Secondhand and Antiquarian Bookshops in the UK and Republic of Ireland
News:
The Barrister's Book Chamber has moved to Matlock Derbyshire
Books and Pieces of Nottingham has closed
new listing Oxfam Books and Music Nottingham
new shop Patchings Art Centre Bookroom
Knightcross Books seems to have closed
new shop Children's Society Bookshop Calverton
new listing Mansfield Christian Book Centre
Open at advertised times
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Status unknown, update requested
We do our best to make sure these details are correct and up-to-date. However we recommend that you contact bookshops before making a special journey.
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Bookwise Newark/NEWARK/2 Queen_s Head Court
Bookwise Newark
2 Queen's Head Court NEWARK NG24 1EL
map
tel:
0115 958 9312 e-mail web
Open: Monday - Saturday 10.00 - 5.00.
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Why not order any 'in print' book from 'Bookwise' and help support Music for Everyone? Bookwise sells sheet music, CD's, new books on music, music themed cards and gifts as well as a good selection of donated second hand books and all donated items are in support of Music for Everyone. Bookwise will accept donations but does not purchase books.
Very attractive charity bookshop in a sunny little courtyard behind the Queen's Head. Decent stock, emphasis on older hardbacks. Best of the three Bookwise shops. Tallis 03.09.19
Lovely bookshop. Friendly welcome. Fiction and nonfiction. Hardback and paperback. Reasonable prices. Some bargains. Take cash and card. Didn't buy anything on this visit. Jayne 03.05.22
A good bookshop and well worth a visit. It is super well organised and easy to browse and quickly find if they have anything you might be looking for. Prices are very reasonable and the staff knowledgeable and amenable. I bought a couple of bargains at £1 each. Decent sections on history, art and other non-fiction subjects. It also has a good choice of fiction. PeterD 02.06.23
A nicely laid-out charity shop with a solid stock. Unusually well organised, and pricing very reasonable. Extensive stock of books on music, but history, military, religion, fiction are all well represented too. An unexpectedly good selection of poetry and plays, at least on my latest visit. In its previous (inferior) premises, the painted boards denoting the subject-matter for each of the shelving units included one that read, somewhat bizarrely, “Sport & pets”, which never failed to make me laugh. Now, however, either the sports books have increased in number or the incongruity of the coupling has been deemed unacceptably risible and so “& pets” has, regrettably, been painted out. Probably better, I would say, than this outfit’s Southwell branch, although the latter is a pretty decent shop too; I have not visited the Nottingham one. Perhaps not quite WAD, at least not a lengthy one, but certainly worth a visit if in Newark. Booker T 21.09.23
Bookwise Nottingham City Centre/NOTTINGHAM/10 Goose Gate
Bookwise Nottingham City Centre
10 Goose Gate NOTTINGHAM NG1 1FF
map
tel:
0115 958 9312 e-mail web 
Open: Monday - Saturday 11.00 - 4.00
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Why not order any 'in print' book from 'Bookwise' and help support Music for Everyone? Bookwise sells sheet music, CD's, new books on music, music themed cards and gifts as well as a good selection of donated second hand books and all donated items are in support of Music for Everyone. Bookwise will accept donations but does not purchase books.
Above average charity bookshop, worth a visit in the now cultural book desert that is Nottingham apart from the excellent Jermy & Waterton. Sadly no longer has a specialist CD shop attached. Norman Davies 13.11.17
When I was there a woman was animatedly pricing referring to a book comparison site and commenting on all the 'valuable' books they had on sale. Oh dear. No good can come of this, I fear. My concerns are more than borne out by the adventurous prices some of the volumes now carry. Steven Kelly 18.01.20
Nottingham is an unrewarding hunting ground for second-hand books. This is as good as it gets in the city itself (although the Oxfam Bookshop across the River Trent in West Bridgford is worth a look). But of the three Bookwise shops in Nottinghamshire, I'd say the Newark branch is probably the best. Anyway, here at Bookwise Nottingham, there are two rooms, with reasonable stock at fair prices. The front room has a decent selection of general fiction, from mass-market to literary, and also classic novels (paperbacks £2/£2.50). Quite good for poetry and drama. The vintage books are unexciting and some are overpriced; they include about 20 Folio Society volumes (not too steep, at £5 to £10). The children's section is small but good-quality. Also a fair number of vintage children's books, although nothing spiffing. The British history and politics sections are small and rather disappointing, although religion, local history and literary criticism are better. Halfway up the dozen steps to the back room is an ill-lit alcove with quite good military history/WW2 and European and American history stock, and a small section on true crime.
