Discover one of Lancaster's hidden gems for shopping inside historic city building

Located on the ground floor of the Assembly Rooms building in King Street, it has been a unique corner of the city for the past 40 years, offering something a bit different from the high street.

Inside you’ll discover an Aladdin’s cave of vintage and alternative clothing, accessories, unusual items and collectables.

The first vintage and second-hand stalls moved into the building in 1984 after Lancaster’s indoor market burned down.

Since then, stalls have come and gone but it continues to offer a range of goods and services not commonly found on the high street.

Current stalls include a silversmith who restores jewellery and does commissions, an extensive fancy dress shop and a stall selling zines – the only UK outlet for some of them. Zines are small-circulation self-published works of original or appropriated texts and images, usually reproduced via a copy machine.

You will also find stalls selling upcycled furniture and hand-crafted homeware, and a well-stocked bookstall – plus an excellent selection of vintage and fair-trade clothing and accessories including Steampunk, hippy and Goth, Asian arts, crafts and food, a wide range of fossils, gems and minerals, a clothing repair service, and everything nerdy, novelty and anime with Lancaster’s very own Miss Frog.

The building itself dates from 1759 when it was built to raise funds for the alms houses next door, then known as Penny’s Hospital.

Banquets, balls, art exhibitions and educational lectures were all held at the Assembly Rooms and in the 20th century, it was also used for election campaigns, local meetings and even an Employment Exchange.

For many years the upstairs was home to Ludus Dance. It now hosts Assembly Arts with facilities for artists as well as classes, workshops and exhibitions.

A Grade II listed heritage building, the Assembly Rooms has always been at the heart of the community.

If you haven’t yet called in – or it’s been a while since your last visit – why not pop in next time you’re in town?

The Assembly Rooms is open Tuesday to Saturday.

If you want to have a peek before you visit, go to www.lancaster.gov.uk/sites/markets/new-assembly-rooms or find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AssemblyRoomsEmporium