Saturday morning arrives with a small, pleasant decision: which market gets your hour? Four regular farmers markets sit within an easy drive of the town centre, and they are not interchangeable. One rewards an early start and a boot full of vegetables; another is built for a pushchair, a coffee and a slow loop past the stalls. What follows compares them on the details that actually shape a weekend — location, opening hours, parking, the mix of stalls, and how well each one works with children in tow. Market days and times do shift with the seasons and around holidays, so it is worth checking the organiser's noticeboard before you set off.

The four markets at a glance

Each of these runs on a Saturday, though not the same Saturday every week in every case. Broadly:

• Market Square Market — town centre, hard standing, the busiest of the four. Best for a full weekly shop, hardest for parking.
• Riverside Fields Market — on the edge of the park, mid-morning start, generous space between stalls. Good with children; soft underfoot after rain.
• The Old Cattle Yard — north of town, early start, a working-yard feel. Strong on staples, bulk buying and trade-sized portions.
• Northgate Schoolyard Market — small, runs roughly monthly in term time, heavy on bakers, preserves and craft stalls. Easiest parking of the four.

Location: walk, bus or drive?

Market Square is the only one you can reasonably fold into a walk. If you live within a mile or so of the centre, that changes the maths — no circling, no parking fee, and you carry home exactly what you can manage in two bags. Two bus routes stop within a couple of minutes of the square, which makes it the natural choice for anyone without a car.

Riverside Fields sits on a cycle path, and the ride there is flat enough for most riders. The Old Cattle Yard is the outlier: a car, a lift or a long walk gets you there, and the roads around it narrow on market mornings. Northgate is a straightforward drive, tucked beside the school with its own gate for pedestrians.

One tip that applies everywhere: bring a sturdy bag with a flat base. Tote bags look fine until you are carrying four kilos of potatoes and a squash.

Hours: early birds versus slow starters

The Old Cattle Yard opens first, often while it is still dim, and most traders have packed up by early afternoon. This is the market for people who like to be home and unpacked before ten. Come in the first hour for the widest choice; come in the last half hour for the most flexible pricing, though you will be picking from what is left rather than what you wanted.

Market Square runs a standard mid-morning stretch and is at its thickest with people between ten and noon. If you want to talk to a grower about what is coming in next week, go early. If you want to browse without being nudged along, go after eleven.

Riverside starts later and finishes later, which suits anyone who refuses to set an alarm on a Saturday. Northgate opens mid-morning and shuts early afternoon; it is short and sweet, and the bakers frequently sell out well before the stalls fold.

Parking, honestly

Market Square's on-street bays are gone by about nine, and the multi-storey a few minutes' walk away is the reliable option — check the tariff board on the way in rather than guessing. Riverside has a car park that fills quickly in good weather, with overflow parking on the grass in dry spells only. The Old Cattle Yard has limited yard parking and a small side street; arriving early is not optional if you are driving. Northgate has the school car park open to shoppers, which is why it feels so much calmer.

For anyone with mobility needs, Riverside and Northgate have the flattest surfaces. Ask the organiser about accessible bays before you travel; the answers vary by site and by season.

Vendor mix: what you'll actually find

If you cook most nights

The Old Cattle Yard wins. Expect root vegetables by the sack, crates of eggs, trays of tomatoes at the end of summer, and a couple of stalls selling dry goods alongside fresh produce. It is a shopping trip rather than an outing, and the value on staples is the reason people drive across town for it.

If you want breakfast while you shop

Riverside has the best food-to-eat-now line-up: a coffee cart, something hot off a griddle, and enough seating on the grass to sit down. Market Square has food vans too, but nowhere comfortable to eat unless you claim a bench early.

If you're buying a present or a treat

Northgate is the one. Preserves, soap, pottery, printed cards and a rotating cast of guest stalls. It is also the smallest, so a full grocery list will not be covered here in one trip.

Family-friendly features

Riverside Fields is the clear winner for families: an adjacent playground, toilets nearby, space to run without wandering into traffic, and usually a musician or two. It is also the muddiest after a wet week, so boots rather than trainers.

Market Square is manageable with a pushchair but crowded; the earlier you go, the easier the aisles. Northgate is small and enclosed, which makes it easy to keep track of children, and the schoolyard surface is smooth. At the Old Cattle Yard, watch for vehicles moving slowly through the yard and keep younger children close.

Matching a market to your Saturday

1. Doing a proper weekly shop: The Old Cattle Yard, arrival before nine, list in hand, cash plus card.
2. Slow morning with children: Riverside Fields, arrive mid-morning, eat there, leave before the lunchtime rush.
3. Quick run between other errands: Market Square on foot, one bag, in and out before eleven.
4. Treats, gifts and a chat: Northgate on the Saturdays it runs — check the date first, since it is not weekly.

A simple way to settle the question

Give two consecutive Saturdays to two different markets and pay attention to what you actually bought, what you wished you had bought, and how you felt about the parking. Most people discover their routine within a fortnight: one market for the weekly shop, another for the Saturday they want to enjoy rather than complete. Introduce yourself to one stallholder each visit — the person who remembers your name is the person who will tell you when the good strawberries land. Bring your own bags, keep a small amount of cash for the stalls that prefer it, and check opening times before a holiday weekend, when several markets shift or skip a week entirely.

Photo: Mark Stebnicki / Pexels