The back room contains paperback crime fiction/thrillers (£1 each) and sci-fi/fantasy (£2 to £3); the aforementioned alcove houses more of the latter, if you can spot them in the gloaming. Also a very good foreign-language stock (especially French and German, but also decent for Spanish and Italian). There is some fairly good non-fiction here too: notably for music (including a huge array of sheet music, songbooks and scores), gardening and natural history. Quite good for art, architecture, health/lifestyle, sport, travel, transport, cookery, crafts, and the social and physical sciences, although there is nothing of unusual quality. This is simply a solid charity bookshop with a creditable if unexceptional stock, except perhaps in the music section. The shop is right in the city centre, a ten-minute walk from the railway station and a similar distance from the two bus stations (Broad Marsh and Victoria). Booker T 10.02.25
Bookwise/SOUTHWELL/2 Queen Street
Bookwise
2 Queen Street SOUTHWELL NG25 0AA
map
tel:
07922 78540 e-mail web
Open: Monday - Saturday 9.30 - 4.30.
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Why not order any 'in print' book from 'Bookwise' and help support Music for Everyone? Bookwise sells sheet music, CD's, new books on music, music themed cards and gifts as well as a good selection of donated second hand books and all donated items are in support of Music for Everyone. Bookwise will accept donations but does not purchase books
Lovely bookshop. Friendly customer service. Wide range of fiction and non-fiction on two floors. Car park near by. 1st 2 hours free (remember to get a ticket). Sunflower 21.01.19
This is a small shop and paperback fiction seems to be their speciality, though other categories are represented in hardback and there are some shelves of hardback modern fiction upstairs. Also up there are a few shelves of the elderly and exhausted veterans which Oxfam shops sometimes hopefully call OLD AND INTERESTING. Worth visiting if you're in town to see the glorious Minster but in my view NWAD. Laurence Purcell 16.06.23
Very much agree with Laurence Purcell’s recent review. This is a nice shop, with a diverse but not exceptional stock. Generally reasonable pricing. Books on music, as might be expected, are a particular strength. Plenty of fiction too, also history, topography, travel. Turnover seems reasonably rapid, although a few shelves of hard-to-sell old tomes languish upstairs, among with hardback fiction, sport, maps etc. The volunteers here are a nice bunch and it is perhaps worth a short detour. Southwell is a visibly affluent town (unlike some others in this part of Nottinghamshire), has a pleasant feel to it, and is an agreeable place to visit. Booker T 21.09.23
Children_s Society Bookshop/CALVERTON/St Wilfrid_s Square
Children's Society Bookshop
St Wilfrid's Square CALVERTON NG14 6FP
map
Open: Monday - Saturday 9.00 - 5.00 (provisional), Sunday hours TBC
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Charity bookshop, opened in May 2025.
The Children's Society has many general charity shops across the country, but only a handful of its outlets are bookshops. Now there is one more, as its bookshop in Calverton opened this week. The Children's Society has had a general shop in the village (also at St Wilfrid's Square) for 12 years, and its good performance led the charity to choose Calverton as the location for its first bookshop in the East Midlands. Calverton is midway between Nottingham and Southwell and about eight miles from either. The 61 and CC bus routes from Nottingham provide a frequent service to the village. Booker T 09.05.25
Dawn Book Supply/NOTTINGHAM/5 Station Road
The Dawn Book Supply
5 Station Road Carlton NOTTINGHAM NG4 3AT
map
tel:
01159 612624 e-mail web
Open: Monday & Friday 10.00 - 4.00, other days by appointment.
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We have over 1000 non-fiction general books including maps, railways, history and much more. We also sell new & second hand Christian and religious books.
