IT is over 700 years since Ulverston was first made a market town by Royal Charter from King Edward I in 1280.

However, its status as a great place to buy and trade endures to this day, with an array of independent shops, cafes and pubs lining its cobbled streets.

But the olde world feel of Ulverston belies the presence of advanced manufacturing and tech businesses which also call it their home, leading the way in fields from aerospace to LEDs.

And then, of course, there are the festivals, from street theatre and music at Another Fine Fest in the summer to Victorian garb and festive vibes at Ulverston Dickensian Festival in late November.

"Ulverston seems to fare better than many high streets at the minute just because there's so many independent retailers," said Michelle Scrogham, owner of independent fashion boutique Pure on Market Street and chair of the town’s Business Improvement District.

"We didn't get hit quite as hard as others when some of the big multinationals all disappeared from the high street and I think a lot of high streets were impacted because of those big gaps. They all started looking exactly the same.

"It’s quite rare to see an empty unit in Ulverston. If somebody closes there’s usually someone who takes up the lease even before they’ve gone.

“I think it’s because of the way we are as a town, there are an awful lot of festivals, it’s got that really chocolate box look to it and we’ve got a conservation area to make sure it looks a certain way and it’s important not to lose that because it’s quite rare in the UK.”

The local owners of the independent businesses are also highly motivated to put their weight behind organising and volunteering for the many festivals that take place throughout the year.

Local traders also make up the board of the Business Improvement District, which was first set up in 2015. Businesses within the BID area pay an annual levy, with the total proceeds then put towards schemes to make the town more prosperous.

"It's run by the levy payers and the levy payers decide what they want that money to be spent on so it's very much targeted to the town," said Michelle.

"We're always looking for new volunteers to join the board for fresh ideas and to get involved. It definitely has an impact on how the town looks and how it runs."