Since its relaunch, people have been traveling to Altrincham Market from far and wide – but Altrincham’s shops are another great reason to go.
Only half an hour away from Manchester city centre by train or tram, Altrincham has long drawn crowds for its bustling covered market – but it’s worth the trip for its shops, too, especially in the run up to Christmas. There’s a lovely selection of independent retailers and boutiques, full of the sorts of gifts that you’ll have to fight the urge to keep for yourself. Know where to look, and you’ll find an independent traders emporium in an old post office, a mecca for beautifully designed stationery – and one of the best bookshops in the north. Happily, we’re on hand with a whip round of the best.
If you come in by tram, you’re off to a good start: turn right as you exit the platform and you’ll find Hummingbird Flowers and homeware boutique Vintage Angel. The latter is something of a grotto of shiny delights – not for the twee averse, this shop sells everything from be-winged tea light holders to unusual vases for floral centrepieces (convenient, with a florist right next door).
A left at the crossroads and onto George Street will bring you to the fashionable, but not too expensive, Laundry Boutique clothes shop. A little further up is The Old Post Rooms, Altrincham’s one-time post office and now an independent traders’ and makers’ emporium of sorts, home to 18 independent brands. Here, there are dressmakers like Plum and Pigeon, which stocks a beautifully made range of ladies’ wear in sweet floral prints. Or, drop into Delve for revamped and handmade soft furnishings, where bespoke curtains, cushions or lampshades are made from their collection of quirky prints. Again, if you’re allergic to Cath Kidson-esque designs, this might not be for you.
A traders emporium in an old post office, beautiful stationery & one of the best bookshops in the north
The next stop, however, will be Idaho on Shaw’s Road, Altrincham’s answer to Fred Aldous in Manchester’s Northern Quarter. It’s a particularly great independent to hit up if you’re in need of a gift for the hipsters in your life, stocking beautiful stationery, cards, leather-bound notebooks and more. If you’re in need of a break, duck into Altrincham Market, which is right around the corner. Take your pick from a variety of food and drink purveyors, with chalkboard menus and slate tile servings a plenty. When sated, continue down the pedestrianised Greenwood Street and dip into With Decorum and Madam Butterfly for glitzy gifts perfect for that Aunt with a penchant for shabby-chic furnishings. We’ve all got one.
The end of Greenwood Street is, however, the real hub of Altrincham’s alternative traders. The freshly-opened Edit & Oak is an upmarket yet affordable boutique of truly lovely homeware, home fragrance and jewellery. The feature ‘edit’ display is changed with the same regularity and careful curation as an art gallery. Owner Kate Harman has chosen to stock hand woven blankets, rustic candles from Denmark and fair-trade brass picture frames sourced from India. Harman told us that every piece in the shop has a story, something she loves to share with customers. An absolute beacon of an independent shop, all told.
Don’t miss the charming Abacus Books (no website, unsurprisingly – 24 Regent Road, WA14 1RP), a veritable cavern that extends far further back than you’d at first think, and is one of the Guardian’s top bookshops in the north-west. If you’re shopping for someone with a love of whimsy and slightly eccentric taste, The Ivy House is excessively well stocked cornucopia of ticking ornate clocks and crockery, bizarre lampshades and even ‘paint box’ wallpaper. A wander further up the side street next The Ivy House reveals a pretty terrace and some larger houses that are very picturesque.
Back to shopping, though: Lepps Jewellers on Railway Street is a charming dealer in secondhand jewellery and watches where the descriptions in the display cases are endearingly hand labelled. Last on the list is County Galleries; the artists’ work itself won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but the gallery’s calendars, cards and framing service is popular. The beautiful jade tiled interior is worth a look, too.