Bookshops in East Anglia/Essex

Books-on-Sea/SOUTHEND-ON-SEA/23 Alexandra St

Books-on-Sea Open at advertised times

23 Alexandra St SOUTHEND-ON-SEA SS1 1BX

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tel: 01702 826730 e-mail web

Open: Wednesday: 10.00 – 12.00, Thursday & Friday 10.00 – 4.00, Saturday 11.00 – 5.00

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Second-hand and antiquarian books, as well as gifts and souvenirs.

Chelmsford Community Bookshop/CHELMSFORD/High Chelmer Shopping Centre

Chelmsford Community Bookshop Open at advertised times

High Chelmer Shopping Centre 5 Market Road CHELMSFORD CM1 1XA

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tel: 01245 265636

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A large stock of standard charity shop books plus a bit more and most at 50p. I picked up several modern paperbacks. Jon Morgan 20.11.17

A large selection of standard charity shop stock, mostly fiction, cookery, biography but good prices. Came away with a bag of recent paperback fiction. HB 08.02.20

Colne Bookshop Wivenhoe /WIVENHOE/51 High Street

Colne Bookshop Wivenhoe Open at advertised times

51 High Street WIVENHOE CO7 9AZ

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tel: 79619 93892 e-mail

Open: Thursday - Saturday 10.00 - 5.00.

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Fiction, history, philosophies, society, children's, food and drink,poets, playwrights, art, photography, flora fauna, travel, music. Wivenhoe's only second hand bookshop.

Small but excellent secondhand bookshop situated a few miles outside of Colchester that caters to a wide range of tastes. Have picked up some wonderfully unusual titles here on my visits, no doubt due to the shop owner's discerning tastes but also from Wivenhoe being a hotbed of creativity (not far from the University of Essex, strong arts and live music scene etc). Books are fairly priced and payment by card is accepted. Main shop is one room on ground floor but there is also another ground floor annex accessible from outside with even more diverse titles - I'd already spent an hour browsing the main room before glancing in here on borrowed time. Highly recommended! John 23.10.17

Friends of Hylands House/CHELMSFORD/Stable Centre

Friends of Hylands House Open at advertised times

Stable Centre Hylands House Hylands Park CHELMSFORD CM2 8WQ

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tel: 01245 605509

Open: Daily 10.00 - 5.00.

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Mixture of good quality paperback fiction and non-fiction, including collectables and first editions. Well worth a visit combined with a tour of the house and a nice meal in the courtyard cafe.

I had not realised but have been here many years ago. It manages to cram a great many books in a small space by double depth shelves, but intelligently the ones at the back are higher than those at the front so you can read the titles at least.The fiction is mainly new and standard charity shop stuff with some hardbacks.Decent selection of various categories of non-fiction. A small selection of 'collectables' Very good prices. I picked up a wish list item - Amazon £16.00 Hylands £2.50 ! If visiting head for the upper car park at the back of the house accessible from the Margaretting /Ingatestone road. its quite a trek from the A120 car park. Jon Morgan 05.02.16

Gagebooks/BATTLESBRIDGE/Cromwell House, Maltings Road

Gagebooks

Cromwell House, Maltings Road BATTLESBRIDGE SS11 7RF

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tel: 07828 861677 e-mail web

Open: Tuesday - Sunday 11.00 - 4.00

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Small unit within large Antiques Centre with a selection of books on most subjects. Particular emphasis on leather bindings, classic literature and local history. Some older antiquarian books always in stock as well as a selection of cheap paperbacks. Stock regularly replenished from our large reserve stock and recent purchases. PBFA members. Cash or card accepted.

GfB: the Colchester Bookshop/COLCHESTER/7 Trinity Street

GfB: the Colchester Bookshop Open at advertised times

7 Trinity Street COLCHESTER CO1 1JN

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tel: 01206 502218 e-mail web

Open: Wednesday - Saturday 12.00 - 5.00

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Around 15,000 books specialising in academic and out-of-print books on literature, art, philosophy, and history, as well as the sciences and local interest. Our quirky rooms and staircases lead up to the medieval roof of Elizabethan scientist, William Gilbert's Colchester home.

