Christmas shop where you can buy festive-themed decorations all year round
Christmas fans are in for a treat as one shop makes it feel like December 25th all year round.
Old Rowlands Gift and Christmas Shop in Cheddar Gorge have kept up the festive theme since the 1990s.
What started as a small grotto has now blown up into a full Christmas store that sells a wide variety of festive decorations in colours and styles ranging from affordable to premium prices.
Danielle Elton from our sister site 2Chill visited this store in August and had a blast:
I absolutely love Christmas! I’m one of those crazy people who puts their tree up in November and then takes it down on the very last day before it’s considered unlucky.
So imagine my surprise when discovering a little Christmas shop in Cheddar Gorge on a recent summer holiday. I was thrilled.
There’s nothing I love more than wandering around a Christmas shop and looking at all of the beautiful trinkets and decorations.
And while Old Rowlands Gift and Christmas Shop in Cheddar Gorge is only small, it still gave me my Christmas fix, and it was only August.
Shop owner Katherine Lacoste has had the shop for the past three years, she came from Hampshire to Somerset to purchase and run it.
But Old Rowlands was a Christmas shop long before she bought it.
She told 2Chill: “It has been a Christmas shop since the mid 1990's and the name Old Rowlands is a tribute to Rowland Pavey who built Jacob's ladder, the tower and had a hotel on the shop site.”
Customers can shop a range of decorations including Cheddar Gorge themed, plush, shelf ornaments, garden ornaments, dining, pets, memorial and fragrance.
Although only small, it just screamed Christmas to me and offered so much choice. Although I have to admit, I thought the best bit was the large Santa standing outside the front of the store, who was sporting a face mask and a pair of sunglasses when I visited.
Katherine said: “Since taking ownership, I have developed the shop into a full Christmas shop rather than just a grotto which it had for a while.
“My aim is to offer a full range of Christmas decoration colours and styles ranging from affordable to premium prices. I also try to cover as many categories as I can, space allowing.”
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She added: “Our customers are our biggest critics and I listen to their feedback and take note of their requests. I have developed the shop and its collection based on what our customers are asking for.
“I work with a number of our suppliers to develop bespoke designs you will not find anywhere else. Our exclusive and limited edition range you will not find anywhere else in the UK.”
Katherine obviously loves Christmas just as much as I do, as do her customers.
Proving it’s never too early for a bit of festive spirit, one customer’s review of the shop read: “What a wonderful shop. Amazing Christmas items, yes I know it's August. I bought loads during the week on our visit to Cheddar, can't wait to go back.
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“The lady there was wonderful. She was happy to let me be a really big kid. Thank you for your wonderful decorations, they will look great up.”
And for those who really want to embrace Christmas even when it’s not December 25, Katherine is working on launching a Christmas cottage.
“In addition to the shop, we have a three-bedroom flat with a garden above the shop we have turned into Christmas holiday accommodation,” said Katherine.
“We are planning to launch very soon and will start taking bookings for 2022 very soon.”
Posting updates on Facebook, the cottage is decked out with tartan bedding, fairy lights, Christmas cushions, garlands and of course, a Christmas tree.
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