The Story Behind The Curious Hideaway
Most high streets sell the same things in the same order. The Curious Hideaway at 15 West Street, Weston-super-Mare, was set up to do the opposite: to put the strange, the spooky, the enchanted and the lovingly handmade under one roof, and to let the people who make those things have their own space to show them.
A shop with a lot of owners’ hearts in it
We are not a single brand with a single buyer. The shop is shared by independent makers and curators, our stockists, who each rent shelf space and fill it their own way. That is why one corner can hold framed butterflies and bone displays while the next is full of crochet hair bows.
It also means every shelf has a real person behind it. Dead Dolls Society is Sara Redding, who rescues unwanted dolls from landfill and turns them into something gloriously odd. Oddities By Maggot is Kya, whose relics and keepsakes take their cue from Victorian curiosity cabinets. Dahlia Wax Candles is a North Somerset brand making soy candles, wax melts and bouquets of wax flowers.
What you will find here
The short answer is artisan creations, pre-loved finds, alternative fashion and small independent brands. The longer answer depends on the month, because the mix changes as makers bring in new work:
- Gothic and folklore art, including the cryptid prints from CrypticxCove
- Natural crystals and handmade crystal jewellery from Amy’s Crystals & Crafts
- Silver and stainless steel jewellery from Lily Star Zorric
- Dice, miniatures and tabletop gaming gear from Boston T Gaming
- Cushions, bags and dog blankets from Handmade with Rage
Why a hideaway?
Because that is how it should feel. The idea is that you come in for a look round and lose track of the time, read the little labels, pick something up and put it down again, and leave with a thing nobody else you know owns. Curiosity is the whole point, and you are welcome to browse without buying a thing.
Come and see it
We are open seven days a week, and our visit page has the map. You can also catch us or our stockists out and about on our events calendar.
If you make something unusual yourself, we would love to hear from you. Have a read of why handmade matters to us, then send in an application to rent a shelf.