Written by Paul Worrall
Peterborough doesn’t get talked about much as a destination for artists, and honestly, that’s a fair reflection of what’s actually on the ground there. It’s a city built more around its cathedral and its transport links than a thriving independent art scene, and I’d rather tell you that straight than stretch two decent options into something they’re not.
I’m Paul Worrall. I spent close to a decade running digital marketing for one of the UK’s largest online art retailers, and I now run Discount Art Supplies, a price comparison platform used by artists across the country every week. I’ve never been to Peterborough myself, but I know how to separate a genuine local option from a padded-out listing, and Peterborough’s art supplies scene is genuinly thin once you strip away the shops that don’t actually check out. If you’re heading further afield, our guides to the best art supply shops in Cambridge and Nottingham are worth a look too.
1. Hobbycraft — Brotherhood Shopping Park
Hobbycraft Peterborough, at Brotherhood Shopping Park on Lincoln Road, is the obvious first stop for anyone in the city who wants a properly stocked range without hunting around. Worth knowing: Hobbycraft used to trade from a different site at Peterborough Garden Park, which has since closed — this Brotherhood Shopping Park branch is the current, active store, so make sure you’re heading to the right postcode if an older listing comes up.
Everyday consumables — canvases, acrylics, sketchbooks, brushes — are consistantly well stocked, and the retail park setting means easy parking, which matters more than people admit when you’re loading up on bulky supplies. It’s not a specialist destination for professional-grade materials, but for the vast majority of hobbyist and student artists in Peterborough, it does the job properly.
Check our paints and mediums deals page before you go — the same lines are sometimes cheaper online.
Find Hobbycraft Peterborough →
2. The Works — Bridge Street
The Works on Bridge Street sits right in the city centre, and it’s the more convenient option for anyone shopping on foot rather than driving out to a retail park. Its arts and crafts range sits alongside the usual mix of books, stationery and discounted essentials, but it’s a genuine option for basic art materials — paints, sketchbooks, pencils — rather than an afterthought squeezed onto a shelf.
It won’t satisfy anyone after a significent range of professional-grade materials, and it never claims to. But for students, parents buying supplies for kids, or anyone wanting to top up basics while already in the city centre, it’s an accessable and reliable stop.
The Honest Verdict on Peterborough
Two solid, dependable options rather than a thriving independent scene — that’s the honest state of art supplies in Peterborough right now. If that changes, or if a genuine independent specialist turns up that I can properly verify, I’ll update this guide rather than leave it stretched with something that doesn’t check out.
For anything beyond what’s on these shelves, Discount Art Supplies compares prices across the major UK retailers in real time, so you can find the best current deal without needing a specialist shop on your own doorstep.