Gladstone Books/SOUTHWELL/near the town centre, ring for details
Gladstone Books
near the town centre, ring for details SOUTHWELL NG25 0AA
map
tel:
01636 814889, mob: 07787 556139 e-mail web
Open: By appointment most days 10.00 - 5.00
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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
Mansfield Christian Book Centre/MANSFIELD/2 Newgate Lane
Mansfield Christian Book Centre
2 Newgate Lane MANSFIELD NG18 2LF
map
tel:
01623 636582 e-mail web
Open: Tuesday 9.30 - 4.00, Wednesday 9.30 - 1.00, Thursday - Friday 9.30 - 4.00, Saturday 9.30 - 1.00
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Independent Christian bookshop with quite a large second-hand section.
Mansfield Christian Book Centre was founded as long ago as 1972 and has been at these premises since 1979. In addition to new books, it has built up its second-hand stock in recent years, and there is now a sizeable selection. The second-hand stock includes books on a wide range of aspects of various Christian denominations, together with Bible commentaries, books on Christian living and also some Christian fiction. Prices are kept low. Many of the books are just 50p each or three for £1. Turnover is quite brisk. The shop is about a 12-minute walk from both Mansfield railway station (on the Robin Hood Line between Nottingham and Worksop) and the bus station. Booker T 22.05.25
Oxfam Books and Music/NOTTINGHAM/19 Market Street
Oxfam Books and Music
19 Market Street NOTTINGHAM NG1 6HX
map
tel:
0115 934 3497 e-mail web
Open: Monday - Saturday 9.30 - 5.30, Sunday 12.00 - 4.00
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Long-established shop in city centre. Large stock of fiction and non-fiction.
Quite a disappointing shop for a city-centre location. Prices are generally reasonable, but a dearth of quality afflicts most areas of the stock. Paperback fiction is here in abundance: 18 shelves of mass/mid-market titles and a similar amount of crime novels, as well as a dozen shelves of sci-fi (all £2.99). A few dozen hardbacks (also £2.99) in each of these sections too. A dozen shelves of classic fiction, mainly in hardback, although what constitutes a "classic" is very loosely defined; all of the paperbacks are £2.99, as are most of the hardbacks. The poetry and drama sections are quite small, but include some good titles, as do the foreign-language books. The contents of the couple of shelves labelled "oddities and curiosities" are really neither odd nor curious, just old and dull, and significantly overpriced. A reasonable choice of children's books, including non-fiction, mostly £1.99, but some £1.49. Also a couple of dozen children's annuals from the 1980s onwards (The Dandy, Rupert, Tom and Jerry etc) at £2.99, and hundreds of comics (2000 AD and similar), mostly £1.99, with a few at £2.99. For the non-fiction, the history and military stock is run-of-the-mill, and the politics, philosophy, religion and transport sections are also nothing special. Nor are the music and film titles, but there are some good theatre books. Subjects for which the stock is of reasonable quality include sport, natural history, local interest, true crime, gardening, travel and art, although most of these sections are quite small. The cookery section is quite extensive, with some good titles. At first glance, the biography section seems very disappointing, stuffed with mass-market celebrity dross, but literary, political and sports biographies are shelved separately, next to the relevant sections. Several locked glass cabinets contain a few vaguely unusual books, mostly at inflated prices. The shop is a 12-minute walk from the railway station and Broad Marsh bus station, and about eight minutes from Victoria bus station. Booker T 11.02.25
Oxfam Books and Music/NOTTINGHAM/58 High RoadBeeston
Oxfam Books and Music
58 High Road Beeston NOTTINGHAM NG9 2JP
map
tel:
0115 967 8650 e-mail web
Open: Monday - Saturday 9.00 - 5.00
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I visited Oxfam Beeston yesterday found it very disappointing, not a lot of books and anything of any interest was very over priced. Krissie 20.10.11
Disappointing even by Oxfam standards - for a City it is distinctly poor. Lots of academic books from the students. Norman Davies 13.11.17
Another rather lacklustre Oxfam bookshop. The pricing, in the main, is fairly moderate, but the better books - not that there are too many of those here - tend to attract a high mark-up. Sixteen shelves of general fiction, mostly quite mundane, but with some literary novels mixed in: paperbacks £2.99, hardbacks £2.99/£3.99. Also 16 shelves of crime fiction (£2.99 to £4.99), six of sci-fi/horror (£2.99 to £5.99) and three of classic fiction (£2.99 to £3.99), all predominantly in paperback. Dull poetry and drama. The foreign-language books - almost all French and German - are fairly good. A small but good-quality selection of children's books (mostly £1.49/£1.99), with some for younger children just 99p. The antiquarian section has a few interesting fiction and natural history titles and also vintage children's books, slightly overpriced.
