Boutiques, high streets and market retreats

Discerning boutique browsers and shameless shopaholics need look no further than Yorkshire South to indulge their passion for fashion amidst the wonderful backdrop, charm and character of the region’s towns, villages and people.

Brilliant Boutiques

Many of Barnsley’s unique boutiques and trendy designer stores are found on Eldon Street and The Arcade, with designer stores such as Abe and Giselle, Frank Bird and Boardwalk. Fill your thirst for Vivien Westwood designs at Bees Designer Wear and don’t forget Boogoloo for the children. The Thomas Whitworth Forum is certainly worth visit, combining traditional charm with a designer shopping experience.

No trip to Barnsley would be complete without a visit to Pollyanna’s. Sitting pretty on Market Hill for over 40 years, it is one of Britain’s oldest independent fashion retailers and has been hailed by London's Victoria and Albert Museum as one of the leading shops in the world, with designers such as Lanvin, Yohji Yamamoto, Issey Miyake, YSL and Nina Ricci on the racks.

For a real blast from the past, be sure to make the 2 mile trip out of town to the award-winning Pot House Hamlet. Set in the Pennine Yorkshire countryside, this historic hamlet offers an added retail experience with the historic Waggon Way and renovated 15th century Mill offering a marvellous setting in which to browse designer womenswear, shoes and accessories.

Fairy Godmother

Doncaster’s compact city centre lies on the site of an old Roman fort and is fast becoming a shopping hot spot with the boutiques, pavement cafes, restaurants and bars of Priory Walk. Seek out Seen for the latest trends for men and women. Seen was recently transformed by BBC 2’s ‘Mary Queen of Shops’ so judge for yourself the wand of retail fairy godmother, Mary Portas.

Doncaster is the gateway to the stylish and historical little of town of Bawtry. The bustling High Street, courtyards and side streets are a real haven for shoppers. Just 8 miles south of Doncaster, you’ll find yourself transported back in time at Tickhill. Dating back to 1066, wander amongst ancient buildings and modern courtyard cafés, unique boutiques and family-run businesses. Extend your out of town experience with a trip to Wickersley. Only 3 miles outside of Rotherham you’ll find home to a wonderful selection of nearby home to independent retailers.

Already proving a hit with local celebrities is Sheffield’s award-winning boutique Kelly Clarke. Offering a dazzling array of designer womenswear it stole the show when Nell McAndrew showcased her bespoke design on the red carpet for the premier of ‘The Holiday’ in Leicester Square. And a different kind of celebrity is at work upstairs at new bar The Bowery. This is where Matt Helder from the Arctic Monkeys is about to launch his own fashion store devoted to UK label Supreme Being.

Widely regarded as the place for Sheffield’s coolest cuts and quirkiest fashions, the Devonshire Quarter is the main thoroughfare of Division Street and Devonshire Street and offers a wealth of independent stores you can’t find on the average high street. Continue the quest for something a little less ordinary, with a trip to The Golden Mile, also known as Ecclesall Road for specialist outlets such as Butterfly Lingerie and grab of gift in The Famous Sheffield Shop.

Bargain Brands

Escape the chill and warm up with high-street bargains under one roof. Head to the Lakeside Village in Doncaster, which is host to over 45 outlets offering up to 60% off rrp on a range of famous brands. Take advantage of the special “Shop, Spa & Stay” available at some of the region’s hotels and make a real break of it. The Holiday Inn Doncaster and Lakeside Village are offering shoppers special weekend rates from £55 per room, per night, including breakfast, a free VIP goody bag and 10% discount card to use whilst shopping!

If undercover one-stop shopping appeals to you, be sure to check out some of the country’s largest shopping complexes, located in the region. The newly expanded £200 million Frenchgate Centre in the heart of Doncaster Town Centre and the colossal Meadowhall in Sheffield, which is home to over 280 stores.

Marvellous Markets

For the real deal, head to the region’s markets and meet the locals (and even those not so local!). Sheffield Markets host a year-round programme of popular specialist markets ranging from Continental and Farmers' Markets to Craft Markets.

Barnsley Market offers fantastic value in an extensively refurbished, bright modern environment, with over 300 stalls in indoor and open areas to peruse. For a more traditional ambiance, head to Doncaster Market. As the largest traditional market in the North of England, it is widely believed to have first been used as a market site by the Romans. These days it houses some 400 stalls and incorporates Doncaster Fish Market – one of the finest inland fish markets in the north. In fact, when celebrity chef Antony Worrall Thompson visited the town for National Seafood Week in 2004, he was so impressed he remarked, “I wish there were more markets like Doncaster Market”.

Get Crafty

Take home something to treasure with an excursion to the antique and craft shops of Yorkshire South, which offer something for the most devoted bargain hunter. There’s the Antiques Quarter along Abbeydale Road in Sheffield and the Elsecar Heritage Centre, in Barnsley. This former ironworks and collieries workshops once belonged to the Earl Fitzwilliam and have since been restored to house an antiques centre complete with over 90 dealers and individual craft workshops and has been featured on BBC’s Bargain Hunt.

For further information about Yorkshire South, log on to Yorkshiresouth.com.