to weather conditions and numbers of visitors.

Operating times:

• Thursday, December 1: 11.30am – 10pm
• Friday, December 2: 9am – 10pm
• Saturday 5 December: 9am – 10pm
• Sunday 6 December: 9am – 7:30pm

Zones

• Castle Hill & Lincoln Castle: Authentic German-themed stalls, arts, crafts and gifts.
• The Lawn: The Christmas Bazaar, Christmas Pantry, and a huge variety of food and drink – including local produce and roasted nuts.
• Westgate & Fairground: Craft Marquee, fairground rides, and The Big Wheel – a great way to see the whole historic area from up high.
• Lincoln Cathedral West Front: Authentic wooden chalets with the Lincoln Cathedral as a backdrop.

Travelling by bus

• Bus operators have scheduled extra services throughout the market weekend.
• Shuttle buses will run from the Lincoln Central bus station.

Christmas Market Shuttle. Photo: Visit Lincoln

Christmas Market shuttle timetable. Photo: Stagecoach

Click here for more information regarding Stagecoach East Midlands’ local bus service during the Christmas Market.

Travelling by train

Weather

According to BBC Weather, there will be light cloud with a moderate breeze for the first three days of the Christmas Market. The final day on Sunday may even see some sunny intervals.

Current predicted weather forecast for the 2019 Lincoln Christmas Market. Photo: BBC Weather

Taxi numbers

A full list of taxi numbers for Lincoln and the surrounding areas can be found here. 

Further information

• No dogs are allowed to attend the market, with the exception of guide dogs.
• All information regarding access for disabled visitors can be found here.

Social media

You can follow updates and highlights from this year’s Lincoln Christmas Market by following:

• @thelincolnite
• @lincolnelf
• #LincolnChristmasMarket