Secondhand and Antiquarian Bookshops in the UK and Republic of Ireland
News:
The Book Barge is now based in Burgundy
New bookshop the Gallery Bookshop
Book in Newcastle-under-Lyme has closed
New listing Moseley Old Hall (NT)
The Fair Reader has closed
New bookshop Vellichor Books Hanley
New listing Biddulph Grange Garden NT
New shop Press Books and Coffee Hednesford
Michael Morris Antique Maps seems to have closed
Open at advertised times
Phone before travelling
Appointment necessary
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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Abacas Books _ Cards/STOKE-ON-TRENT/56 - 60 Millrise RoadMilton
Abacas Books & Cards
56 - 60 Millrise Road Milton STOKE-ON-TRENT ST2 7BW
map
tel:
01782 543005 e-mail
Open: Monday - Friday 9.00 - 4.00, Saturday 9.00 - 1.00
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Medium size stock on most subjects, from paperbacks to antiquarian books. We also stock new local history books & greetings cards. Established 1980.
Paperbacks £2, hardbacks £4. Clean, well ordered but small. Worth visiting several times a year. David and Margaret are very helpful and friendly. Rosie Gamgee 10.11.12
A fabulous bookshop and cardshop run by delightful people, David and Margaret. The second hand books are all clean, well cared for and categorised. The shop is spotlessly clean and a pleasure to spend time in. I have known this shop for years and years and it's such a pleasure to meet proprietors who make you so welcome and are themselves so keen on books and reading. Go there and enjoy. Neville Seabridge 10.05.14
Abacas Books now closes on a Monday but is otherwise open Tuesday to Saturday. Books are still priced as above. The Art section is worth consideration as is the section on World Wars. Good free parking at park opposite. Rosie Gamgee 18.01.20
Per the owner, the shop gets about a 100 books a week in, so don't expect a huge turnover of stock. What is in is priced to sell (mostly under £5) with quantity discounts automatically applied on top. Perhaps a little better on non-fiction.
The layout is tidy as well. Light filters seem to have been applied to the side window panes so the shop might appear dark and shut from the outside. Came away with a boxful but YMMV as ever. Stive 30.10.21
A hidden gem - I've driven past this place so many times and never noticed it, but I clocked it on here and decided to pop in. Majority non-fiction, well-priced, and a good variety within each section. AHowl 23.03.25
Andie_s Book Shop/STOKE-ON-TRENT/Longton Market
Andie's Book Shop
Longton Market Transport Lane STOKE-ON-TRENT ST3 1BZ
map
tel:
07531 464604 web
Open: Wednesday, Friday & Saturday 9.00 - 5.00.
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Market stall selling mostly paperbacks.
Bethel Books /STOKE-ON-TRENT/New Hall Street Hanley
Bethel Books
New Hall Street Hanley STOKE-ON-TRENT ST1 5HQ
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e-mail web
Open: Monday, Wednesday & Friday 9.30 - 4.30
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Small stock of secondhand and new theology and other Christian books. We also stock a variety of greetings cards. Bethel Bookshop is part of and run by Bethel Evangelical Free Church, Stoke on Trent. It is not run for profit, and is staffed by volunteers. Most Fridays the pastor, who is rather knowledgable about books, is in the shop.
Biddulph Grange Garden NT/BIDDULPH /Grange Road
Biddulph Grange Garden NT
Grange Road BIDDULPH ST8 7SD
map
tel:
01782 517999 e-mail web
Open: usually Monday - Sunday 11.00 - 4.30 but check website
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Large NT second hand bookshop. Good stocks of fiction, non-fiction and children's books. Some rarer and collectible books also usually in stock. NT membership or ticket probably needed to visit the bookshop.
G. _ J. Chesters/TAMWORTH/Unit 4, Pooley Hall Farm Buildings
G. & J. Chesters
Unit 4, Pooley Hall Farm Buildings Pooley Lane Polesworth TAMWORTH B78 1JA
map
tel:
01827 894743 e-mail
Open: Monday - Saturday 9.30 - 5.30.
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Large stock of antiquarian, scholarly and enthusiasts' books.Visitors by appointment. We now work from a warehouse so do NOT keep regular opening times.
Gallery Bookshop/LEEK/17 Broad St
Gallery Bookshop
17 Broad St LEEK ST13 5NR
map
tel:
01538 372961 and 01538 384337 e-mail web
Open: Wednesday and Friday 10.00 - 5.00, Saturday 9.00 - 5.00
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A secondhand bookshop in the cellar of the Gallery picture-framers, which belongs to a new bookshop elsewhere in Leek.
