Great little tea room, fabulous homemade cakes and scones and lovely mellow coffee makes this a…read moreperfect drop in spot just off the Ullswater road, 5 minutes from Rheged. Check their new website for all things alpaca!

This is a cute little National Trust gift shop just on the outskirts of Grasmere. The staff were…read morelovely in helping us find our way and we warmed up by the fireplace when browsing the hikes on our new, helpful hiking map we purchased there. It made for a good stop! They also have a nice selection of National Trust gifts like beautiful woven wool blankets and nice trinkets similar to other National Trust gift shops.

Images appears to have a permanent sale. The clothing is OK quality. They sell everything from…read moreunderwear to jeans via boots and handbags. Its fun coming here for a bargain. This shop is aimed at the young, skinnier end of the market. Even the changing room is small. They also do a few pieces of clothing for men. Staff are usually helpful and cheerful.

It's worth visiting Sleepy Elephant just to soak in the atmosphere of the place. Situated in a very…read moreold buiding, possibly dating from the 1400s, this is a sumptuous and colourful shop. There is a mixture of goods for sale. Secondhand books feature prominently - especially craft books (the owner's specialist subject). There are also rich textiles, many from Morocco, and other bits and bobs including jewellery, slippers and lamps. Although the range varies I have seen what looked like a belly dancing costume in the window once, and a rather nice row of bags that seemed to be made out of carpets! Definitely not to be missed if you are visiting Sedbergh.

Situated in the heart of Ambleside, its impossible to miss this famous brand of outdoor shop, as…read moreits located at the Market Cross on the A591 the main artery of this Cumbrian town. Im no seasoned hill walker, but my parents are life longer users of Rohan gear, now into their 60's they still swear by Rohan clothes and accessories and thats as good an endorsement as it gets for me. Whether they are going for a leisurely walk around Windemere or trekking the Austrian Alps (thats later this year), I know the bulk of their packing will feature Rohan brands. A decent sized shop, within a 5 minute walk from the main car park in Ambleside with very friendly and knowledgable staff. If you need help on whether you need a neckgaitor or scarf, or which base layer would be most appropriate for hiking up Scarfell Pike, then definitely stop off here first!

Lucy and Stuart run stalls in the Indoor and Outdoor Markets. You can also buy and check out their…read moreitems online. They buy in interesting stock from all sorts of places, but predominantly the Far East. They always have a great selection of hats and scarves. I always buy my Joss Sticks here. My only quibble is that I occasionally find them a bit expensive for me.

A brilliant little shop tucked awway in the Devonshire Arcade right at the bottom. Although it is…read morequite small it has a huge range of gifts and candles. It also stocks a variety of more ethinic jewellery and clothes. I love to visit here just before Christmas as it is perfect for grabbing a few canndles as presents. I also love to browse their selection of candle holders and you can often find something a little bit different that looks gorgeous. They also sell incencse sticks and room fragrances in scents such as the smell of baby powder which is actually quite nice. Their novelty range is fab and they had the little bath ducks that lit up and flashed before anywhere else around here and they made fantastic unusual gifts. Although it is a little bit expensive the quality is very good.

Find unusual presents here! It looks from the outside like it is all tie-dyed and beaded (and there…read moreis some good stuff in that vein if you're buying for a nut-eating hippy (that's not my term!)) but if you go inside to poke round there's also lots of posh toilettries like neals yard and other niche brands so you can get something much more exciting and cute and stylishly packaged than from e.g. Boots.

I was really excited to find this shop. All the garments are Fair Trade, and the accesories are…read moreeither fair trade or made by local people. Everyone who came into the shop, whilst I was there, was made to feel both comfortable and welcome. For a change there was no high pressure selling going on. Please look at the photos which I took whilst in the shop. You will get a better feel for the style of 'Olive, Women's Clothing'.