Delapré Abbey's fair is 21 and 22 November, Daventry's market the same day, Brackley's on 28 November and Lamport Hall's in December at £6. None on the square.

Northampton has no traditional Christmas market on its own Market Square, and West Northamptonshire Council’s festive programme last year did not include one. The markets people travel to are around the town: Delapré Abbey’s Christmas Fair on 21 and 22 November, Daventry’s town centre market on Saturday 21 November, Brackley’s market and lantern parade on Saturday 28 November, and Lamport Hall’s two-weekend market on 5, 6, 12 and 13 December, which is the biggest of the four at over 100 stalls. Every date below is from the organiser’s own page, checked on 24 September. Towcester has not published a date.

The quick answer

  • Delapré Abbey Christmas Fair: Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November, 10am to 5pm, London Road, NN4 8AW. Local makers, live music, children’s activities. Last year’s entry was £2.
  • Daventry Christmas Market: Saturday 21 November, 10am to 3pm, High Street and Bowen Square, free, with Santa arriving by sleigh.
  • Brackley Christmas Market, Lights and Lanterns: Saturday 28 November, town centre, with the lantern parade and the Mayor’s switch-on.
  • Lamport Hall Christmas Market: 5, 6, 12 and 13 December, 10am to 4pm, £6 adults, £2 children, £15 a family, free parking.

Northampton Market Square: a rink, not a market

The council’s Christmas on the rebuilt Market Square is built around a covered real ice rink. Its announcement of 23 September 2025 listed the rink from 4 December to 4 January, a licensed bar, Small Business Saturday on 6 December, Carols on the Square on 13 December and the Grosvenor Centre grotto, with no Christmas market in the programme. Nothing for 2026 has been published yet beyond the switch-on itself, which is Saturday 21 November from 12pm to 6pm; our switch-on page has the full day and last year’s rink prices. If a market is added this year, it will be announced there first.

Delapré Abbey Christmas Fair, 21 and 22 November

The abbey’s fair opens its Christmas season and runs 10am to 5pm both days, with “unique, handmade gifts from local makers”, live music and activities for children, according to the abbey’s Christmas page. Last year’s fair charged £2 on the door and included a snow globe photo experience, alpacas, vintage fairground rides and Santa, per the abbey’s 2025 announcement. The 2026 price is not yet published. Parking at the abbey is free for general visits, though it warns charges can apply at large events. The rest of the abbey’s Christmas, including the Winter Light Trail from 27 November, is on our Delapré Abbey Christmas page.

Note the clash: the fair’s Saturday is the same day as the Market Square switch-on, so the London Road and town centre car parks will be busy from midday.

Daventry Christmas Market, Saturday 21 November

Daventry Town Council’s market page, updated on 17 February 2026, has the market on Saturday 21 November from 10am to 3pm along the High Street, Bowen Square, Foundry Walk and Sheaf Street. Stalls are from “independent traders and local craftspeople” with festive food and drink. Entry is free and so is parking in the town that day, subject to the usual signage. Santa arrives in a sleigh with reindeer courtesy of Rotary Danetre Daventry, and there is a giant snow globe, face painting, a choir, children’s crafts and a stilt walker. The High Street and Sheaf Street are closed to traffic for the day.

Brackley Christmas Market, Lights and Lanterns, Saturday 28 November

Brackley Town Council’s events listing has the Christmas Market, Lights and Lanterns on Saturday 28 November at the town centre clock, with “a wide range of market stalls offering seasonal treats” and gifts. The afternoon finishes with a lantern parade along the High Street and the Christmas lights switch-on by the Town Mayor. The council’s listing gives no start time; we will add it when published.

Lamport Hall Christmas Market, 5, 6, 12 and 13 December

The largest market in the district is at Lamport Hall, off the A508 north of Northampton, across two weekends: Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December, and Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 December, 10am to 4pm each day, according to the hall’s Christmas market page and its events listing.

Lamport Hall Christmas Market entry, from the hall's page
TicketPrice
Adult (16 and over)£6
Child (5 to 16)£2
Family (2 adults, 2 children)£15
Under 5Free

The hall promises over 100 stalls, from jewellery, glassware and ceramics to clothing, woodwork and artisan food, with a separate food market, and a different line-up of entertainment each weekend: balloon modellers, choirs, bands, stilt walkers and a Santa bus with free activities. Tickets are sold on the gate by cash or card or online in advance. Parking is free in the Porter’s Lodge and Four Acre fields, with disabled parking, and the entrance is via Porter’s Lodge on Old Road, postcode NN6 9HG. Father Christmas visits in the Tudor house run on the same days and are booked separately; they are on our Father Christmas page.

Towcester

Towcester Town Council has not published a 2026 date for its Christmas lights or any market. We searched on 24 September and found no listing. This page will be updated when it does.

Getting there and parking

Delapré Abbey is on bus routes 7, 33, 88, X6 and X7 from the town centre. Lamport Hall and Brackley are a drive; Daventry is on the Stagecoach routes from Northampton bus station. For the Market Square switch-on and the Grosvenor Centre, town centre car parks are £3 for any stay on a Saturday, and the detail is on our parking page. Check the roadworks and travel page before the Daventry and Brackley days, since both close their high streets.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a Christmas market in Northampton town centre in 2026?

Not announced. The council’s Market Square programme last year was an ice rink, carols and a grotto, with no market. The switch-on is Saturday 21 November.

When is Lamport Hall’s Christmas market?

Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December, and Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 December, 10am to 4pm. Adults £6, children £2, families £15.

When is Daventry’s Christmas market?

Saturday 21 November, 10am to 3pm, free.

When is Delapré Abbey’s Christmas fair?

Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November, 10am to 5pm. Entry was £2 last year; this year’s price is not yet published.

Sources