Nice market towns in the midlands for a shopping trip.

[QuintanaRoo]

I fancy pottering round somewhere with some nice independent clothes and homeware type shops. Probably East Midlands, so Notts, Leics, Lincs, Derbyshire, Northamptonshire area.

just not sure since covid, cost of living, etc where still has nice shops or where has been affected by businesses going bust. I was thinking Stamford but haven’t been for a decade, is it worth a trip. Or anywhere similar/better?

There are hardly any shops left in Chesterfield. Bakewell is quite nice and has a lot of small shops.

Matlock

Maybe Oakham?

Went to Stamford last year and loved it.
Belper in Derbyshire is nice,also Ashbourne .

Stamford is definitely worth a trip. Lovely, interesting town with independent shops. I went for a wander round while DH had an appointment there last year and managed to buy a dress, a jumper and a couple of nice kitchen utensils inside an hour.
I hadn't planned any of that but the shops were very inviting!

Oakham isn't very good anymore, there's only a couple of independent shops now.

Stamford.
Market Harborough, very nice.

Stamford

Also Ripley is not bad.

You could do worse than an afternoon pottering around Market Harborough. Pretty little place.

Bit more in Stamford but similar vibe to MH

Stamford.

Shrewsbury
Market Drayton
Nantwich
Bridgnorth
Ludlow
Llangollen
Ellesmere

All nice.

Thanks, think I’ll head to Stamford this time as the consensus seems to be it still worth a visit. I’m going to the Peak District for a week soon so will save the Derbyshire ideas for then.

My DSis lives near Melton Mowbray and that seemed like a nice little town when I visited - although that was pre Covid. It had a nice little market too.

Definitely Stamford. Not Oakham - not a lot there now at all. (It all went downhill when they allowed a McDonalds albeit on the bypass!). Stamford is lovely. There is a restaurant called Orbis. Have not tried it, but read very good things and had booked it when I had a planned trip to Stamford, but had to cancel in the end. Still on my list though.

@Icequeen01 I have never heard anyone say that about Melton Mowbray before and I went to primary school there. It is just endless charity shops (nothing wrong with that at all), but it is very rundown these days unless you want to buy a pork pie.

@Sharpkat

I think it was more the closing of Fords that led to the decline. Mill Street used to be nice. Is it not anymore?

Lichfield

@Moonflower12 Fords going was very sad. I was at school in Oakham from 1991-1998. Stricklands the bakers next to Fords was amazing. The Bomper bun was to die for.

Haven't been down Mill St for a couple of years as I am not local anymore, but I was really disappointed.

My favourite ever jewellers, Diggles, closed down in 2017 as well. I was wearing a necklace from there the other day and I bought it in 1996. Never had so many compliments.

Have they moved Llangollen then? Last time I went I seem to remember it being in Wales

Market Harborough is lovely. Loughborough has more shops but is nowhere near as pretty and there are a ludicrous amount of pigeons

Oh dear, my memory must have failed me! I do remember there being lots of pork pie shops 🤣

Melton town centre has died since covid. I was genuinely shocked at the state of the place last time I visited. It’s such a shame as it was a lovely, bustling town with a great food culture.

Market Harborough, at the other end of Leicestershire, is still well worth a visit as is Belper in Derbyshire.

Leamington Spa

Stamford over Melton and Oakham all day long!

And orbis is lovely, albeit I went to the Oakham one before it changed names.

We quite like Lincoln.