The best non-fiction section is music: a varied range of books of quite high quality and also plenty of sheet music and scores at reasonable prices. The theology stock is also good and there are some decent biographies too, although the latter are a bit pricey. The history section (one of the largest here) is rather short of real quality, although there is some interesting local history stock. Fairly average for sport, cookery, health/lifestyle, politics and the social sciences. Disappointing for art, architecture, photography, natural history, crafts, gardening, travel and transport. A locked glass cabinet houses unremarkable books at pretty remarkable prices. At the back of the shop are a few shelves of "buy one, get one free" sale books, both fiction and non-fiction.
Beeston High Road contains a clutch of other charity shops. Only one is worth a quick look: British Heart Foundation (Monday-Saturday 9.30am-5pm), which has about 700 books, mostly of reasonable quality. From Nottingham city centre, Beeston can be reached by frequent trains, by tram (service towards Toton), and by the 18, 36, i4 and IGO bus routes (the last two routes also serve Derby). The Oxfam bookshop is a 12-minute walk from Beeston railway station, but only a short distance from the bus and tram interchange. Booker T 12.02.25
Oxfam Bookshop/NEWARK/18 Cartergate
Oxfam Bookshop
18 Cartergate NEWARK NG24 1UB
map
tel:
01636 705851 web
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This used to be a ramshackle gem a la Coventry Oxfam, but was tidied up last year and about half the stock has gone. Several shelves were empty when I visited. Still a couple of bays of rarer collectibles, but no real bargains now. Tallis 03.09.19
Fiction and nonfiction. Hardback and paperback. Mixed price points. Some bargains. Take cash and card. All the books I was interested in were a bit pricey. My husband got a couple of bargains. Jayne 03.05.22
Another Oxfam shop which is pricing it’s books too high. I was interested in a history book priced at £17.99. This is a bit rich for a donated item. I asked the manager if this was the correct price. He said his policy was to price things at 1/3 of the cheapest web price. I explained that the book can be bought for £18 on the web. Needless to say he did not offer to sell it to me at £6!!!
I further suggested that he was missing a sale at such prices as it was an academic volume and he was unlikely to find another potential buyer.
Further discussion revealed that this shop also has a policy of pulping many books if they do not sell in 3 months.
I offered the view that most people who donate books would like to see their donations sold for money for Oxfam’s good causes rather than pulped. My personal view is that most donors would probably be unhappy if they knew Oxfam’s policies. PeterD 02.06.23
Not as good as it used to be, this rather small shop underwent a reorganisation a few years ago that resulted in a noticeable reduction in the amount of stock on display. The quality is still fairly good, certainly in the fiction, history and travel sections. What is not so good is the pricing. Quite a lot of the stock is ambitiously marked up, with prices ranging from slightly above average to outrageous. This is a real shame and a distinct departure from the pricing policy of a few years ago. There is a good selection of OS maps for sale and these, at least, are reasonably priced. But in most subject areas, anything resembling a bargain is likely to prove elusive here. NWAD, except possibly for those with deeper pockets. Booker T 21.09.23
Oxfam Bookshop/WESTBRIDGFORD/12 Central Avenue
Oxfam Bookshop
12 Central Avenue WEST BRIDGFORD NG2 5GR
map
tel:
0115 9826951 e-mail web
Open: Monday - Saturday 9.00 - 5.00, Sunday 11.00 - 3.00
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Of the three Oxfam bookshops in or near Nottingham - the others are in the city centre and at Beeston - the West Bridgford one is the best by some margin. Quite a good stock here, especially for fiction. A couple of dozen shelves of paperback novels - mass and mid-market through to literary and classic fiction - mostly £2.99, but some cheaper. Almost 20 shelves of crime fiction, but only three of sci-fi/fantasy/horror (same prices). Half a dozen shelves of new fiction (mainly hardbacks) published since 2021, mostly £3.49. Small poetry and drama sections, the latter very good. Quite a large "vintage and collectables" section: a few bargains, but generally priced too steeply. Anything old in this shop tends to attract a high mark-up, regardless of its quality. A small but good stock in a wide range of foreign languages. Lots of children's books (mostly £2.49), including a fair amount of non-fiction. Also a decent choice of vintage comics (Spider-Man, Superman etc), but rather expensive, along with children's annuals (mostly 1970s/80s) at more sensible prices.
