H

ow can a place so small have so many antique shops? This is one of the first questions you’ll ask yourself when you arrive in Tetbury – a tiny Cotswold market town where the Medieval streets are lined with old store fronts selling everything from beds to carved Bavarian bears.

It’s internationally famous for it in fact, with people coming from all over the globe in search of secondhand treasures. Poke your head through almost any door on the high street and you’ll get a free crash course in local history.

Many families have been here for centuries and can tell you the story behind every fudge-coloured brick in every wall.

Like Anne Bristow, for example, who runs Artique – an antiques emporium specialising in bric-a-brac from all over Central Asia. Inside, it feels like an exotic bazaar, with intricately woven rugs, jewellery and the waft of incense hanging in the air.

Speaking of intriguing smells, check out the House of Cheese a few doors along, which sells around 100 varieties of the funky stuff – including Cornish Brie, Shropshire Blue and Brebis Navarais.

Prince Charles’ residence, Highgrove, is nearby and the Prince sells organic produce from his farm in a shop on the high street, while many of the local shops bear the Prince of Wales feathers as a sign that they hold the Royal Warrant.

Of course, once you’ve finished window shopping for priceless antiques (and buying attractive junk – which is actually more fun), how about a well-deserved cuppa at the Blue Zucchini brasserie?