We visited this tiny hidden-away shop on a Saturday in August and made some delightful finds. Strong on local history and also history in general, military history and English literature. Just tell staff in the framery you want to see the secondhand books. There was nobody downstairs on the day we went but they accept your payments upstairs. (Saturday is also the town's Market Day where we also found a book stall run by a Stockport secondhand dealer, Ian. He had just bought a large railways collection which was on display. We will visit him soon and report back. S+S 27.09.21
Moseley Old Hall(NT)/WOLVERHAMPTON/Moseley Old Hall Lane, Fordhouses
Moseley Old Hall (NT)
Moseley Old Hall Lane, Fordhouses WOLVERHAMPTON WV10 7HY
map
tel:
01902782808 e-mail web
Open: Irregular days 10.30 - 3.30
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This bookshop takes up most of the barn which serves as the entry to Moseley Old Hall so you should only need to pay an entrance fee if you go through the barn into the main house. Few folios, several vintage, couple of boxes of classic penguins, strong on history as you’d expect, and the remaining 50% of the stock is popular fiction, mostly paperback. Not worth a visit purely for the books, but combine it with a walk round the excellent property and tread in the footsteps of the fleeing Charles II and it’s a nice way to spend an afternoon.
New Chapters Bookshop (RSPCA)/STOKE-ON-TRENT/6 Fountain Square
New Chapters Bookshop (RSPCA)
6 Fountain Square Hanley STOKE-ON-TRENT ST1 1LG
map
tel:
01782 207779 web
Open: Monday - Saturday 9.00 - 4.30.
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Charity bookshop full of quality books and vinyl records at amazing prices.
A charity bookshop that’s worth visiting if you’re in the area. Not a huge selection, but you might find the odd interesting title in amongst the usual charity shop stock. Martin R 28.07.21
Visited recently and was pleasantly surprised by the selection of books available - mainly popular fiction - but quite surprised by the incredibly optimistic pricing. AHowl 12.03.25
Oxfam Books _ Music/LICHFIELD/32 Market Street
Oxfam Books & Music
32 Market Street LICHFIELD WS13 6LH
map
tel:
01543 415638 e-mail web
Open: Monday - Saturday 9.00 - 5.00, Sunday 10.00 - 4.00
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The first third on the right hand side is taken up with the usual modern paperbacks. Beyond that are shelves of older books and classic literature. Also a kids section and a whole section devoted to sci-fi. Couple of Folios lurking on the shelves. Prices seemed reasonable. I came away with a delightful hardback annotated facsimile of Dickens’ journal for a mere £3.99 and was served by a very friendly member of staff. Jon R 05.09.23
Lichfield has three charitable bookshops within 50m of each other and this competition means that Oxfam prices are on average a pound or so cheaper than normal, so reasonably sensibly priced. Strong on current paperback fiction and other sections are well covered. NWAD but in the context of other local charity shops it makes Lichfield a reasonable stop along the way.
Nothing especially stood out, though staff were helpful with my couple of purchases.
Whilst in the Lichfield area one might be tempted by NT Shugborough which is not listed.
1 - You need to pay
2 - It's over 1km walk to the shop as it is by the mansion
Worth mentioning that it is the only charity shop in the country with a dedicated section of books on Lord Lichfield the previous incumbent. The prices would make ABE blush... misterg 07.05.25
Press Books and Coffee/HEDNESFORD/42 Market Street
Press Books and Coffee
42 Market Street HEDNESFORD WS12 1AG
map
e-mail web 
Open: Tuesday - Saturday 9.30 - 4.30, Sunday 10.00 - 2.00
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A book and coffee shop, with a diverse range of new and second-hand books.
The opening of this bookshop café, in mid-2023, has filled a gap in the market as the area had previously been rather a book desert. The second-hand books, which make up about a quarter of the stock, cover a wide range of fiction and non-fiction, as well as children's books from nursery level to young adults. The owner, Nancy, has been proactive in setting up events and activities such as book clubs (including an LGBTQIA+ one), writers' groups, talks, readings, open mic nights and poetry workshops. Cash and cards are accepted. There is one step from street level, but a ramp can be made available (unfortunately, it is not suitable for heavier electric-powered wheelchairs). Prospective visitors should note these opening times for Christmas 2024 & New Year 2025: Mon 23rd Dec closed; Tues 24th 10am-2pm; Wed 25th & Thurs 26th closed; Fri 27th & Sat 28th 10am-4.30pm; Sun 29th 10am-2pm; Mon 30th Dec to Mon 6th Jan closed; usual hours apply from Tues 7th Jan. Hednesford is about a mile north of Cannock. The shop is a very short walk from Hednesford railway station, on the line from Birmingham New Street to Rugeley Trent Valley. Bus services from Lichfield (62) and Uttoxeter (63) - both routes Monday-Saturday only - also stop nearby. Booker T 19.12.24
Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum/LICHFIELD/Breadmarket Street
Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum
Breadmarket Street LICHFIELD WS13 6LG
map
tel:
01543 264972 e-mail web
Open: Daily 10.30 - 4.30 1 March - 31 October, 11.00 - 3.30 1 November - 28 February.
