'It is like the start of Christmas' - Popular Apley Farm Shop's festive market draws thousands of visitors
The run-up to Christmas is in full swing and thousands of people descended on Apley Farm Shop for the weekend's cosiest festive market.
The popular farm shop, based at Norton near Shifnal was packed out with local producers and visitors all looking to grab themselves a unique Christmas gift.
The event, which takes place across Saturday and Sunday, has become a favourite fixture in the venue's packed calendar of events.
Graeme Manton, Estate Director at Apley said: "It is about our eighth year and it has been getting bigger every year.
"This is definitely the best one in terms of the number of stalls."
Mr Manton said they had seen excitement from the public in the run-up to the event, which has become an important part of people's Christmas preparations.
He said: "We see it on Facebook with people saying 'I am definitely going to pop in'. It has almost become for some people an every-year thing."
Around 4,000 people are expected to visit the event over the course of the weekend.
Daniel Morton, operations manager at Apley added: "There are so many people here and it is so great to support local businesses, and that's what this is about, giving smaller businesses the chance to come to a venue like ours and share what they are doing."
Packed into the market were a host of local independent producers with artwork, scented candles, soaps, bathbombs, diffusers, woodwork, original metal work, pottery, jewellery, hot sauce, dog treats - and of course drinks and hot baps.
One of the local businesses returning for the third year running was Wrekin Soap.
Its owner Molly Hooper said she was delighted to be coming back.
She said: "It is really busy, it is really festive, it is like the start of Christmas - it is officially Christmas now, I'd better get organised!"
Jenny Mainwaring of Wellington-based Severn Ash was there showing off their hand-crafted woodwork created from fallen trees - with every item coming complete with the details its own journey and history.
Displaying the range of lovingly created bowls, coat-hangers, door-stops, cheese boards and more, she said they had been coming back for several years.
"They are really good, they put on a great event," she said, "this one is lovely because there are a lot of individual crafters here."
Retired headteacher-turned potter, Aileen Macmillan of Shrewsbury was hosting a stall showing off her Phoenix Pottery creations.
She said: "I learned many years ago but I am a retired headteacher and I took up my life-long passion."
Blacksmith, Felix Nelson, from Ditton Priors who run's Felix's Forge, was present with a host of stunning bespoke metal work gifts, from fire pokers to companion sets for the hearth.
He said he loved creating hand-made pieces that will stand the test of time.
He said: "It is about making something hand-made and you have got it forever. What I make will outlive me and that's what I like, leaving a legacy behind."
A fixture at the events since they started he said he was delighted to return.
He said: "It is fantastic. I have been here since they started it, that's why I am here again.
"I don't need to do these events any more but I do it to see people, meet people, it is a bit of fun."
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