Browsing small independent shops is one of my favourite things, especially when visiting a new village or town, from treating myself to something beautifully made by a local artist or maker that will remind me of my trip for years to come, to looking for a present for a friend or loved one. In addition, buying something from a local independent shop is more meaningful and supports the local economy and the livelihoods of small indie makers—win-win!
These are some of my favourite indie shops, which I visited and bought from while I’ve been living here in the Lake District.
Gifts and Local Makers
Indie Shops in the Lake District
Shop For The Senses, Rheged Centre, Penrith
Housed in The Rheged Centre just outside of Penrith (and conveniently located close to the M6), Shop For The Senses began in 2019 when a group of local artists and makers came together to create a small shop that showcases their work – from textiles to candles, furniture to paintings, this beautifully curated shop is one of the best places to source locally created items in the Lake District.
Location: Shop For The Senses, Rheged, Redhills, Penrith, Cumbria. CA11 0DQ
Opening Hours: Mon to Sun: 10am – 5pm
Makers Mill, Keswick
The Makers Mill is a creative venue in the centre of Keswick with art studios and a public gallery where you can buy work from around 30 local artists, including handmade furniture, ceramics, textiles, jewellery and knitwear. The Makers Mill also hosts workshops where you can learn and improve various artistic skills, from linocut printing to fused glass, stone carving, to felt painting. You can find the list of the latest workshops here.
Location: The Makers Mill, Greta Side, Keswick, CA12 5LG
Opening Hours: Thurs – Sun: 10am – 4pm
Detail, Ambleside
Located in Ambleside, in the heart of the Lake District, this family-run shop offers a unique collection of local and British makers and artists, from ceramics to homeware, art to stationery and greeting cards. It’s a great place to find a gift to take home from your Lake District adventures!
Location: Detail, Market Place, Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 9BU
Opening Hours: Mon – Sun: 10am – 5.30pm (5pm Sundays)
Grasmere Gather, Grasmere
Recently opened within the former garden centre in the heart of the village, Grasmere Gather brings together a unique range of artisan products from across Cumbria (and the UK) – from tasty jams and chutneys from Hawkshead Relish and Wild and Fruitful, to Lake District tweed and wool, artisan soap, ceramics and locally made spirits.
Tucked away at the back is The Gather, serving tasty wholesome food and homemade cakes and pastries.
Location: Grasmere Gather, Church Stile, Grasmere, LA22 9SW
Opening Hours: Mon – Sun: 10am – 5.30pm
Conquer Lake District
Looking to take home a souvenir of a Lake District hill you’ve climbed or a lake you’ve swam in? Conquer Lake District will likely have a quirky patch for you to sew on your backpack! Alongside their iconic range of patches, Conquer also have a range of clothing, homeware deco, books and backpacks to inspire your next adventure.
Location: Conquer Trading Post, 28 Lake Rd, Keswick CA12 5DQ
Opening Hours: Mon – Sat 10am-5pm and Sun 10am-4pm
Food and Drink
Rattle Ghyll Deli
The perfect place to pick up a locally sourced feast! Rattle Ghyll Deli stocks several Cumbrian and northern producers, from locally roasted coffee from Carvetti and Podda and Wren, to jams and chutneys, Kendal-based Northern Pasta and Wintertarn butter made on the edge of the Cumbrian fells.
The deli counter also has a range of local and British cheeses, delicious pies from Great North Pie based in Manchester and a selection of house-made salad pots from roasted vegetables to carrot slaw. If you fancy a little tipple, there are also beers from various local breweries (Lakes Brew Co, Fell Brewery, Crooked River, Cumbria Ales) and locally made gin and whisky.
Freshly baked sourdough bread is also available daily, which is delivered from nearby Apple Pie Bakery and More Bakery in Staveley.
Location: Rattle Ghyll Deli, Rydal Rd, Ambleside LA22 9BS
Opening Hours: Mon – Sun 9.30am 5.pm
Hawkshead Relish
Recently celebrating its 25th anniversary, Hawkshead Relish is a small family-owned business making a range of chutneys, jams and sauces made in the heart of the Lake District and sold in a quaint little shop in the village of Hawkshead. I highly recommend the Raspberry and Vanilla jam! Hawkshead Relish is also stocked in a number of shops and visitor centre across the Lake District and Cumbria.
Location: Hawkshead Relish, The Square, Hawkshead, Ambleside LA22 0NZ
Opening Hours: Mon – Sat 9.30am 5.30pm and Sun 10am – 5.30pm
Grasmere Gingerbread
One of the most famous shops in the Lake District, Grasmere Gingerbread has been open since 1854 and sells individual and multipacks of its delicious gingerbread made on site. It also offers a range of gingerbread-based products, such as rum butter, fudge, and mint cake. Note that the queues get VERY long in the summer, so it’s advised to try to go early or late in the day!
There is also now an additional shop in the village of Hawkshead.
Important point: you can ONLY buy Grasmere gingerbread at one of its two shops in Grasmere and Hawkshead – there are no other additional stockists in the Lake District!
