Most people rushing west from London Paddington blow straight past Hungerford on their way to the Cotswolds or Marlborough. That's their loss. This small market town in Berkshire, sitting in the North Wessex Downs National Landscape, has quietly built a reputation as one of the best antique-hunting spots in southern England — and it's less than two hours from the capital by train.

Hungerford's trading credentials go way back. King Edward I granted the town the right to hold a market in the 13th century, and commerce is still the main event. The High Street is lined with dealers, and three names come up again and again. Hungerford Arcade Antiques & Collectables, a short walk from the station, packs dozens of stalls with pottery, vintage toys, figurines and old vinyl. A few minutes down the road, Below Stairs leans toward original period pieces — 19th-century brass candlesticks, conductor's whistles, copper kettles and glass lampshades. On the far side of town, Great Grooms of Hungerford is so crammed with paintings, sculptures and jewellery that visitors report losing hours inside. The red-brick facade alone is worth a photo.

Not a vintage person? The town covers the modern end too. White Coco sells women's fashion and accessories in a handsome brick building, with The Naked Grape wine shop just across the street — well stocked with reds, whites, gins and ports if you want a bottle for the evening. Book lovers get The Hungerford Bookshop, with exposed beams, unhurried staff and a basement of second-hand titles.

When hunger strikes, The Borough Arms does the classic pub thing with a garden and fresh-baked pizzas, while Eliane, next door to the bookshop, handles brunch — avocado toast and a proper coronation chicken sandwich among them. If you stay over, the Three Swans Hotel is a former coaching inn dating to the 1600s.

There's an outdoor side to the town as well. The Hungerford Common and Canal loop is an easy, scenic walk through the Downs, and St Lawrence's Church, with its crenellated tower and stained glass, sits just off the High Street. Built in the early 19th century, it's a five-minute detour that adds a bit of history to a shopping day.

Hungerford suits a particular kind of traveller: the one who wants a proper English market town without the coach parties, and who'd rather root through a tray of Victorian brooches than queue for a photo op. It works as an easy day trip from London, but with one good hotel, a canal-side walk and half a dozen food options, an overnight stay turns it into a proper slow weekend. And if your car boot comes home full, nearby Amesbury and Salisbury — handy for Stonehenge — make a natural next stop.

Story sourced from Islands.