About 2,500 modestly-priced books on display: second hand, antiquarian, rare and some brand new - with many more in stock. Specialisms: history, classical fiction, biographies, essays, poetry, sociology, theology, food, transport, local studies, natural history, arts, crafts, reference. Also substantial collections of academic books on philosophy, biological and physical sciences and medicine. Easy free parking. Cash only; ATM nearby.
A recent find in much loved Southwell. If you are visiting this delightful town and like me love books, do not miss this little gem. The owner is charming, well informed and helpful and there are many treasures waiting to be found. Well stocked and well laid out, I could happily have spent an hour or so just browsing. I will definitely be back. If you don't know Southwell, look for Bull Yard (or ask) as it is hidden away off Queen Street. Liz Bentley 26.07.15
Incredible well stocked bookshop with an excellent variety of books. Very peaceful and welcoming shop and the books are excellent prices and very good condition etc. Definitely worth a stop to support an independent book shop. Emily Birch 18.02.16
Great to find this gem of a bookshop, full of books to make you think, across a range of topics. I appreciate the newsletter with its recommendations which are right up my street. Peter Cansfield 18.02.16
A wonderful shop with a very astute and knowledgable owner. An inviting selection of books to browse and enjoy. A particularly good range of philosophy books. Well worth a visit. Tony Walker 18.02.16
1. Quiet and comfortable atmosphere where you can browse without interruption. 2. A well selected and wide range of books. But the added pleasure is that the book seller really knows his stock and may introduce items you might otherwise have missed. Sally Godwin-Austen 27.02.16
Serendipity brought me here as I fondly remember Prof. Mepham's shop in Lincoln. Seek out Bull Yard and browse, you will be well rewarded. Colin G. Thornton 04.03.16
This is a literary oasis located in a quiet lane close to the Minster. It is small but well organised with a catholic selection of books with something to please almost everyone! The owner is knowledgeable and helpful but also willing to leave browsers alone. Peter Donaldson 02.04.16
Small shop but every space well filled and no filler. Organised and a pleasure to browse. Excellent stock, mostly non-fiction. Friendly chap running it who will leave you alone or chat depending on your preference. Great prices. WAD. Ian Ellis 22.07.17
Moved to present location in April. TBG 06.04.19
Now moved to a bookroom at a private address, viewable by appointment TBG2 08.07.21
A fantastic collection, clearly carefully curated - a definite example of quality being more important than quantity. It was lovely to meet Ben and to be able to look around the books in our own time. The prices are extremely reasonable and we easily found fantastic books on a number of different topics. The most interesting and thoughtfully stocked bookshop we visited this week. Turnover seems regular enough that a repeat visit in the future would be worthwhile. ewanjones 10.05.24
A great find - so many beautifully collected works which reflect Ben's love of them. We spent a good two hours browsing the collection and returned home with some great works, beautifully kept and bound. Chatting to Ben was an added bonus in sharing stories. Kevin 15.05.24
A modest, but by no short measure, rich book shop. Low prices, helpful keeper, a wide and unique range leaving plenty of reason to return to the book room; a real gem for both enthusiast and laymen alike. Francis Dixon 09.06.24
I went treasure-hunting one day this week in an old-fashioned book-room set up in a garage in Southwell, the new site of Gladstone Books (www.gladstonebooks.co.uk) which you can visit by appointment. Shelves crammed full of a miscellany of books on a variety of subjects, too many to mention but including my favourites of history, classics, art, philosophy, poetry and fairy tales. For over an hour I enjoyed one of the joys in life called browsing books including those which are out-of-print but not out-of-date, new, second hand like new, antiquarian and folio. I only managed to peruse less than half of the books displayed which is the perfect excuse for returning to search the rest. As it was I had already used up the budget I had allowed myself (the prices are really good) on an eclectic mix of Boz’s essays, the poetry of Ogden Nash, an academic study on Medieval Households, Henry IV and a book on Miniatures. It was a delight to delve but another joy was conversing with the very knowledgeable and interesting proprietor, Ben Mepham, over a cup of coffee. It will not be long before I visit again to find new treasures, taking a bibliophile friend along with me. She will love it too. Jan-Marie Knights 12.07.24