The pretty little UK town packed with 200 independent shops perfect for Christmas shopping | UK | News
It’s been a tough year for high streets up and down the UK; boarded-up shops have become an all-too-familiar sight. But there’s one small town that continues to buck the trend, with a thriving independent shops and a famous market.
Located just a mile and a half from the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, Bridport could be an ideal place for Christmas shoppers to visit this year. With 200 independent shops, 35 national chains and a lively fortnightly street market, the town has everything shoppers need.
Bridport is home to RJ Balson and Son, considered the oldest continuously trading family business in the UK. The butcher’s shop was founded by Robert Balson in 1515 and has been run by 25 generations of the same family ever since.
In addition to homemade traditional sausages, various meats such as deer, pork, ostrich and duck continue to be sold. The butcher is also selling turkeys for Christmas and they are sure to be in great demand.
Another iconic store in town is Snooks the Hatters, which claims to have the largest stock of Panama hats in Europe. The business was founded in 1896 and continues to thrive in Bridport today.
Elsewhere in Bridport there are numerous vintage and antique dealers, record shops and bookshops. After galleries and art shops, Sladers Yard Gallery and Artwave West Gallery are the most popular.
Bridport also hosts a popular street market every Wednesday and Saturday. It attracts thousands of people at a time and is located on three main streets (West Street, South Street and East Street).
The market offers a variety of traditional products, including handicrafts, local dishes, antiques and household items. It is expected to be particularly busy in the run-up to Christmas.
Bridport Market has an impressive rating of 4.4 out of 5 from 163 reviews on TripAdvisor. Of these, 94 people gave the market a score of 5 out of 5.
Vanessa said: “Possibly one of the best streets we’ve visited in a long time! The market adds to this with its stalls and live music playing, plenty of seating and great shops! Well done Bridport! We’ll definitely be back one day.”
Sarah L wrote: “Good quality vintage homewares, jewellery, clothes. Great choice, country food, bedding, crafts, sheepskins, huge market with wooden stools made in front of you, loads of coffee shops, refill shops, musicians, benches to sit on, charity shops, great pubs. A good day out.”
ROB stated: “Great place to go, we went on Saturday, lots of traditional stalls selling food and vegetables etc, lots of antique stands with a wide range of antiques, bands playing, antique quarter with lots of small shops near the police station, lots of parking, great place to go.”
Maxinem added: “It’s a very busy market day on a sunny Saturday. There are lots of stalls selling interesting items. Food, clothing, tools, jewellery, toys and much more.”
John agrees: “It’s a great shopping experience, it’s nice to see different shops rather than the generic high streets you see in other cities plus there are some great independent stalls in the market.”
