Hemswell Antiques Centre
Hemswell Antiques Centre
Hemswell Antiques Centre
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Hemswell Antique Centres brings together Europe's largest selection of dealers who can offer you the widest possible range of antique furniture and vintage collectables. Within four separate buildings you will find around 400 dealer display areas, which will keep you enthralled for hours. Take your time to wander through our vast array of bygone treasures and - who knows - you may discover that antiques bargain you’ve been searching for? Our website is updated daily with fresh pieces and contains over 3000 antique items for sale. This website shows a comprehensive selection of the quality antiques and collectables available at the Centre. Please register your specific interest on the 'item alerts' feature. We are open every day of the year, apart from Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day 10am to 5pm (Christmas Eve & New Years Eve 10am- 2.30pm). We are open all over Easter. We look forward to welcoming you to our centres.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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4.5
348 reviews
Excellent
215
Very good
88
Average
19
Poor
9
Terrible
17
Englishroyals
Nottingham, UK157 contributions
Dec 2020
The whole site is so large it never feels crowded. One way system in operation. toilets are open and plenty of hand sanitising stations. Everyone is wearing masks. The main restaurant is open for take a ways .We had a piping hot coffee and a panini with salad served in a polystyrene tray complete with cutlery and napkin. We took it to our car to eat the free car park being only a stones throw away from the buildings.An ideal place to get those last minute Christmas presents for that difficult to buy person.
Written 20 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your lovely review,
Apologies for not responding sooner. It's just unfortunate that we are not open at the moment and do not look on our Trip Advisor Account on a daily basis at this time. But I am pleased I did today and happy that you enjoyed your visit with us. We look forward to being able to open again and welcoming you back.
Written 2 March 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Margaret B
Mojacar, Spain8 contributions
Oct 2020
I regularly purchase goods from Helmswell and usually enjoy our visit but our visit yesterday was so stressful. On arrival at opening time as usual we visited the cafe in building one. We found the table dirty from the previous day and had to ask for it to be cleaned and also a dealer walking around not wearing a mask. I was going to complain to the owner but also saw him wearing his mask below his nose. We came away early after not feeling safe by this incident and rules not being adhered to in the buildings
Written 8 October 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you Margaretb for taking the time to leave us a review.
I can assure you that our company has put a lot of effort into creating a safe environment for all our staff, customers and dealers during these worrying times.
It is disappointing to read that your table was dirty from the “day before” as our coffee shop team work extremely hard maintaining cleanliness throughout the coffee shop areas providing excellent customer service at all times. All of our tables are cleaned prior to closing and after use from each sitting. So one must assume that the table was made dirty that morning before your arrival from someone or something that the coffee shop staff were not aware of. Thank you for bringing this to the team's attention and alerting them to the issue.
It has been reiterated to the coffee shop team that we need to be more vigilant when “re-checking tables” during their morning cleaning routine.
Regarding face coverings, you may be aware that some people are exempt from wearing them.
We are not preventing those who are exempt from entering our centres. However, we have asked them to inform the Building manager at the front desk of each building so that we are aware.
The owner of the centres wears his face mask but is an Asthma sufferer. Therefore, on occasions may move it under his nose to enable him to breathe more comfortably. We have had many comments about the sterling job our organisation is doing to ensure everyone’s safety and can only apologise that you did not feel the same.
Written 15 October 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
dsh
Fife, UK100 contributions
Aug 2020
Visiting the area for a few days and visited Hemswell on 11th August and wasn't disappointed the amount of antique centres and shops is astonishing, the Hemswell 'blue signs' have 4 buildings i think then there are a number of other centres and various shops to explore. Small discounts are available dependant on what you buy obviously but don't expect the 50% discounts you see on the antique shows. A number of the centres have cafes so you can spend an hour or a day wondering round looking for that bargain...
Written 14 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you davie h,
I am pleased you enjoyed your visit with us and thank you for your lovely review it is very much appreciated.
We will look forward to your return visit.
