Embracing the Festive Spirit: Rochester Christmas Market

Christmas markets have always been a unique and enchanting experience that never fail to get people into the festive spirit. With the holiday season fast approaching, we will be exploring my local Christmas market in Medway, taking in a journey through the castle ground of Rochester. Lets talk about why wandering through the stalls and Christmas evening lights should definitely be on your festive to do list.

Being local to Medway, we travelled by local public transport using the park and ride service from Chatham. We stopped near Rochester Train Station which was the closest Bus and Railway stop. There are a number of parking options nearby. A gentle five-minute stroll across Rochester High Street and we arrived at the entrance.

Welcoming our little group, we found an assortment of stalls offering a variety of Christmas themed gifts. We walked past the handcrafted gifts and ornaments and noticed a hand knitted, cosy woollen scarf. Definitely something for everyone including those last minute gifts.

We started to talk with the market stallholders who were passionate about their products and were delighted to talk to us, especially telling us about the little piece of history that came with every hand made item. After purchasing some unique and locally made presents, we discovered some special treats for the four legged friends left at home.

At the Rochester Christmas Market, children could enjoy a magical experience with Mrs Claus and her elves. The event offered a Christmas story in Mrs Claus’ snug, crafting a Christmas decoration in the Elves’ workshop, and decorating a festive sweet treat to take home. Santa’s elves were there to greet children and guide them through the festive activities

We attended a week early and missed the Rochester Dickensian Christmas Festival which is Held on the first weekend of December. 

Our visit to the Christmas market concluded with us enjoying a traditional festive treat. Naturally, we should have gone for a a cup of mulled wine, but ended up with a hot chocolate. We had plenty of time to spare and opted to start go for a short walk around Rochester and start a new adventure of exploring Rochester’s heritage before the trip back home.