Huge crowds in York city centre for St Nicholas Fair

Tens of thousands of people are on the hunt for Christmas presents. 

• Read how St Nicholas Fair has been ranked among the best Christmas Fairs in the world

Huge queues built up on all the approach roads from soon after breakfast today with drivers reporting very long delays getting into the centre, and the Inner Ring Road was at times at a complete standstill.

It was almost impossible to find a parking place with every space in every city centre park being occupied as soon as it became available, cars cruising round and round parking areas looking for spaces and long queues at park entrances. Buses were also full.

The queue to park at Piccadilly car park. Pic by Megi Rychlikova

St George’s Field car park is above the floodwater now, but was full of cars only as coaches have been banned from using it during the weekends of St Nicholas’ Fair.

City of York Council is directing coach drivers to use Union Street coach park and York Pullman’s Rufforth depot and insisting on advance booking.

However, some coaches are parking along Knavesmire and others in laybys on the York Outer Ring Road.

The crush round the mulled cider and festive drinks stand in Parliament Street. Pic by Megi Rychlikova

Once shoppers were out of their transport, they joined the thousands already in the city centre visiting the market stalls, trying to find a place to have a coffee or something to eat, or negotiating the crowds in the shops.

The queue for Hog Roast. Pic by Mike Laycock.

There was room to move, albeit slowly.

Room to move in Parliament Street, York. Pic by Megi Rychlikova

There were also long traffic jams heading out of the city centre towards York Designer Outlet because it is also the opening weekend of Yorkshire Winter Wonderland’s outdoor skating rink.

There were similar scenes on the approaches to and in the car parks for Monks Cross, Vangarde and Clifton Moor shopping centres.