For non-fiction, history is the best section, with a large and good stock, although the better books are overpriced, as is the case for the travel books. Quite good for food/drink, sport and health/lifestyle, also for natural history, gardening, literary criticism and science, although the choice in the last four subjects is relatively small. The art section is nothing special. A good range of biographies, reasonably priced. Two glass cabinets contain some interesting stock at elevated, but not ludicrous, prices. The music books are on the ground floor and are unremarkable, but upstairs in the music department can be found a good selection of sheet music, scores and songbooks, albeit at prices far above the Oxfam norm.
Of the many other charity shops on Central Avenue, the only one worth a quick look is Cancer Research, five doors away (Monday-Saturday 9am-5.30pm and Sunday 10am-5pm). It has 600 books, mainly paperback fiction, cheaply priced at £1.80. West Bridgford is an easy bus journey from Nottingham city centre (routes 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, all of which stop almost outside the Oxfam bookshop). Booker T 11.02.25
Patchings Art Centre Bookroom/NOTTINGHAM/Oxton Road Calverton
Patchings Art Centre Bookroom
Oxton Road Calverton NOTTINGHAM NG14 6NU
map
tel:
0115 965 3479 e-mail web
Open: Wednesday - Sunday (also Tuesday May - September) 10.00 - 4.00
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a large Bookroom with high quality out of print secondhand books on the Arts. Artist monographs, Artist exhibition catalogues, Art reference, Architecture, Photography, Ceramics and the Applied arts. The Centre has changing art exhibitions and a wonderful cafe.
Salvation Army Bookshop/BALDERTON/Brisbane Court
Salvation Army Bookshop
Brisbane Court
BALDERTON
NG24 3PS
map
tel:
01636 676486
web
Open: Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday 10.00 - 2.00, Thursday 10.00 - 4.00
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Phenomenal. Thousands of books, the stock is being replenished all the time, friendly, and cheap. Shaun Tyas 11.07.19
Packed charity bookshop in a little shopping precinct on the south side of Newark. Friendly chap claimed they had 40,000 books, but I'd estimate 6-8,000 on the shelves. Older hardbacks £2, everything else £1. No wildly collectible rarities, but great for cheapies. Tallis 03.09.19
Visited on a Saturday. Shop was closed. Opening times are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 10am to 2pm. It looks like a large bookshop from the outside. Free parking. Jayne 08.09.21
Large bookshop but not much room between bookshelves. It is difficult to see lower shelves and other customers and staff constantly asking to get past (you need to have the patience of a saint to deal with this). Fiction and nonfiction. Hardback and paperback. Bargains everywhere! Cash only. Free car park in front of the shop. Jayne 15.04.22
Friendly charity bookshop staffed by a small army of volunteers. The location is not easy to find as it’s in a small shopping centre on the outskirts of Newark several miles away from the city centre. In short you need a car and SatNav to get there. I would say it’s only worth a detour if you are visiting Newark in a car or you are local.
The shop has two rooms of books and much of the stock is cheap fiction paperbacks. I am confident that there are not 40,000 books here as claimed above. It has more like 5,000 -10,000 at the most. The stock of non-fiction is not that high quality.
That being said the prices are very cheap and there are some odd gems to be found. We bought 4 books for £2 - a real bargain. PeterD 02.06.23
Wild Ways/NEWARK/First Floor
Wild Ways
First Floor The Buttermarket Middlegate NEWARK NG24 1BF
map
tel:
07983 869774 e-mail web
Open: Monday - Saturday 10.00 - 4.00.
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We are a Book and Games exchange located inside a beautiful Edwardian shopping center. We stock a large range of collectable,second hand and new books, graphic novels, comics, board games, card games, jigsaws and wargaming. We are also a community hub! - Book Club - Discussion Group - Gaming Group - Workshops and Talks.
