shops

The beautiful market town in Buckinghamshire is one of the most expensive places to live in the county, with celebrity residents and historic charm

Beaconsfield, a market town in Buckinghamshire, is conveniently located near the M40 and approximately 23 miles from central London. It boasts an old town high street brimming with charming, independent businesses, alongside a vibrant new town high street featuring well-known brands.

The town’s first documented reference dates back to 1185, believed to be of Saxon origin, and it also bears traces of two Roman roads.

The town is steeped in history, with many original structures, such as churches and rectories, still standing. It’s not only a fantastic place to reside but also one of the priciest in Buckinghamshire.

Having lived in and around Beaconsfield my whole life, I can easily understand its appeal to celebrities and tourists alike.

Famous residents include Vernon Kay and Tess Daly, as well as former residents like Ricky Gervais and James Corden, according to the Express.

The high street is home to a wide array of independent shops, restaurants, and pubs, including Melody Mint Cafe, Royal Saracens Head, and The Old Tea House, to name just a few.

Brasserie Blanc by Raymond Blanc ranks among my favourite eateries in the old town, along with Giggling Squid and homePizza.

The town also houses the Crazy Bear Hotel, one of the oldest recorded buildings in Beaconsfield, originally a 15th-century coaching inn.

Today, this stunning hotel is lavishly adorned, providing a luxurious setting and serving delectable food.

In the new town, particular favourites of mine include Fego, known for its scrumptious breakfast, as well as The Beech House and Prime Steak House.

A stone’s throw away is the Royal Standard of England, a historic pub boasting the title of Britain’s oldest.

Its charm lies in its carved oak panels, weathered flagstones, twisted timbers and a mouth-watering menu.

The town has also served as a cinematic canvas for numerous films and TV series, including The Theory of Everything, Hot Fuzz and Midsomer Murders.

Nearby picturesque towns such as Amersham, Gerrards Cross, and Marlow add to Buckinghamshire’s allure as a desirable residential location.

However, living here comes with a hefty price tag, with the average property price over the past year hitting a staggering £1,039,083, according to Rightmove.

While there’s no shortage of properties on the market in the town, very few fall below the £500,000 threshold, making it a tough market for first-time buyers.

At present, there are 208 homes up for grabs in the town, with the priciest one fetching a cool £6,750,000.

The gorgeous town is home to approximately 170 independent shops, from family-owned gems to chic fashion boutiques and quirky antiques stores

The UK is home to a wealth of picturesque towns brimming with historic architecture and rich heritage. Yet, not all are teeming with unique independent shops and mouth-watering eateries.

In today’s world, finding a town bustling with independent retailers that hasn’t been swallowed up by chain cafes and large supermarkets can be quite the task. Last year, independent shops across the UK faced significant hurdles, leading to closures primarily driven by high inflation, escalating costs, and dwindling customer spending – a trend predicted to continue in 2026.

However, one town that’s positively overflowing with independent shops is the charming Stamford in Lincolnshire. This town, with a population of 20,000, is home to around 170 independent shops and boasts the highest number of listed buildings for a town of its size.

In 2024, Stamford clinched the title of the UK’s top high street for independent shops in a study conducted by AmEx and retail experts GlobalData.

Stamford’s vibrant St Mary’s Street bagged the coveted top spot, outshining competitors like Gloucester Road in Bristol and Stoke Newington Church Street in Hackney, London, reports the Express.

From quaint family-run treasures to sleek fashion boutiques and eccentric antiques stores, there’s a shop for every taste. Some of the town’s most celebrated independent retailers include Iris & Violet, a fashion and lifestyle boutique boasting a range of unique brands; Stamford Botanics, a specialist plant and garden store; Fairfax & Favor, a luxury clothing, footwear and accessories retailer; and Hoptroff & Lee Antiques, a delightful antiques shop nestled on Cheyne Lane.

Every Friday, Broad Street and Ironmonger Street morph into a vibrant market brimming with over 70 stalls, offering everything from fresh produce to flowers. On weekends, Red Lions Square hosts additional stalls and a farmers’ market.

It appears that visitors can’t get enough of the town’s shopping scene. Reddit user MarianLoxlee expressed their adoration for Stamford on the platform, stating they “absolutely love” the town.

They added: “I live in South Notts, but Stamford is always my day trip of choice when I want to see something pretty and bougie. The town is stunning, [with] cute shops (fashion and furniture), love the frontage along the river, great antique stores and charity shops with well-heeled donors.”

Another Reddit user also raved about the town’s shops and architecture, affectionately referring to the town as a “mini Oxford”.

Adventurous_Jump8897 said: “Stamford is gorgeous – one of the UK’s best preserved stone towns. Kind of like a mini Oxford. I can’t talk to culture as I have only done weekend breaks there, but for independent shopping, and eating and drinking, it is very good.”

The town’s stone structures are built from locally-sourced limestone, lending them their distinctive golden hue. Architecture ranges from Georgian to medieval, with many original features intact, creating a truly distinctive aesthetic.

