There are a few things that are likely to happen while you are in Ruthin. You'll meet helpful, friendly people. You'll relax into the peaceful pace and, let's be honest, you might get rained on. But you're unlikely to get lost.

It's not a large town. Most roads lead to St Peter's Square, at the top of the hill and flanked by handsome timber-framed buildings. So it's slightly embarrassing that we did, in fact, get lost. Blame it on all those pretty shops and long views down sloping roads, over striking roof lines and beyond to the Clwydian Range. Very distracting.

I'm here with my friend Charlotte. I'm from Brighton, she's from Manchester. Having dropped our bags at our hotel, the beautiful Manorhaus, we head out and quickly notice that Ruthin boasts a surprising number of shops - and Boots is  the only chain store. 'This is a real treat,' says Charlotte. 'Time to shop and lots of independent stores, too.' 'And no kids to interrupt us, either,' I add. And on that cheery note, we march off.

There are plenty of brass tacks outlets in Ruthin - a butcher, ironmonger and bakery - alongside a handful of upmarket boutiques and jewellery shops, including Mococo and Twenty3. But we're more interested in the stores that sit somewhere in between the practical and the indulgent.

Like Leonardo's, our first stop. A thriving deli, it is packed with shoppers, picking up a Snowdonia Whisky Cheese sandwich or some fresh baked brownies. Charlotte picks some apricot and ginger chutney and we both take some of Leornardo's award-winning chicken, leek and laverbread pies. Honey buns, a Ruthin speciality, make an irresistible snack and we tuck into one each, a sweet, bready treat that's incredibly filling.

Leonardo's has been here for 10 years, while The Ruthin Book Shop, just down the hill, has been run by Janet Kenyon-Thompson for 25 years. We browse some glossy hardbacks on Roman Wales and the Welsh coast, while Janet explains that her customers come from far and wide, with locals mainly coming in to buy maps.

Down the hill, Tilly Mint opened in 2008 in a cosy basement with a heavily timbered ceiling. It's just the kind of shop I love, packed with vintage collectables, from sparkly Sixties handbags to 1930s postcards and Victorian ceramics. I'm drawn to the boxes full of old advertising cards, but eventually fall for a lovely framed Victorian seascape and bag it for my living room wall.

It sounds like a herd of elephants is doing aerobics upstairs, but it's just Spavens the sweet shop above. It's a mecca for heavy-footed kids. Charlotte has a notoriously sweet tooth so dives in for a bag of strawberry bonbons and some blackcurrant liquorice 'the traditonal sort - my favourite.'

Nearby on the square, we find Cerrig & The Green Lady, a sweet-scented emporium of toiletries and cosmetics made with natural ingredients, many from small producers in the UK. Charlotte treats herself to some Neal's Yard Toning Eye Gel, an indulgence at £19.55, but there are plenty of goodies in here for just a few pounds, from handmade soap to beeswax candles. 

Ruthin is clearly working hard at drawing in visitors with its unique, independent shops, while also remaining a down-to-earth market town. It's a difficult path to tread and debate rages on Ruthin blogspots both in favour of and wildly against these new ventures. Certainly, as visitors, popping into the boutiques and specialist shops, we rather stood out in a place that, despite being just 40 minutes from Liverpool, remains somewhat off the tourist trail. It's a shame, because unlike towns further west, it's easy to access. This proximity to England is reflected in the demographic - a mix of Welsh and English. While there's a Welsh bookshop, Elfair, and the old card shop and cafe, Siop Nain, many of the shopkeepers are from over the border and Welsh is spoken by around half the population.

It would be wrong, though, to judge Ruthin solely on its shops. It has plenty of history. A medieval settlement with a castle built by Edward I (now the Ruthin Castle Hotel), the town was sacked by Welsh hero Owain Glyndwr in 1400. Consequently, many of Ruthin's buildings have medieval cellars (the only part to survive the fire) topped with timber-framed constructions from later in the 15th century, including Nantclwyd y Dre, Wales' oldest timber-framed building. I loved this abundance of old and handsome buildings. This town is a delight to walk around and its historical architecture gives it an aesthetic advantage over many of its neighbouring towns.

In contrast to all this history is new kid on the block, Ruthin Craft Centre, opened in 2008. It's an exquisitely designed space with three galleries hosting the best in international contemporary applied art. The centre is lovely to stroll around, with a cafe and gift shop, sorry, 'retail gallery', too, selling high-quality glassware, ceramics and jewellery, with expensive price tags. A gorgeous Welsh blanket catches my eye, but at over £200, it's a purchase that will have to wait until next time.

Having pottered, shopped and lingered in the Craft Centre, we lunched on our Leonardo's pies. We had planned a walk in the Clwydian Range to round off our day, but the hills are obscured by drizzle, so we retreat to the comfort of Manorhaus, where owner Gavin Harris serves tea in the rich red lounge. Refurbished in 2007, each of its eight rooms has a king-size bed, goose-down duvet and deliciously crisp Egyptian cotton bedlinen, and has been designed in collaboration with local artists.

I'm staying in Oriel 5, decorated with paintings by Ian Williams. With an impressive roll top bath by the sash window (I did pull down the blind before using it, to spare Ruthin's blushes), a wet room and a lounge area with its own fireplace, I could have happily moved in for the week.

It's very easy to relax at Manorhaus, with help from the steam room, cinema and restaurant where, in the evening, Charlotte and I devour three fantastic courses, including some heavenly poached haddock and a rich rabbit stew, in the beautifully lit conservatory. My only regret is that Gavin baulked at showing us his robes. He's mayor until May 2010, and eager to see the town prosper. 'The chain is great,' he confides, 'but the robes are a bit musty.' Ruthin is anything but.