Location: Grasmere Gingerbread, Church Cottage, Grasmere, Ambleside LA22 9SW
Opening Hours: Mon – Sun: 9.15am – 4.30pm
The Keswick Cheese Deli
A small deli tucked away in a courtyard, just off the main square, The Keswick Cheese Deli has over 90 varieties of cheeses, including specialising in local Cumbrian cheeses, plus a range of locally sourced produce such as chutneys, oils, muesli and beer.
Location: The Keswick Cheese Deli, 9 Packhorse Ct, Keswick CA12 5JB
Opening Hours: Mon – Sun: 10am – 4pm
Books
Fred’s Bookshop, Ambleside
A cosy bookshop in the heart of Ambleside, it has been open since 1956 (the upstairs used to house a vinyl collection!) and has a well-curated and eclectic selection of books—from the latest fiction and nonfiction to classics, sci-fi, history, fantasy, romance, local books, and maps. The upstairs section also has a well-stocked range of children’s books—and a secret hiding place for little ones!
Location: Fred’s Bookshop, Central Buildings, Ambleside LA22 9BS
Opening Hours: Mon – Sat 9am-5pm (5.30pm in summer) and Sun 10-5pm
Verey Books, Pooley Bridge
The newest bookshop in the Lake District, Verey Books, opened in 2021 and houses a beautiful collection of fiction, nonfiction, local interest books, maps, and an adorable kids’ section with a woven willow tree! Verey Books also has a small cafe in the corner and seating outside, so you can enjoy your new book with a brew on a sunny day!
Location: Verey Books, Treetops, Pooley Bridge CA10 2NN
Opening Hours: Mon – Sun 10am-5pm
Sam Read Bookseller, Grasmere
With a stunning backdrop of the central fells in the village of Grasmere, which has literary connections to the poet William Wordsworth, Sam Read is the oldest bookshop in the Lake District, established in 1887. Expect a well-curated range of fiction and nonfiction, short stories, poetry, cookery, travel, and local interest, plus a small section for children tucked away at the back.
Location: Sam Read Bookseller, Broadgate House, Grasmere, Ambleside LA22 9SY
Opening Hours: Mon – Sun 10am-1pm and 1.30pm-5pm (reduced days in winter)
Read more: 4 of the best independent bookshops in the Lake District
Art/Design
Heaton Cooper Studio, Grasmere
Home to an extensive range of Lake District paintings by the artist William Heaton Cooper, who lived in Grasmere from the 1930s, the studio also plays host to a range of changing exhibitions (with pieces usually for sale) as well as art materials, including sketchbooks, canvases, paints, and pencils, plus unique homeware with a Nordic feel and an array of books for adults and children.
The gallery is also home to Mathelide’s cafe, one of my faves in the Lake District. It stocks locally roasted Carvetti coffee beans and occasional treats from its kitchen, including beautifully presented Christmas cakes, at Christmas time.
Location: Heaton Cooper Studio, Grasmere, Ambleside LA22 9SX
Opening Hours: Mon – Sun 9am-5pm
Read more: The best 12 cafes in the Lake District
National Park Print Shop, Ambleside/Windermere
A popular and quirky print shop and studio with shops in both Windermere and Ambleside showcasing local and British indie artists through a wide selection of risographs and giclee art prints alongside pin badges, patches and postcards!
Location: Windermere: 25a Crescent Road, Windermere
Ambleside: Big Six, Compston Road, Ambleside
Opening Hours: Mon – Sat (Closed Tuesday) 10am-5pm and Sunday 11am-4pm
Northern Lights Gallery, Keswick
A contemporary art gallery in Keswick showcasing over 80 artists, many based in Cumbria and influenced and inspired by nearby lakes and hills.
Location: Northern Lights Gallery, 22 St John’s St, Keswick CA12 5AS
Opening Hours: Mon – Sun 10am-4.30pm
Beauty
The Bath House, Bowness, Ambleside and Keswick (from Spring 2025)
Established in 1997, the Bath House make natural skincare and fragrances from their home in Sedbergh on the edge of the Lake District, where the natural landscape has inspired many of their scents and cruelty-free, vegan products from perfume to home fragrances and lotions for body and face using natural ingredients where possible.
Location: Bowness: Queens Square, Bowness-on-Windermere, Windermere LA23 3BY
Ambleside: Market Place, Ambleside LA22 9BU
Opening Hours: Mon – Sun 10am-5pm
Local Markets
Keswick Market
Where to find the best markets in the Lake District (and beyond!)
- Keswick Market – held twice weekly on a Thursday and a Saturday (less frequently in winter) is the best outdoor market in the Lake District with fresh fruit and veg, meat, pies, food traders, local artists and makers
- Kendal Farmers Market (on the edge of the national park) hosts a monthly farmers market on the the last Friday of each month (and sometimes additional ones at Easter and Christmas) with a fantastic range of local food producers from veg to meat, beer and amazing sourdough bread from Lovingly Artisan – well worth a trip to stock up!
I hope you found this guide useful – do let me know if you think of any shops that could be added to the list!
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