Written 2 September 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sarah D
Sheffield, UK5 contributions
Apr 2024 • Family
Place is far too large - it’s over whelming and haphazard. Prices are not only very top of the range and generally exceeds market value. Virtually all items are behind locked cabinets, you have to go to main desk and ask for key, this is dealt with by a manager ( generally only 2 per building) you have to wait significant time to even handle or look at an item, takes away the pleasure, gave up in the end, came away exhausted not a pleasant day at all.
Coffee shop in Guardroom the only positive, proper coffee and lovely cheese scone.
Coffee shop in Guardroom the only positive, proper coffee and lovely cheese scone.
Written 29 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you Sarah for your review and can only apologise that the visit wasn't the pleasant experience that so many of our customers enjoy here.
If you visited at the weekend, then this is one of our busiest times. If you were in Building 2, then if you have a couple of staff with customers looking at jewellery and 1 other team member behind the desk that does create a queue occasionally and a level of patience is required. We are sorry when this happens and try to manage this as best we can, but we cannot rush customers who are looking when there is a lot of choice.
Obviously, items have to be kept locked away in cabinets due to their value. However, it is not just managers that can open cabinets, all staff members are able to assist you with this. There are 2 x staff members in Building 3 and Building 2 and 3 x staff in Building 1 and The Guardroom. Although, during lunchtime other staff cover lunches and this can sometimes make us appear short staffed.
If this was your first visit then just the size of the place can be overwhelming and would definitely encourage you to visit us again now that you know what to expect. Break the day up a bit and enjoy lunch in one of our two Coffee Shops. The Cofee and cake later in the day or even an afternoon tea.
I am pleased you enjoyed The Guardroom Coffee Shop which serves locally produced Stokes Coffee and you are absolutely right our homemade cakes and scones are a welcome reward for getting tired and overwhelmed shopping here.
We look forward to welcoming you again soon.
Written 15 May 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
DavidSB
Heathfield, UK458 contributions
Sept 2021
Superb antique centre. Huge & diverse range of dealers / stock in a well organised, well presented & accessible setting. Easy to find, masses of free parking, good cafes (you'll need a pause to recover). If you want to do all of the dealers' stock across the four buildings, allow several hours.
Don't come looking for "bargains", and don't expect Drew Pritchard / Antiques Roadtrip type haggling to achieve much. Prices are generally towards the top end of retail, and few if any dealers offer more than a 5% discount. That said there are some price differences - we saw two almost identical lamps, one twice the price of the other.
Instead, if you've spent ages looking for a specific item, you've a good chance of finding it here.
Sadly the "Hogwarts" tat can be seen creeping in amongst some of the repro dealers, but on the whole a recollection of honest antique & vintage pieces.
Don't come looking for "bargains", and don't expect Drew Pritchard / Antiques Roadtrip type haggling to achieve much. Prices are generally towards the top end of retail, and few if any dealers offer more than a 5% discount. That said there are some price differences - we saw two almost identical lamps, one twice the price of the other.
Instead, if you've spent ages looking for a specific item, you've a good chance of finding it here.
Sadly the "Hogwarts" tat can be seen creeping in amongst some of the repro dealers, but on the whole a recollection of honest antique & vintage pieces.
Written 14 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you David,
What a lovely, positive and very informative review you have left for us. Thank you so much.
We really do appreciate you taking the time to leave one.
It is very refreshing to hear from somebody who doesn't expect "huge" discounts and appreciates that the antiques dealers do also need to make a living. Agreed that you can find variations in prices and if you look hard you will find what you are looking for at the right price for you.
Dealer prices are all relative to where they acquired their stock from - meaning some are able to offer an item at a cheaper price than another dealer. They also depend on how long the dealer has had it in the centres as to what discount they are prepared to give. It is always worth an ask on higher priced items to make a deal.
