Sunday Mirror

From hybrid coffee shops to dusty attics, bookstores brim with character. For Independen­t Bookshop Week checks out some of the finest

Sarah Marshall

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During lockdown, reading provided an emotional crutch for so many of us, offering escape routes to fantasy worlds. But while ordering books online is convenient, nothing compares to the satisfying sensation of thumbing through a paperback in an actual bookshop or spending hours studying decorative covers on the shelves.

Now shops have reopened, avid readers are encouraged to explore Britain’s beloved bookstores as part of Independen­t Bookshop Week, which runs until June 26.

And it’s easy to turn the experience into a mini travel adventure.

Louise Boland, author of Bookshop Tours, has compiled several itinerarie­s. Here are a couple to sample.

NORTH EAST

When it was founded in 1092, Lincoln Cathedral stood at the centre of what was then one of the wealthiest towns in Britain. Its historic quarter, located in what the locals call ‘uphill’ (as opposed to the ‘downhill’ part of the town), contains the cathedral, a medieval bishop’s palace and a castle built by William the Conqueror in 1068.

The castle has one of only four original copies of the Magna Carta in its vault, which is open for viewing by visitors.

The city’s indie bookshop, Lindum Books (4 Bailgate), sits almost exactly between the

cathedral and the castle. In a beautiful old building, over two floors, it has a wide stock of carefully picked titles.

In usual times they host at least one event per month, so do check before you visit to see what might be on.

Around 30 miles north of Lincoln, at Brigg, there is a bookshop that is not to be missed if you have children in your party, or any fans of vintage and vinyl. Founded by two ex-schoolteac­hers, The Rabbit Hole is geared towards little ones, with lots of fun surprises for them hidden in corners, and little sofas and chairs at children’s height.

In York, The Little Apple Bookshop (littleappl­ebookshop.co.uk) is in High Petergate, a stone’s throw from the cathedral and the famous Shambles, the best preserved medieval street in England, with wooden houses falling into one another above the lane. A small but delightful shop, it uses the space to great advantage, cramming in interestin­g books and gifts.

Next stop, further up the coast, is Whitby, a North Yorkshire fishing town also popular as a holiday destinatio­n, and famous for its connection to Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The Whitby Bookshop (whitbybook­shop.co.uk), is a delight, set on two floors with a spiral staircase in the middle.

It stocks lots of books related to Dracula and vampires, but it’s a big shop, with lots of well-chosen titles on all sorts of other things too.

SOUTH DOWNS

Our tour starts off down the A31 in the Blue Bear Bookshop (3 Town Hall Buildings) at Farnham in Surrey. Opened in 2019, this is a gorgeous bookshop with a very good cafe.

A little further down the A31, about midway between two bookshop towns, is Jane Austen’s House at Chawton, just outside Alton. Whether you are a fan of her work or not, if you have writerly ambitions this is a great place to visit.

Next stop is Laurence Oxley (birketfost­er.co.uk) in Alresford in Hampshire, a beautiful old shop that sells new titles but also second-hand and rare books and maps.

They also sell old prints and limited-edition modern prints. From here, continue down to the leafy, ancient city of Winchester. You’ll find the bookshop P&G Wells (pgwells.co.uk) just outside the medieval walls, close to Old Bishop’s Palace.

From its wooden shop front to its dark-wood bookcase, it’s traditiona­l looking but stocked with a carefully chosen selection.

Booksellin­g first started on the street – almost certainly on the same premises – in 1729, and it became a Wells shop when Joseph Wells, the apprentice in the store, became the owner around 1866.

Head east to the South Downs, a chalk escarpment created after the last ice age that stretches from Winchester to the white cliffs of Beachy Head in East Sussex. The bookshop in

Petersfiel­d, Hampshire, is One

Tree Books (onetreeboo­ks. com), a lovely big shop with a sheet music department, a cafe and, in usual times, a regular series of events.

It also normally offers a book doctor service, which includes a bibliother­apy session, where you discuss your reading tastes with them and they build you a bespoke list of books that are then delivered over the next months.

Finally, head for the quaint old town of Steyning in West Sussex. The town’s bookshop, The Steyning Bookshop (steyningbo­okshop.co.uk), is housed in a beautiful 18th-century building and is an exciting stop for any child. It has a large kids’ book section with a giant red

wooden train in the centre.

Discuss your tastes with a book doctor, and they will build you a bespoke list

 ??  ??
 ??  ?? CHARMER P&G Wells, Winchester
CHARMER P&G Wells, Winchester
 ??  ?? ■■Bookshop Tours of Britain by Louise Boland is published by Fairlight Books, RRP £16.99
■■Bookshop Tours of Britain by Louise Boland is published by Fairlight Books, RRP £16.99
 ??  ?? A GIFT The Little
Apple Bookshop
in York
A GIFT The Little Apple Bookshop in York
 ??  ?? BOUNCE BACK The Rabbit Hole in Lincoln
BOUNCE BACK The Rabbit Hole in Lincoln
 ??  ?? HIT PAWS Blue Bear Bookshop in Farnham
HIT PAWS Blue Bear Bookshop in Farnham
 ??  ?? THE END Steyning Bookshop in Sussex
THE END Steyning Bookshop in Sussex
 ??  ?? GOTHIC Trip to Lincoln Cathedral
GOTHIC Trip to Lincoln Cathedral
 ??  ?? INDIE Lindum Books in Lincoln
INDIE Lindum Books in Lincoln
 ??  ?? BOOK IN Beachy Head
BOOK IN Beachy Head

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