Christmas Markets in Ponteland

Ponteland does not hold a Christmas market of its own. There is no square full of chalets on Main Street and, as of October, no village makers' fair announced for 2026 either. What the village does have is position: it sits on the A696 between the city and the Northumberland countryside, so a proper country-house craft fair and the biggest Christmas market in the region are both less than twenty minutes away, in opposite directions.

This guide covers the markets that are genuinely within reach, what has been confirmed for 2026, and what is still to be announced.

Belsay Hall Christmas Craft Fair

The closest Christmas fair to Ponteland is at Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens, about six miles north-west along the A696 and sharing the village's NE20 postcode.

English Heritage has confirmed the Christmas Craft Fair for Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November 2026, 10am to 4pm. Stalls sell handmade gifts and crafts from local makers and independent traders, with food traders on site. The fair is included in the normal site admission rather than ticketed separately, English Heritage members get in free, and booking a date online in advance guarantees entry and takes 15% off the gate price. Bring your booking confirmation on the day.

It pairs well with the rest of Belsay's winter programme. Walking with The Snowman, a trail of twelve giant Snowman sculptures on a Twelve Days of Christmas theme, runs around the grounds from 7 November into January, so the same ticket covers both.

Best for:

Best for: a country-house Christmas fair without a city crowd. Go on the Saturday morning for the widest choice of stalls, and pull in at The Highlander at Higham Dykes on the way home.

Newcastle Christmas Market

The big one. Newcastle Christmas Market runs from Thursday 19 November to Wednesday 23 December 2026, according to the city-centre business organisation NE1, along Grey Street and Grainger Street, around Grey's Monument and on Nelson Street. Expect more than 70 traders, the large majority based within 20 miles of the city, and it is free to browse.

The Christmas Village returns to Old Eldon Square alongside it, with a vintage carousel, a Ferris wheel, stage shows and Santa sessions that are booked separately through the Christmas Village website.

From Ponteland, avoiding the car is the sensible move on a December weekend. City-centre parking is expensive and fills early, and the market sits right on top of Monument Metro station.

Best for:

Best for: a full festive afternoon out. Weekday evenings are noticeably calmer than Saturdays.

Brocksbushes Christmas Fayre

Brocksbushes Farm Shop, just off the A69 near Corbridge at Stocksfield NE43 7UB, holds one of the county's longest-running Christmas fayres. The organisers confirm Thursday 12 to Sunday 15 November 2026, with free parking and over 65 stallholders listed so far. Entry has worked on booked arrival slots in recent years and tickets go on sale from early October through the Brocksbushes website.

It is around 25 minutes' drive from Ponteland, and the earliest of the major fairs, so it suits anyone who likes to have Christmas shopping finished before December.

Hexham Christmas Market

Hexham's Christmas market fills the Abbey, the Abbey grounds and the streets around them on a Saturday in mid-December, usually alongside Hexham Abbey's own Christmas Fair and the monthly Farmers' Market. Visit Northumberland's 2026 round-up lists it for Saturday 12 December, though the Abbey has not yet published its own details, so check with Visit Hexham before travelling. Entry has been free in previous years.

Shopping closer to home

Dobbies Garden Centre at Street House Farm is the village's Christmas shop in all but name, with its seasonal ranges, decorations and grotto programme. Its Christmas Preview Evening is on Thursday 15 October, 5pm to 7pm, with tastings and in-store offers, and must be booked in advance through the Dobbies events site.

On the Broadway at Darras Hall, Carousel Gifts covers cards, homeware and gifts, and Davidson of Darras Hall is the artisan bakery for breads, cakes and pies. Owens Jewellers on Richmond Way is the family jeweller for something more permanent, and Manners for Meat is the local butcher if you would rather not queue at a supermarket for the turkey. Ask early about Christmas orders, as cut-off dates vary.

Other markets worth the drive

• Jesmond Dene House has held a small, ticketed Christmas market with around twenty independent stalls on a Sunday at the end of November or start of December in recent years. No 2026 date has been published, so check the hotel before planning around it.
• The Alnwick Garden and Alnwick Castle both run Christmas fairs in late November, around 45 minutes up the A1.

For pantomimes, light trails and the rest of the region's festive calendar, see Christmas in the North East.

What is not confirmed yet

As of mid-October, the following have not been published for 2026:

• Any Christmas market or makers' fair in Ponteland itself
• Ticket prices for the Belsay Christmas Craft Fair
• Brocksbushes opening hours and ticket prices for the fayre
• Hexham Abbey's own confirmation of the Christmas Fair date

We will update this guide as they are announced.

Know of a Ponteland Christmas fair we have missed? Get in touch via our contact page.