Welsh town 'one of UK's prettiest for Christmas'

Cardigan in Ceredigion was named fourth prettiest town in the UK for Christmas shopping

Times may be tough for high street businesses, but one town in Wales seems to be bucking the trend.

Cardigan has recently been named as one of the prettiest places to do Christmas shopping in the UK by The Times newspaper.

The high street is dominated by small, independent businesses doing brisk trade.

It was fourth on the list behind Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire, St Andrews in Scotland, and Frome in Somerset.

The paper said: "While some towns get decked out in tacky tinsel, cute Cardigan goes upmarket, its historic shops painted in a rainbow sherbet yellow, lipstick pink and spearmint green."

One of the businesses named in the article is Tonnau Surf Co, and shop owner Ben Robbins said the press coverage has been a welcomed boost.

"It's huge, straightaway I started getting messages, and all of a sudden you have multiple followers on social media, and you get a few orders off the back of it as well.

"It's great for exposure. I'm just really happy to know that Cardigan is just going up, up, up."

Gift Shop U Melt Me, originally established as a market stall, now has opened as a shop on the High Street, and the business has expanded.

Owner Becky Oldfield said Cardigan's success is down to the variety of independent traders in the town.

"I think it's because we're more dominated by small businesses," she said.

"You look along the high street and it's not lots of chain shops. We have got the independent shops, so you come here and you're more likely to get a unique gift."

Owner of U Melt Me said it was quite rare these days to get unique gifts from independent shops because high streets are overrun with chain shops

One of the town's newest businesses is boutique hotel The Albion, situated in the old granary overlooking the Teifi River.

General manager, Jack Scott, said being named in the article was "exciting" for Cardigan.

"We've been open a year now, but it's really exciting to have that sort of media coverage.

"It brings an exciting prospect for the town. I think over the last five or six years it's been growing exponentially every year, and it's really exciting to see the town grow and develop, to become what its potential is - which is an excellent, beautiful, vibrant little town off the coast of west Wales."

The Guildhall Market is a two floor space market that will open in 2024

The Victorian Guildhall Market in the town is currently undergoing refurbishment, with £3.1m being spent to carry out major repairs on the roof and walls, a new heating system installed, and public toilets.

The market, which has traditionally been home to a number of small market stalls, first opened in 1860, and councillor Clive Davies hopes it will bring in even more visitors to the small market town.

"Just like the castle in Cardigan, it pulls people to town to look at its heritage and history. The Guildhall is an amazing space for new businesses to start and also offer something that's slightly different to other towns.

The market is near completion and will be open in Spring 2024.