Hit the road for a great British shopping trip

There are some wonderful shopping opportunities in the United Kingdom, whether you’re looking for a new outfit, an unusual art piece or a designer bargain. Having a car opens up a whole new world of specialist options and these are six of the best shopping hotspots near the UK’s major cities.

Bicester Village

Snap up some bargains at this designer shopping outlet centre that’s around an hour-and-a-half’s drive (65 miles) from central London. Expect to find big brand names at heavily discounted prices while you wander in and out of the string of pretty pastel-coloured shops. Keep your energy levels up with a stop at one of the multitude of dining options; try afternoon tea at the classically British Café Wolseley, or opt for dim sum in the glamorous 1920s-inspired Shan Sui restaurant. Take a brief detour off the A41 on your way back to London through the peaceful Oxfordshire village of Wendlebury, just two-and-a-half miles from Bicester Village. Stop here for a meal in the charming The Lion at Wendlebury Pub, which also has a number of comfortable rooms if you decide to turn your day trip into a mini break.

Hawick

If you’re after some of Scotland’s finest knitwear, drive for around an hour and a half south of Edinburgh, about 51 miles down the A7, to the handsome border town of Hawick. Start your trip in the Borders Textile Towerhouse, a museum housed in the town’s oldest building, and learn all about the history and tradition of local knitwear over the last 200 years. Then hit the shops and buy a few of these wonderfully soft and warm pieces to take home with you. You’ll also find a handful of great deals in the Pringle of Scotland Outlet Store, before a look around Johnstons of Elgin mill and its cashmere selection. While away a day here by combining a textile trip with other attractions, such as a guided tour of the Borders Distillery – the first Scotch Whisky Distillery to operate legally since 1837. Treat yourself to a stay at Mansfield House Hotel.

The Trafford Centre

Drive around six miles west of Manchester’s city centre to the enormous, domed Trafford Centre for some serious shopping. The centre’s decor is opulent – think a marble-lined mall, one of the world’s largest chandeliers and real palm trees from California – and there’s also a dazzling array of shops. Enjoy department store trips to big names such as John Lewis and Selfridges, before rewarding yourself with a meal in the centre’s maritime-themed food court – the largest of its kind in Europe. And for the playful at heart, visit the UK’s longest indoor real snow ski slope at Chill Factore next door. Stay at the boutique Cow Hollow Hotel.

Salts Mill

Just four miles north of Bradford and 14 miles west of Leeds is the former textile mill, now shopping centre, Salts Mill. The wider area has UNESCO World Heritage Site status, and is a hub for creative types; a place for those in search of independent shops and boutiques. Combine shopping with art on a visit to the mill’s on-site gallery, dedicated to the Bradford-born artist David Hockney, before buying a classic print of his from The Poster Shop. Or treat yourself to some designer homeware in the modish The Home store. Refuel in the mill’s restaurant, Café in to the Opera, before learning more about the history of the Italianate building and its philanthropic founder Sir Titus Salt in its People and Process exhibition. Stay in the nearby Abbey Lodge Hotel.

Bluewater

Housed in a former chalk quarry around an hour’s drive east of London via the A2 or A13, Bluewater is an enormous triangular-shaped Kent shopping centre surrounded by lakes, parkland and trees. More than 300 stores are split into different areas – head to The Guildhall area for classic and high fashion stores, The Village for boutiques and lifestyle shops, and the Rose Gallery for a great range of high-street shops.
And there’s plenty to do here once you’ve had your shopping fill, such as renting a pedalo to take on the centre’s boating lake. If you’d like to combine your trip with a historic attraction, visit Hall Place and Gardens on your way back to London – a distinctive black and white checked Grade I listed building constellated by lush green gardens with some impressive topiary. Spend a night at the quaint Bexley Village Hotel.

Royal Leamington Spa

Around 30 miles’ drive south of Birmingham is the Regency town of Royal Leamington Spa. Its stunning setting, with wide boulevards and gorgeous Georgian and Edwardian buildings, makes shopping here a treat. And more than 400 shops, combining independent boutiques and high street classics, means you’ll have plenty of options to snap up mementos of your day out. If you’d like to embrace the town’s history as a spa town, consider rewarding yourself with a treatment in one of Leamington Spa’s many salons. For some real indulgence, book into Mallory Court Country House Hotel & Spa, a five-minute drive away.