Mooching around towns large and small can provide hours of antiquing at Christmas time. Traditionally the Cotswolds has been a great place to hunt – picture perfect Tetbury has a wealth of dealers worthy of a visit for Christmas antiques. Here you’ll find decorative antiques dealers such as Gallery BR with a striking collection of clean-lined antique furniture set alongside contemporary art, and Lorfords Antiques, both on the main street. Lorfords also has the fantastic Hangars, just outside of town, which is home to a multitude of decorative antiques dealers, many of whom show at Battersea. Acres of floor space shows stock off in individual areas for each trader. It’s a wonder!
Lorfords Antiques’ stand
Also in the Cotswolds, don’t miss Burford, Broadway and Cirencester, all beautiful towns with independent shops and antiques centres with lots of smaller stock. Broadway is famous for its Christmas lights as well as art galleries. Stow-on-the-Wold is now an epicentre of luxury shops and independent gift emporiums as well as antiques and art dealers. Browse around for Christmas antiques to make that ideal gift. The ever-burgeoning Daylesford offers foodie treats and a great café for lunch or tea.
Further North in Knutsford, Cheshire is where you’ll come across Holly Johnson Antiques who also offer interior design services. Their stock includes wonderful vintage Fornasetti collectables and vintage Murano glass, perfect for Christmas antiques gifts.
Holly Johnson Antiques
Heading south? In Tunbridge Wells, the Pantiles is a vibrant shopping area, and don’t miss the perfect antiquing at Christmas destination, Pantiles Arcade, housed in the historic former Corn Market building. This recently refurbished antiques centre is home to art deco specialist Jeroen Markies, collectable art deco and art nouveau sculpture dealer Hickmet Fine Arts, and a few famous faces you might recognise from TV antiques programmes such as Mark Hill and Eric Knowles. Dealers there tend to specialise in brilliant Christmas antiques ideas: English silver, vintage art glass and paperweights, Tunbridge Ware, porcelain and pottery, Georgian glass, bronzes and antique coins.
Tunbridge Wells
Due west across the Downs is Petworth, a thriving local market town filled with antiques shops and independents (and a brilliant bookstore). Come here for fine and formal traditional English furniture as well as country and decorative antiques, from Wakelin & Linfield, Vagabond, John Bird, and many other fabulous shops. Antiquing at Christmas in Petworth you can also enjoy the festive lights, some great pubs and local suppliers.
In Hampshire, visit Hungerford for a nice selection of traditional antiques shops and centres including William Cook Antiques for formal antique English furniture. In the same county is Kingsclere, where you will find the extensive galleries of Jenna Burlingham Gallery, mainly modern and contemporary British art – painting and works on paper, sculpture and ceramics.
Jenna Burlingham Gallery’s stand
Of course you will come across many opportunities to shop for Christmas antiques if you are travelling about the UK or visiting friends in country towns or big cities. Apparently the number of antiques dealers has increased in recent years, although not all with shops – the huge rental and rate increases has made it challenging for small businesses to cope, so support these independent entrepreneurs and go antiquing for Christmas this year.
However – if you are pushed for time and prefer to shop online, The Decorative Fair has a showroom window on the website featuring stock for sale from many exhibitors at our three annual Fairs. On the Shop Decorative pages you will find jewellery and vintage couture handbags, formal and decorated furniture, affordable art, and plenty of interesting objects and accessories that would make thoughtful and useful gifts.
French 19th century inlaid commode, Hudson Antiques
