Known more for its rolling Somerset countryside, hot springs, Roman Baths, splendid abbey and Georgian stone crescents than for its shopping experience, Bath is actually a real shoppers' paradise!

Street musicians are a common sight in the shopping district.

Before my visit to this English town, I was a little sceptical when I chanced upon a website claiming that - Bath has more, and better, shops than a city 10 times its size. After all, this spa town is better known for producing writer Jane Austen and 'jazz hobbit' Jamie Cullum, rather than designer fashion.

My initial visit to the ancient town, just over 100 miles (161km) west of London, was culturally motivated.

Although at least 5,000 of its buildings are noted for their architectural merit, Britain's finest Georgian city also houses many big-name stores and a fabulous choice of smaller specialist and independent shops.

The Majestic Bath Abbey

Its labyrinth of brick townhouses hold restaurants, theatres, art galleries, pubs, bed and breakfast inns, antique shops, independent bookstores and fashion boutiques with brands you'd be hard-pressed to find elsewhere.

This Unesco World Heritage city has more than 60 clothing, shoe and accessory shops including the famous Hamstead Bazaar (apparently, Oscar winner Dame Judy Dench always buys a few outfits when she's in the vicinity).

Hamstead Bazaar can be pricey, but then again, you wouldn't expect anything less from a shop whose clients include the 'posh' Victoria Beckham and Kate Moss.

Another fantastic boutique to check out is Pinkstripes. It's not really a place for top designer labels but it does have a number of labels that are unique to Bath, so it's a great place for tourists.

At the hobby shops and quaint little antique haunts, you can expect a treasure trove of interesting and rare items. From elaborate dollhouses and colourful soaps of every shape and colour, to old-fashioned furniture and household appliances, the city that sits in the mouth of an extinct volcano offers it all.

It is truly a shopping hot spot, in every sense of the word!