Old Rowlands in Cheddar is featured on the list from The Times alongside six other establishments.
Discussing how they decided on who to include, the publication wrote: “Given it’s the first week of December, even the Grinches among us might admit it’s putting up the tree time.
“But before you dust off the same old fairy lights, consider if your Christmas scheme requires a refresh.
“Whether you need new hand-painted baubles or novelty trimmings (a cheese-shaped glass ornament, maybe?) the UK’s finest year-round Christmas shops have the lot.
“The seven featured below (open seven days a week, unless otherwise specified) are in some of the country’s most popular tourist haunts, so you can turn your shopping trip into a full-blown festive weekender with seasonal nibbles, entertainment and a cosy hotel too.”
The full list can be found on The Times website here.
What was said about Old Rowlands?
Old Rowlands is known for being an all-year-round Christmas shop which also offers a cottage for people to stay in.
It was praised by The Times for its huge range of festive offerings with some unique items like cheese-shaped glass ornaments.
They wrote: ““Christmas heaven” is how most customers describe this cosy Victorian shop stuffed to the rafters with painted Polish baubles, handmade wooden figures and bearded gonks.
“Many come for the only-in-Cheddar decorations that change annually — from cheese-shaped glass ornaments to beaded velvet goats — while truly dedicated yulephiles book well in advance to stay in the on-site Christmas Cottage, decorated for the holidays 365 days a year (two nights’ self-catering for up to five from £329; oldrowlands.com).
“If it’s fully booked during your visit, stay at the family-owned Gordons B&B instead; nearby is the Cheddar Gorge Cheese Company with a dairy that sells oak-smoked, truffle-infused and cave-matured wedges — perfect for your festive cheeseboard.”
Old Rowlands has also been well-received by visitors, earning a 4.8/5 score on Google Reviews from 115 ratings.
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One person wrote: “We really enjoyed our visit to the stire a couple of weeks ago, it is a beautiful shop with so much variety and the lady who owns it was so friendly and accommodating.”
Another shared: “What a great shop. Buying my Christmas decorations whilst visiting Cheddar Gorge wasn’t something I was expecting to be doing in August. But it’s hard to resist visiting this store. Very nice service and some unique items to purchase.”
A third posted: “We instantly loved the look of the gift shop when we arrived in cheddar and made our Christmas purchases, we had our names placed on a Christmas decoration which was such a lovely touch of the shop assistant. Lovely gifts for everyone.”
