Dawn outside her shop in Hope Street, Crook
A SHOP in Hope Street, Crook, that provides an alternative shopping experience is attracting a lot of interest from people seeking a different and calmer way of living.
Opened by Dawn Copping and her daughter in 2025, Fae Botanicals is a long-held aspiration to encourage more people to discover the benefits of herbal medicine. Dawn and her family, which includes daughter, Amber and her brother, who is a talented local artist and Reiki Master Gillian are offering healing practices that our great-grandmothers knew and practiced.
She first became interested in this philosophy as a child when her grandmother introduced her to the growing of peppermint and lavender. She didn’t understand the amazing properties of either at the time but she grew in her knowledge as she aged. Growing up with a father in the forces and living around the world without either a garden or permanent roots herself, Dawn longed to be a gardener and grow her own herbs and vegetables. This didn’t happen until she was an adult and married and she had full autonomy over a piece of land that many of us take for granted. She became fully immersed in it and it prompted her to learn more about the herbs she was growing some of which are transplanted from her grandmothers own garden. Dawn started on her journey to study Herbalism and after teaching herself, eventually became accredited, achieving a Diploma in herbalism alongside knowledge of Naturapathy and nutrition.
“It has been – and still is – a journey of discovery with changes, constant evolvement and a large learning curve that I add to every day,”
she recalls. “My mother was a big believer in alternative medicine insisting that Herbs and plants that grow in gardens and in the wild are ‘ORIGINAL’ medicine, practiced for thousands of years and procured by knowledgeable and usually women. We are all subject to the advent of ‘Big Pharma’ and are culturally conditioned to dismiss herbal alternatives without understanding that a lot of our modern medicines have their origins in the study of herbal medicine . Dawn’s mother, who sadly died relatively recently was de-lighted when Dawn and her daughter, Amber, started to make their own remedies.
“She was a big believer in what we were doing and fully supported us often saying ‘for every human condition there is a plant’ added Dawn. “She bought and gifted the remedies we make and after her passing we started to look for premises.”
Although raised as a member of the Catholic Church she is a Pagan and is particularly passionate about the theories and gnostic teachings of Mary Magdalene. And brings these theories into conversation in the bi monthly women’s circle that is hosted in the shop.
“It was an important moment when I learned about Paganism and it has formed my pathway and beliefs ever since. It goes hand in glove with Herbalism. After my mother’s death, I knew I needed to continue on this path, she urged me to do so.”
And so, Dawn, who also works full-time in a private hospital cashed in a pension pot and founded her business in the shop, which many local folk will remember as ‘Galley’s Shoe Shop’ in Hope Street, Crook.
Dawn Copping
“I knew as soon as I walked in that this place was just waiting for me, it feels as if we’ve always been here– and Mr Galley approves too, he’s often seen in the shop, just taking everything in!’
She is in tune with the next life and says that many of her customers come into the shop seek-ing a spiritual connection. And often join the shops Spiritual Development group.
“We have created a space where healing can take place through spiritual connection, Reiki and Crystal Healing amongst other holistic therapies, In addition we have made a huge effort to price everything affordably and to suit every pocket as well as create a sustainable business alongside offering a platform for other local, like-minded crafters to sell their wares.”
So, what is it that she offers in her shop? It is a veritable Aladdin’s Cave of alternative goods, crystals and gifts ,mostly hand-made , including soaps, herbal teas, tinctures, moisturisers, , jewellery, cards and books. The resident Fae Botanicals artist offers engraving and bespoke gifts. In short, if you can think of it he can probably make it as well as being an exceptional portrait artist with a degree in fine arts he specialises in portraits of people and animals and a specialism is drawing posthumous portraits – of deceased loved ones alongside other family members still living..
Dawn offers such services as ‘Menopause Coaching’ Diet Lifestyle, Relaxation Therapy, Crystal Healing and Guided Meditation – Reiki is delivered by their resident Reiki Master! Everything sold and practiced is relative to her beliefs and spiritualism.
Dawn has found her pathway in life as we all must try to do and it is local and unique to the area. What she offers is her goal in life, what she was born for and it is to help others on their journey through this life and the next.
She can be contacted through the shop and through her own Facebook page and The Healing Rooms @Fae Botanicals.