Things to do in Stamford

Stamford Corn Exchange Theatre

This cosy, intimate performance space accommodates up to 400 guests with a diverse programme including tribute acts, adult pantomime, theatrical productions, dance performances and more.

Stamford Arts Centre

As the region’s premier arts destination, featuring a theatre, cinema, Georgian ballroom and art gallery alongside a cafe and bar, Stamford Arts Centre is ideal for a wintry day out. The stunning building has heritage dating to 1833, when it originally served as a marketplace.

Browne’s Hospital and Museum

Browne’s Hospital is a medieval almshouse constructed in 1475. It was subsequently established by wool trader William Browne in 1485, who transformed it into accommodation and a place of worship for 10 impoverished men and two impoverished women.

Guests can explore some of the original chambers and the chapel, which retains its original stained glass.

Barn Hill

Located in Stamford town centre is Barn Hill, a compact, historic street featuring stunning period buildings. One TripAdvisor reviewer commented: “There have been various TV/ films made in this tiny little historic street. It may be only 100 metres in length, but it is packed full of attractive old buildings with a stunning church at the base of the hill.”

And it’s surrounded by beautiful hills.

Situated deep in beautiful Hills lies this pretty market town full of independent shops. The charming town of Dorking can be found at the foot of Surrey’s famous Box Hill, renowned for its challenging zig zag cycle route, excellent walking trails and stunning views over the county.

While I’ve ventured to the National Trust beauty spot many times before, I hadn’t explored Dorking’s high street for years, so this winter I went to see what it had to offer. Full of independent stores, quaint antique shops, beauty businesses and lots of adorable places to grab a coffee, it also boasts striking views of the rolling countryside.

At the end of last year, award-winning hair salon group, Rush Hair, opened a new branch right in the centre of the town. It could not be in a more prominent location at a cross-roads and during my trip to the neighbourhood I visited the salon, checking out its chic interior and list of pampering services.

With eight styling stations, contemporary grey stone flooring, unique fixtures and fittings, the space has created 10 jobs for aspiring stylists in the area. Artwork created by the award-winning Rush creative team graces the walls and the salon is further enhanced with LED lighting, allowing stylists the ability to see client’s hair tones perfectly whilst hair colouring.

Opened in time for Christmas, the salon was designed by Dudley Cummings, of the Rush salon design team who has worked across many salons within the group. It’s beautiful, welcoming and relaxed, plus, colour appointments are currently half price when booked with a cut and finish. Stell Andrew, CEO and co-founder of Rush Hair and, said: “The new salon looks truly incredible and will be an asset to Dorking and a fabulous haven for clients to come to relax and have a pamper.”

All customers are treated to teas, coffees and biscuits during their precious ‘me-time’, but there’s also lots of other lovely cafes and coffee shops within walking distance which I gladly found.

Immediately next door to Rush Hair is Costa and directly opposite is Cosy Moose. I visited the latter, an artisan coffee shop and bakery which stood on the corner of the high street with steamed up windows due to the sub-zero temperatures outside and warm, hustle and bustle inside.

Indoors wasn’t overly big unlike Costa across the road, but it was a cute spot to enjoy a coffee and slice of cake, particularly a pecan tart, homemade carrot cake and mint chocolate tiffin.

I wandered up the high street, popping my head into a few more stores and at around 4pm I witnessed the most glorious sun set over the rooftops.

There are various car parks in the town, but I thought South Street Car Park was particularly convenient given that it was very close by and I could pay via Ringo.

Ramsgate in Kent attracts visitors with its stunning coastline and sandy beaches, but the seaside town has been dubbed ‘depressing’ by locals as dozens of shops lie vacant

An iconic British seaside town is “dying a death” as empty shops clutter the high street and daytrippers stay away.

When you picture British seaside towns, images of sandy shores, the aroma of fish and chips wafting through the air, the clang of a penny arcade and, naturally, ice cream spring to mind. Many UK coastal resorts deliver this experience, even if you have to endure the chill of a British coastal day.

But many more suffer from a series of economic challenges that make life on the British coast harder, in many ways, than that in inland towns and cities. Median pay in almost all coastal towns is lower than the counties in which they sit; funding formulas often leave coastal kids benefitting from half the cash as their city counterparts; and levels of obesity, smoking and substance abuse are higher than the national average in coastal towns, Prospect reports.

While many of Britain’s coastal towns and villages buck this trend – Broadstairs being a prime example – others are stuck in a seaside economic rut. One such place is Ramsgate in Kent.

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“The more I have visited Ramsgate over the years, the more I have noticed how empty it has become,” writes the Express’s Millie Bull. “The town was once filled with bustling independent shops, unique eateries and a steady stream of visitors.”

A report at the end of 2024 from Kent Online revealed that a staggering 65 shop units—almost one in four—sat empty. This compares with the one in seven outlets that are empty nationwide. In Ramsgate, more than half of the shops are not advertised as for sale or rent.

“This was highlighted on my most recent trip to the town when I spotted a plethora of boarded-up shops and empty display windows covered in old posters,” Millie added.

