We're edging ever closer to the official Christmas period now, with the big day now just over four weeks away.

The Christmas period is a time when people from all walks of life come together to enjoy the festivities, whether that be at a Christmas market or elsewhere.

Where best to enjoy a white Christmas? A quaint, rustic town where spirits are high and the queues are low.

The Cotswolds, for that matter, is arguably the perfect spot. And now one town has been highlighted by Time Out magazine.

Speaking of their brand-new list, the publication said that while the country "can’t guarantee a white Christmas, there’s something to be said for its picture-perfect towns and villages."

Time Out added: "Throughout November and December many of these towns turn into something out of a Christmas movie, with everything from Shakespeare-themed candlelit walks and renowned light shows to festive railway rides and good old pantomimes on show."

Chipping Campden, Cotswolds

Time Out said: "Chipping Campden – one of the UK’s best-preserved market towns – is famous locally for its Christmas market, this year taking place on December 2nd and 3rd.

"Its historic High Street, with its Cotswold-stone buildings laid out in the 7th century by King Henry II’s close friend Hugh de Gondeville, is known for its particularly wide avenue, as it was built to be a wool trading street.

"Today, regular markets and indeed a Christmas-themed one sprawl beside the river and the Market Square, while an indoor fayre is held over the famed Town Hall’s two floors.

"Visiting this jewel of the Cotswolds at any time of year is a delight but at Christmas? Just magical."

Here is the full list: 

  1. Windsor, Berkshire
  2. Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
  3. Mousehole, Cornwall
  4. Ludlow, Shropshire
  5. Oban, Argyll
  6. Bournville, Birmingham
  7. Llangollen, Denbighshire
  8. Whitby, Yorkshire
  9. Chipping Campden, Cotswolds
  10. Buxton, Derbyshire

Visit the Time Out website to learn more about each location featured in the UK's 10 most festive Christmas towns list.

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