We look forward to welcoming you again
Written 4 November 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
j1mmythunder
9 contributions
Feb 2023
I used to be a regular visitor to Hemswell Antiques Centre but haven’t been for a number of years (live 60 miles away). It has changed quite a lot and my main disappointment was the loss of the previous Guardsman Antiques, which has been taken over by the main Hemswell Antiques Centre, loading it with high-end, expensive country house stuff. So if you are into cheap prices, Hemswell isn’t the place to come anymore. If you want to stock a stately home with fine antique furniture, then this is the place for you, but it pushes the prices of the cheaper dealers up and everyone wants stupid money for things that I can by for a third of the price at an antiques fair. And the prices remain high, even if the item was damaged. I didn’t even bother negotiating as the prices were that inflated. Astra Antiques only had two people serving who were constantly on the floor opening cases. If you like a bargain, this isn’t the place for you. I will be sticking to antiques fairs in the future. Still worth a look, but unless you own a mansion, most of it won’t be for you.
Written 12 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review j1mmythunder,
The Guardroom was purchased in 2013 and thoroughly modernised by us. You are correct we do have many high-end dealers in this building. However, many of our dealers also frequent the antiques fairs and auctions to select stock. We try to cater for all budgets within our four Buildings. Building 3 is the only one of our buildings which isn't date lined and therefore includes more affordable antiques. From vintage 20th Century retro to reproduction antique style furniture. Many of our dealers are open to negotiations but not quite as much as the TV Programs would suggest. 10% is a healthy trade price to offer and out team will try their best to seal a deal for the customers and dealer. Every dealer has their own trade terms which our staff are requested to follow 5%, 10% or NT (No Trade).
Astra Antiques is not one of our Buildings I'm afraid so cannot speak for them. However, as you visited "The Centres" during a busy time (Feb Antiques Fairs Week) then the staff in most of the centres would have been rushed off their feet with trade customers as well as regular customers.
The centres are also more busy at weekends than they are during the week. We do try and have more staff on during busier periods.
We do hope you will visit again soon.
Written 19 April 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
zostar
England168 contributions
Feb 2024 • Couples
I was a bit disappointed with this place, although I must say all the staff were very friendly. The buildings are quite far apart fortunately it wasn’t busy and we were able to park near each one in turn. The best part was the cafe, bacon and sausage cob, home made soup and two teas £15 bargain. The process for buying the lovely cards is difficult as you have to go back to the other building to pay, I should think they lose quite a few on the way.
Written 7 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you zostar,
Many thanks for your four star review and pleased you were able to enjoy your day with us even though your were disappointed? I will pass on your lovely comments about our team and the coffee shop. We do understand the system seems a bit difficult regarding purchasing of cards in the coffee shop. However, this is down to making sure our accounts go through the correct till. Thank you for your understanding and hope that you enjoy future visits with us.
Written 12 April 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Charlotte S
East Riding of Yorkshire, UK34 contributions
Jan 2023 • Couples
Hemswell Antiques is a fabulous day out for everyone, it has a brilliant selection of antique and vintage items. It’s a great place for a young couple like us as we are currently furnishing our new home and we’ve found some bargain treasures! We’ve visited three times in the last couple of weeks after being recommended by my parents and we were not disappointed. It’s 90 minutes of driving for us from where we live but it’s well worth it as we always find something to take home with us. My advise would be to grab what you like whilst you are there as next time you go its likely to have gone! The café is also excellent, serving delicious and homemade food. All of the staff are super friendly and helpful.
Written 27 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you Charlotte S,
What a lovely review and thank you so much for taking the time to write one. Very much appreciated and pleased that we have been able to be a part of furnishing your new home. Knowing that a piece of furniture has lasted over 100 years or more means it will easily be around for another 100 years. Glad you have enjoyed your shopping experience with us and look forward to welcoming you again soon.
Written 19 April 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Terry B
Garstang, UK7 contributions
May 2021 • Couples
Two great days out, though I don’t remember seeing anyone hugging😉. Plenty of sanitiser available and the one way systems in place were being complied with in the main. We had lunch on both days in the cafe; again one way system in place and social distancing being observed. Friendly and helpful staff, great food and clean tables. Looking forward to a return visit in the near future. So many antiques to look at you are spoilt for choice, for the real quality stuff visit the Guard Room.
