I recently discovered several very good reasons to visit Whitchurch. One being Velvet Rose, on Church Street, offering “Frills, ruffles and piled on appliques, vintage trimmings, flowers and bows…[a] frivolous collection of off-beat, one-off pieces”. The lovely owner Marsha Swanzy clearly has a great eye and has created an aladdin’s cave of beautiful and individual garments and furniture – restored and more. If it’s not clothes you’re after, there’s a wonderful collection of smaller pieces – corsages, cards, scarves and jewellery. The whole place is a real delight.

Once you’ve enjoyed the visual feast on offer at Velvet Rose, and perhaps purchased something gorgeous, the best place to retire for a cup of tea and a piece of homemade cake must be H’s Coffee Shop, snuggled into a beautiful old building on Newbury street, a short walk away. Run by Jenny and Hannah (the eponymous ‘H’), a mother and daughter team, the olde worlde exterior hides a modern cafe serving delicious, locally and homemade cakes, light lunches and homemade soups. Once replenished, there’s always The Handbag Shop if more retail therapy is required.

Image courtesy of Velvet Rose.