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Although our bookshop contains some new titles (mainly pertaining to Johnson and Lichfield), we mainly stock a large range of secondhand books. Our titles span across a range of different genres, including fiction, biographies and historical novels.
Still there after many years and the 2nd hand stock is spread around 1 period room upon 1st entering. It does not require admission to the museum to buy from the 2nd hand stock. Stock levels are not huge but both fiction and non-fiction is covered alongside the gift shop which naturally is Samuel Johnston orientated. I left with 2 reasonably priced military books and they do take cards as payment. The assistant made me aware the building has been selling books since the 1700s which must make it one of the oldest in England. Laurence Batchelor 15.10.18
The bookshop is before you get to the main part of the museum so no admission fee required to browse/buy. There are about half a dozen full height bookcases with an interesting mix of titles - mostly vintage hardbacks rather than newer paperbacks. As you’d expect in the family home of the man of letters, there are several shelves devoted to books about Johnson and Boswell. All proceeds support the museum. Jon R 04.09.23
As previous reviews have pointed out, the layout of the building means one can visit the bookshop without entering the museum, but admission to both is free in any case. Normally open every day of the year except 25th & 26th December and 1st January, but at the moment the museum is closed for essential building work until 30th April. The bookshop remains open. Booker T 10.04.24
St Giles Hospice Bookshop /BURTON UPON TRENT/192 Station Street
St Giles Hospice Bookshop
192 Station Street BURTON UPON TRENT DE14 1BH
map
tel:
01283 516218
Open: Monday - Saturday 9.30 - 4.30
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Parking for donation of books at the rear of the shop.
The best charity bookshop I've seen. Very well organised and stock topped up regularly, so worth repeated visits. This is the cream of a chain of shops run by this excellent charity. Prices realistic. Some remainders, some used. aeromike 25.07.15
St Giles Hospice Bookshop /LICHFIELD/22 Market Street
St Giles Hospice Bookshop
22 Market Street LICHFIELD WS13 6LH
map
tel:
01543 254664 e-mail web
Open: Monday - Saturday 9.30 - 4.00.
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Stocking a wide range of titles, including blockbuster fiction, travel and leisure companions, histories, reference guides, children's books, and antiquarian volumes. New stock added every day.
Charity shop with everything categorised. Prices agreeable but perhaps less than 1000 books. Worth popping in if you plan to visit this charming small city. Laurence Batchelor 18.07.15
Return visit after 3 years. A small charity shop with everything catagorized and reasonable prices. I must be honest and say I struggle to find military books to buy here despite them having a bookcase full as they always seem to be only common titles. There is also an Oxfam bookshop on the same street and the Samuel Johnston Museum is still selling 2nd hand books. It is still worth visiting this small pleasant city even though it's lost its main 2nd hand bookshops. All the shops to visit are contained in this 1 street and in walking distance from the car parks and in addition there are 3 or 4 general charity shops which have small selections of books. The only other place which use to have 2nd-hand books was a dealer housed within the antiques centre near the to the lake by the Cathedral but they have now departed. Laurence Batchelor 15.10.18
From seeing how well the stock is presented here it’s clear the staff take a pride in this shop. Lots of modern fiction paperbacks, all alphabetised. Few shelves of older classic books, few shelves of military titles, children’s section and a display of hardback fiction titles for £1. Also a shelf labelled “hard times” for those that like don’t like their fiction to be too uplifting! Jon R 04.09.23
Smarter than it's Oxfam neighbour this has a feel of a tiny Waterstones (there is one of these across the street.)
My main interest is hardbacks and there were plenty in good/VG condition both in fiction, history and biography which were well presented sections. Books were as cheap as chips and judging by the numbers of carrier bags being dropped in and efficiently handled whilst I was there, turnover seems very good as well. Emerged with a couple of books in excellent condition and change from a fiver! misterg 07.05.25
Vellichor Books/HANLEY/11-12 Piccadilly Arcade
Vellichor Books
11-12 Piccadilly Arcade HANLEY ST1 1DL
map
tel:
07538 322271 e-mail
Open: Monday - Saturday 9.00 - 5.00, Sunday 11.00 - 5.00
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New and secondhand books, a cafe, and a "Room of Requirement community space".
Very small selection of almost entirely popular fiction books. There is an upstairs with more books, but it's not signposted or made clear that you are allowed up there. I usually love a good chat with the staff at places like this, but despite being the only customer in there I wasn't acknowledged at any point, despite saying hi and thanks - think that was the most disappointing bit! AHowl 23.03.25