Written 18 May 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you very much for your lovely review. We have put a lot thought into our COVID procedures and feel that this has worked well. So it is great to receive positive feed back regarding the one way systems and sanitising stations. It will be nice to return to normality as soon as we are able. I will pass on your comments to the rest of the team. Thanks again and look forward to welcoming you again.
Written 7 June 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
johnpet
Lincoln, UK10 contributions
Jun 2024 • Couples
Used to visit Hemswell a lot 20 years ago and expected it to have improved and grown. Instead it seems to have taken a backwards step. The Hemswell Antiques Centres themselves have probably improved but unfortunately we weren’t allowed in them with our dog. Can’t really see why dogs aren’t allowed, especially when kept on a lead. The closure of the craft centre and restaurant just off the car park is a big loss.
Written 7 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Unfortunately, our store policy does not allow dogs in any of our buildings apart from guide or assistance dogs. This is due to the high value nature of our stock and a responsibility to our dealers who rent space with us at the centres. We do not have an issue with dogs but there are health and safety concerns whereby a number of our items within our buildings could cause harm to them or you if knocked over. Animals can be unpredictable no matter how well trained they are and regardless of whether they are on a lead or not. Again, we have a responsibility to our customers, staff and your animal whilst at the centres.
For example, your dog might get excited at being shown some attention from a customer. They wag their tail knock a table which has an expensive glass vase on top. This falls to the floor and smashes to pieces then your dog treads on the broken vase and gets a slither of glass in their paw. No one intended this to happen and no one did anything wrong. But we would all feel pretty awful for the dog and their owner. Not to mention the expensive vase of our dealer now in bits on the floor. All breakages must be paid for.
We do state this clearly on our website and a quick phone call to ask whether we allow dogs would have avoided your disappointment. Please see below taken from our website:
DOG OWNERS
No dogs are allowed inside the buildings (except guide dogs or assistance dogs). There are plenty of open grass areas for them to have a run if brought with you. Your dogs are also welcome to join you for a drink outside in either of our Coffee Shops (Building One or The Guardroom). Water bowls provided.
I do hope you would consider visiting us in the future and understand that we do love dogs at Hemswell.
Written 4 July 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Victoria H
United Kingdom
Is there an outside area at Hemswell antique centre that sells plant pots and garden items
Written 10 February 2024
Yes there is a plant seller in the main area, near the car park selling seasonal plants and flowers. Also there are pots and outdoor seating on sale at the different antique centres.
Written 13 February 2024
I am wanting to know if they is a carboot this sunday
Written 24 June 2020
No disabled services,no lifts,no seats ,no toilets
Written 16 December 2018
Unfortunately, we do not have any lifts to the the upper levels of our buildings. However, we do have disabled facilities in The Guardroom and Building 1 Coffee Shops. During warmer months our outside areas are also wheelchair friendly. Should our customers who have difficulty accessing the upper levels wish to see a specific item. We can bring down for you to view or take photos and view it that way. You may also view items on our website.
Written 1 February 2019
Are dogs allowed on the site ?
Written 18 April 2017
Hello, I am very sorry we do not allow dogs into the buildings. However, there are lots of green areas outside the buildings to walk dogs and we have outside areas at both our coffee shops.
Written 29 June 2017
Yes there is a Sunday Market and Carboot on the old airfield at Hemswell which is signposted. I believe it is £1 to park at the carboot. It is also £1 to park on the large parade square car park near the Hemswell Antique Centre Buildings on Sundays only. The car parks directly outside our buildings are free of charge to park.
On Sundays Hemswell Antique Centres do charge a 50p entry per person. Which gains you entry to all buildings. This 50 pence is then redeemable off any purchases within the centres, including our coffee shops.
Written 29 June 2017
Hi could you tell me please the ' Ins and Outs ' of renting a space please ?
Thank You
Written 12 January 2015
Came out of their a few years back, theft is rife and no one will take responsibility. The only ones making money are the owners of the buildings.
Most of the things are overpriced due to the high rents putting up overheads.
The best way to shift antiques is eBay overheads are fixed.
Written 13 January 2015
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