Jack Gilhooly, who owns local pet shop Sherley’s on Queen Street, fears his business, which has been in situ for more than half a century, may not manage to stay open for much longer. “The town’s dying a death. We’re really struggling, every business in Ramsgate is struggling,” he told Mail Online.

“If you stayed here for an hour, you’d see maybe 100 people walk past. You’ll get about five people coming into your store, maybe three spend money. It’s just not sustainable.”

Louise Brookes is determined to stop the rot. She set up Ramsgate Space, which tracks empty shops and finds businesses to fill them. She told Channel 4: “Empty shops matter because they touch on so many different components of local life. It impacts how people feel about the place. You go into the town centre and you don’t feel good about the place.” Ramsgate Space provides business support and advice for small companies that want to move into a retail space.

Kent County Council is also attempting to address the issue. It announced last year that the formerly derelict Old Wine Warehouse on Charlotte Court had been transformed into three distinct spaces offering a comfortable office environment with hot desks (Ramsgate Works), a café area with outside courtyard seating and gardens and an atmospheric cellar bar and performance space (Ramsgate Arts Club). The council’s No Use Empty scheme contributed £431,500 towards the project through low-cost loans.

While Ramsgate suffers, the surrounding towns of Deal, Margate, Broadstairs and Whitstable have experienced a relative revival, with Londoners flocking in large numbers to enjoy seaside weekends whilst browsing trendy vintage shops or dining at fashionable eateries.

Last year, Deal received praise from celebrated food critic Grace Dent following her visit to the Japanese-influenced restaurant The Blue Pelican. Meanwhile, Broadstairs, which earned recognition as one of Britain’s ‘coolest’ places to reside, has emerged as a tourist magnet after featuring in Sam Mendes ‘ film Empire of the Sun, which starred Olivia Colman.

The charming coastal town of Whitstable has long been nicknamed ‘Chelsea-on-sea’, whilst Ramsgate’s trendy neighbour Margate remains constantly bustling thanks to its sandy shores, retro amusement park Dreamland, and lively bars.

Speaking to the Express, one local asked: “Strange because Broadstairs and Margate are doing okay. Why isn’t Ramsgate?”

Commercial premises among buildings facing demolition as military incursions intensify near Qalandiya and Kafr Aqab.

Israeli forces have begun demolishing shops in the vicinity of the Qalandiya refugee camp, north of occupied East Jerusalem, as part of a wider military incursion across several Palestinian neighbourhoods, witnesses and medical officials say.

The raids, which began early on Tuesday, have extended into the nearby town of Kafr Aqab, where Israeli troops deployed in large numbers, carried out house searches and forcibly evicted residents from their homes, according to local media reports.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society said its medical teams treated at least three people injured during the raids in Qalandiya and Kafr Aqab. The injuries included a bullet wound to the thigh, wounds caused by shrapnel from live ammunition, and injuries resulting from physical assault.

The Jerusalem governorate reported that at least three Palestinians were injured by Israeli forces’ gunfire, in addition to dozens of cases of suffocation caused by the firing of tear gas and stun grenades, the Palestinian Wafa news agency reported.

Several Palestinians were detained during the large-scale incursion that was also accompanied by the deployment of military vehicles and bulldozers.

Among those arrested are Anan Mohammed Taha and his father, Mohammed Taha, residents of the Qalandiya refugee camp, Wafa said.

‘Intimidation’ and ‘anxiety’

Residents said Israeli forces ordered several families to evacuate their homes, with at least three houses converted into temporary military outposts in Kafr Aqab. Homeowners were reportedly told the operation would continue until at least Wednesday morning.

Israeli forces also stormed the youth club inside the Qalandiya refugee camp and turned the facility into a military base, according to Al Jazeera Arabic’s correspondent.

Journalists covering the operation were also targeted, including Al Jazeera Arabic reporters, with Israeli forces firing stun grenades and tear gas canisters in their direction during the raid in Kafr Aqab.

According to the Jerusalem governorate authorities, stun grenades were also fired directly towards students in the area as they were returning home from school, while private surveillance cameras were seized.

Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim, reporting from Kafr Aqab, said Israeli forces are continuing to “intimidate” Palestinians.

“They have raided Palestinian stores, Palestinian shops, and they’ve destroyed some of the plaques, some of the advertisement billboards that were here”, in an attempt to further cripple the Palestinian economy, Ibrahim said.

“This is part of the anxiety that Palestinians live through day in and day out as these Israeli raids continue on a daily basis,” she added.

Israeli incursions across the West Bank average “60 raids per day”, Ibrahim said.

In addition to the demolitions, Israeli forces confiscated goods from commercial shops in the Qalandiya refugee camp, Kafr Aqab and parts of northern Jerusalem, citing alleged unpaid municipal taxes.

Most Palestinians living in these areas hold Jerusalem residency identification cards. Residents say they are subject to high municipal taxes while receiving few basic services.

Separately, confrontations were also reported in the town of Beit Furik, east of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, after Israeli forces stormed the area.