I am not a fan of shopping, well not ordinary shopping. Going into a High Street Chain store and seeing foreign-made goods stacked up and sold cheap has never appealed to me. I do, however, like Treasure Hunting. Treasure Hunting is how I describe my secret shopping trips off to hideaway shops in Somerset. I can disappear for hours without warning and then come back to Middlewick with a car full of exciting finds.
Now I guess I shouldn’t be revealing my secret shops but as my cottages are getting pretty full now with all the bits I have picked up, I am happy to share.
On our doorstep here in Glastonbury are my 2 favourites. Glastonbury Reclamation and Wells Reclamation are a few minute’s drive from us here at Middlewick. Both are bursting at the seams with interesting finds. I spend a lot of time shopping here and you will find many of my purchases in our cottages.
Myakka FairTrade Furniture is a company based down the road in Wincanton. They have a shop attached to their head office where you can pick up slightly damaged pieces. There are some that have slight scratches or bumps and some do need repair work. One of my cottages, TorView has been decorated entirely with repaired Myakka furniture.
Now the person who usually helps me with all my furniture projects is John Tucker Carpentry who also has a few treasures hanging around his workshop. Quite a few of his upcycled and new creations you can see dotted around our cottages. The headboard in the Cabin from some old shutters and a coffee table made from a wardrobe door from Russet are two of his. For Glastonbury Festival we borrowed a few bits and pieces from him to decorate including a pop-up bar, some wooden stags heads and the coolest comic book table. The table and the stags heads he has for sale if you fancy a little bit of quirky Glastonbury to take home.
Owen Barry is a family-owned leather and sheepskin factory based in Street. The factory has been manufacturing there since 1948. Attached to the factory is an outlet where you can buy samples and slight seconds. Here you will find some amazing interior furnishings at really reasonable prices. For Glastonbury Festival they decorate our function room with gorgeous beanbags, cushions and rugs. They also make the leather cow doorstops which are always a topic of conversation here at Middlewick.
The Green House in Ilminster is a bit of a drive from us here in Glastonbury but well worth it. Here you will find some gorgeous upcycled furniture made by the talented Georgina Spencer. You will find her lights on many of my bedside tables and my favourite piece of hers is the fossil table in Bramley Cottage.
Emporium in Yeovil is a treasure trove of goodies. With an array of individual traders including OohLaLa Lampshades there is always something interesting. Add to this a fantastic cafe upstairs you can spend many hours browsing.
Bath & West Giant Flea Market and Antiques Markets
My idea of heaven. Dozens of stallholders selling the weird and wonderful. I have picked up so many interesting pieces at these shows. The bed in Blenheim, tables in Russet and Appletree as well as quite a few of the paintings that you find on the cottage walls.
Happy Treasure Hunting. Let me know what you find on your adventures.
