No trip to Devon is complete without a visit to the market town of Newton Abbot. If we ever have a decent stay in Devon I always persaude my husband to take us there. Last year I found a vintage toy London bus which is my favourite ever find.
My husband loves going to a model shop and we usually have tea and cakes in the delightful Pharmacy on Queen Street. As the name suggests the tea room is in an old pharmacy which retains all the original shop fittings. They always have an amazing range of cakes which I mean to try and bake myself when I get home.
Anyway, in case you haven’t guessed, Newton Abbot is fantastic for charity shops. There are at least 12 which can take a good hour or two to visit. Due to my husbands’ sprained ankle I had to take the children and double buggy but I managed a decent look round most of them.
Starting in Queen Street we visited the soul-less British Red Cross shop and the Devon Air Ambulance shop, where I always find lots of toys for the children. Further down the road is Used and Useful – for Shelter Box where I found my lovely vintage bus last year. It has the atmosphere of an old fashioned jumble sale as at the back of the shop is a table piled with books, clothes and fabrics. It’s a great shop for a rummage if you are on your own and don’t mind rifling through racks of musty clothes.
1970s Matchbox Sea-Kings – 30p each!
We had a look round the British Heart Foundation furniture and electrical shop where we got stuck between some old ladies and rather large sofa so made a quick exit, backwards. On to the Mare and Foal Sanctuary where the counter uses an old haberdashery unit which I covet more than anything in the shop. Next up was CLIC Sargent which is great for toys and children’s clothes, the PDSA which is small and narrow at the back and a Cancer Research shop.
Turning on to Courtenay Street you’ll find an RSPCA, British Heart Foundation, YMCA and Cancer Research Kids Emporium. The Cancer Research shop sells second hand maternity, baby and children’s toys and clothes. The stock is great quality and I had an interesting time taking the toddler away from the (inevitable) shelf of Thomas goodies.
Newton Abbot also has a fantastic recycling centre on Brunel Road which is great if you have a car and can get there. It has a small shop attached where you can purchase items of furniture, clothes, garden furniture. A couple of years ago we bought a lovely Lloyd Loom nursing chair which I painted and covered with some favourite Cath Kidston fabric for the nursery.
I’d definitely recommend a visit if you’re in the area!
Linking up with flea market finds and thrift share monday
Oh the heck with thrifting… sitting down to a table with tea and cakes sound wonderful!