As the Christmas shopping kicks up a gear, traders in Middleton-in-Teesdale are eager to persuade people to make the most of their thriving community of shops, which offer everything from local arts and crafts to quirky antiques – plus the all-important festive dinner.
“These shops are important for the village,” said Audrey Townsend, working in Middleton Antiques. “This is what brings people to Middleton. Without shops like this, and without the people who support them, it would be a very different place.”
The stock spreads through four rooms and covers all sorts: one man popped in from Eggleston to pick up a portrait of Winston Churchill, while retro toys and vintage clothing are often popular, even if an old-school computer game prompts mutterings about not being that old!
At Middleton Crafts on Chapel Row, Jill Savage agreed that a varied community of local shops helps boost the village’s profile.
“It helps bring people in,” she said. “We have the indie market and the farmers market, that’s going well. There’s another craft shop that sells different things from us, you’ve got Judith’s Step In art gallery just up the road and the Kirkcarrion Gallery has opened this year. So there’s quite a lot to see.
“And we get people from all over. They like to go for a drive out and come here. We even have people coming regularly from Scotland to do their Christmas shopping, so we must be doing something right.”
The craft shop celebrates its 40th anniversary next year and acts as a retail association on behalf of local creators.
The contribution to village life is not limited to attracting tourists. The Village Bookshop was established with a mission to raise funds for groups in Middleton, Eggleston and Forest & Frith.
Local guidebooks, postcards and similar souvenirs fly off the shelves – on the day the Mercury visited, Pauline Black had sold the last of the calendars by local photographer Martin Rogers.
It’s much more than a second-hand bookshop. As Pauline explained, the shop has taken over some of Middleton’s lost amenities.
“After we lost the post office we decided to sell more cards,” she said. “We try to help with local knowledge because we haven’t had a Tourist Information Centre for years.”
Nearby, Alastair McFarlane’s traditional family butcher is gearing up for another busy time of year.
His shop stocks meat sourced as locally as possible, with cooked meats, pease pudding, black pudding and sausages all done in-house.
The Christmas order book is still open until Tuesday, and sales are going nicely. “Things are similar to last year, so we’re doing alright,” he said. “As always, turkey is a big seller, but I think boneless turkey is going to be very popular this year.”
Upstairs from the butchers, The Goodsyard Crafts moved into its third home back in August. Set up about 10 years ago by Jane Addison, it showcases work by 20-plus crafters.
“It’s an eclectic mix,” Jane said. “And 95 per cent of everything in the shop is made in and around Teesdale. At the moment, only three of our crafters are based outside the dale.”
Stock is entirely handmade – “no AI” is the proud boast – and ranges from jewellery to handwoven scarves, knitted hats to handmade soaps, woodcarving to fused glass. There is also a line of tote bags in support of the St Mary’s Church restoration fund.
