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.
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
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
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.
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.
The local station is Lincoln Central, and is located at the bottom of the hill.
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
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
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
The 2024 Lincolnshire Business Excellence Awards are now open for nominations, seeking to spotlight outstanding businesses within the Greater Lincolnshire area.
Hosted by Stonebow Media, the publisher behind The Lincolnite and the MyLocal platform, this prestigious event is designed to honour the achievements of the regional business community.
Thanks to the headline sponsorship from the University of Lincoln Enterprise & Research department, the Lincolnshire Business Excellence Awards are a unique opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of local enterprises.
The awards are also sponsored by Ringrose Law, Duncan & Toplis, Sills & Betteridge and Pearson Hydraulics. A small number of sponsorship opportunities remain available. Contact [email protected] to discuss partnerships.
Businesses can nominate themselves across eleven awards categories:
The deadline for nominations is May 24, with the judges’ deliberation lunch set for May 29.The judging panel includes business experts and professionals from Lincolnshire and event sponsors.
The Lincolnshire Business Excellence Awards 2024 gala will take place at the Engine Shed on July 12, 2024.
Enhance profile & credibility: Securing an award or being shortlisted acts as a powerful endorsement, signaling trustworthiness to potential customers and helping to distinguish your business from competitors. Displaying the award on your communications can significantly boost your brand’s perception.
Insightful focus & feedback: The application process encourages deep reflection on your business strategy and direction, offering invaluable feedback and clarity, even for new ventures.
Team confidence boost: Recognition from the awards can significantly uplift your team’s morale, affirming the value and potential of your business in the eyes of industry experts.
Marketing & PR boost: Being associated with the awards, even as a nominee, can enhance brand visibility, providing ample content opportunities for social media and other marketing channels.
Networking opportunities: The awards connect you with local business leaders and experts, offering a platform to seek advice, share ideas, and foster future partnerships. The ceremony itself is an excellent occasion for networking with peers and celebrating mutual successes.
Potential to win: Entering offers a chance to win and gain all the associated benefits, but even without taking home a trophy, the process can yield significant advantages for your business.
A Lady Gaga loving kitten owned by a couple who run a charity for disabled pets featured on Channel 5’s The Pet Psychic.
Pet Psychic Beth Lee-Crowther comes to the aid of pet owners and in Tuesday night’s episode she met Cookie the kitten, a depressed camel, and looked at whether a dog can predict the future.
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