Antiques & Vintage

If you love TV programmes like the Antiques Road Trip, you will love visiting Dorset’s antique and vintage shops.

They are treasure troves of memorabilia and collectables, filled to the brim and waiting for customers who say “that’s just what I’ve been looking for".

So if you are looking for the last piece for your collection or perhaps a nostalgic item from your childhood, Dorset is the place to find it.

Wimborne Antiques Bazaar

No holiday to Dorset is complete without a visit to Wimborne's famous market - the biggest undercover market in southern England!

Open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the flea market is full of vintage, antiques, collectables and memorabilia. It runs alongside a general market and car boot, great for picking up everyday items and bargains.

Purbeck Artisan Yard

An old warehouse now filled with vintage and upcycled pieces, as well as art and craft from local producers. The Purbeck Artisan Yard is open 7 days a week and has 12 local artists and craftspeople all selling under one roof.

Collectable Books

Visit New and Secondhand Books for exactly that. The shop specialises in new, secondhand and collectable books. They hold an extensive range of local books, books by local authors and books with a local interest. Local books include books about Swanage, the Isle of Purbeck and Wareham, Swanage Railway, quarrying, local history, landscape photography, Dorset walks, Dorset history, old photographs and many other topics.

As well as their shop in Swanage, they also sell books online.

Dorchester Market

200 different traders can be found on a Wednesday at Dorchester Market. There is both an indoor and outdoor market, with a variety of bric-a-brac, antiques and collectables, as well as general market stalls.

The Station Emporium

You’ll have a unique shopping experience at The Station Emporium. Laid out in the form of a little quaint village, with station waiting room in Great Western Railway colours and 14 separate shops. Shops include antiques, collectables, vintage, furniture, jewellery and ornaments for the garden.

Once you’ve worked up an appetite looking for that special something, you can have breakfast or lunch in their café.

Make a break of it

Like the idea of spending a few days browsing and rummaging around our antique shops and emporiums? Find a great selection of places to stay and eat during your visit.