Just off the high street, this Victorian factory has been through several incarnations, first as a candlemaker and later as a manufacturer of surgical needles. Today, indie shops and artisans call the red-brick building home. Time slips by here as you explore its warren of handmade goods, collectables, jewellery, books and vintage interiors paraphernalia. Join a craft workshop before refuelling with toasted banana bread at the Backyard Café. Housed in a former garage next to the river, Riverside is of a similar persuasion, with a medley of shops, several small eateries and a sit-down brasserie.

“Goods” is a fitting name for this whitewashed store; it’s a purveyor of things that are good for you, good for the planet and look good in your home. An ethos that focuses around wellness and positivity manifests in ethically sourced crystals, rustic homewares, zero-waste lifestyle products and natural beauty products from the likes of RMS and Sans [ceuticals]. Like this? You’ll love the bohemian edit at plant-filled From Victoria.

The idea that flea markets are an “Aladdin’s cave” of knick knacks and retro ephemera is a touch overused, but in truth, it’s the best way to describe this place. Set inside a flaky-walled, ethereal old Methodist chapel, it’s been one of the best places in town for a leisurely rummage since it opened in 1992. Expect second-hand furniture, genuine antiques, vintage signs and, erm, a taxidermied ostrich. For a more refined vintage edit, try Closet & Botts.

“Provenance, quality and durability” is the mantra at Freight Household Goods, where made-in-the-UK lifestyle products are more about conscious living than self-conscious design – though its pared-back, herringbone-floored store could be straight off Pinterest. Established in 2014 by mother and daughter Helene and Adele Adamczewski, Freight products are timeless. We’ve got our eye on the brass pepper mill. If you’re a fan of this aesthetic, you’ll also want to check out The Good Times Homestore in The Needlemakers.

Set in a former candle factory, this half-timbered bookshop is crammed with antiquarian tomes and new editions that run the gamut from fiction to fishing techniques and needlework to natural history. Head here to kill half an hour on a drizzly afternoon or pick up a paperback to keep you company on a ramble up to Mount Caburn.