Things to do
around Royal Wootton Bassett

Royal Wootton Bassett is a working Wiltshire market town rather than a chocolate-box village, and that's part of its appeal: the shops are used by the people who live here, the pubs and cafés fill up at lunchtime, and there's a steady, unhurried rhythm to the high street. Within roughly two miles you'll find 32 places to eat and drink, nine shops, three activity venues, two places to visit, two places to stay and one service — enough to fill a morning, an afternoon or a stopover on the way west into the Cotswolds. It suits visitors who like browsing, talking to shopkeepers and eating well without booking weeks ahead.

A good few hours might start with a slow wander along the main street, dipping into Moonraker Books for something to read on the journey and Paper Kisses for cards and gifts you won't find in a chain. If the timing works, RWB Auctions is worth a look for the sheer variety passing through. Walk off the browsing at the Wootton Bassett Mud Springs, then settle in for dinner at Peking House before heading back.