Welcomed with a request to sign an anti-supermarket petition! Varied stock on two floors. Topography strong as well as art and fiction. Herne

Just down from the Castle. Seems a little dry and academic on first inspection. The upstairs is new since I last visited but some good stock. The rear is an excellent place. Good Military section and excellent stock of reasonably priced paperbacks. Jon Morgan 05.02.08

Not easy to find as entrance on lower ground floor, hence the damp smell. Stock reasonable but nothing really old. Shop assistant (owner being away) had virtually no knowledge of the business. Chris Harte 21.08.09

Not as good as the other bookshop in the town but nevertheless well worth a visit. But be warned, they don't take cards and the cash machine is a fair step up the hill. Nicholas Pendower 16.02.13

As good as ever, A wide selection of old and new fiction and even in the basement I could get a mobile signal to check prospective purchases on Library Thing. Prices are very reasonable and the £1.00 section which I usually avoid like the plague i bookshops yielded some gems. Did not smell damp to me despite the basement set up. There were a few dehumidifiers going. NB seemed cash only as no evidence of chip pin machine and it is a long walk back to the cashpoint. There are a couple of good-ish charity shops and a recently opened branch of Emmaus which had a good stock of books (History of Radio 4 for £1.00). jon Morgan 16.02.13

Revisited after an interval to find still going strong. Good general stock and strong on poetry. Still cash only. Herne 26.03.13

Seems diminished in its new home, which is a beautiful structure and ought to be perfect for a secondhand bookshop with differing levels and floors, nooks and crannies, but is oddly empty. Seems disorganised in comparison to the previous location. Bargain basement in the attic (??) with occasional gems. Jon Morgan 05.11.15

Out of necessity, this first year has been a case of recovering from our forced move. The stock is diminished because we have weeded out most of the less saleable books. Next year, with a longer-term lease agreed, we will begin shelf-building in earnest to accommodate a lot of new and better stock. It is our aim to turn the building into one the most beautiful bookshops in Britain, for which it is ideally suited. It will take a lot of hard work, though! PS. We do accept credit/debit cards. Simon Taylor, The Colchester Bookshop 22.12.15

Re-visited after two years encouraged by the owner's post. Nothing appears to have changed. Not the stock or the arrangement of books on the attic floor. Some evidence of organisation but a slightly haphazard feeling about the place. Intent to shelve can be inferred from wood pile in discreet corners but as the stock is not particularly large and despite the fascinating building, there is a long way before it is the most beautiful bookshop in England.... For me that is probably Booth's in Hay (Even if it is sanitised to within an inch of its life) or may be Daunt in Marylebone. Anyone else got any suggestions? Jonathan Morgan 13.11.17

Jonathan's comment is puzzling because, about the same time, a customer who hadn't visited for two years told us how impressed he was with progress. Both rooms on the first floor have been fully shelved and in November we had recently added two large and interesting lots to the stock. However, I will concede that we still have some way to go towards being as beautiful as we want to be! GfB 15.01.18

Returned after a long interval to the new premises. A lot to see and plenty to interest. I found some good material in literary fiction and poetry realistically priced. And an excellent coffee shop in an equally historic building next door. Herne 12.02.18

Still only open on the "temporary" times stated. Peter M 18.08.21

Still only open temporary hours. A lovely building, lots of space but difficult for anybody with mobility issues, lots of stairs. Some interesting books in the bargain section at the top of the building HB 25.09.21

Jim_s Books _ Ephemera/BATTLESBRIDGE/Bones Lane Antiques Centre

Jim's Books & Ephemera Phone before travelling

Bones Lane Antiques Centre BATTLESBRIDGE SS11 7RE

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tel: 07950 397 842 e-mail

Open: Monday - Thursday, Saturday - Sunday, bank and public holidays, 11.00 - 4.00

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Should be open also on Fridays from December to March. Free parking for patrons of the shop at car park site at front of site. Books from 1600s to present, also art prints and paintings.

Popped over to Battlesbridge to see this place and had a wander through the various antiques places. It is much diminished since I last visited some 20 years ago and although there were some fine antiques , I also saw a lot of utter toot as well. Jim's books looked very promising, but as I put my toe over the threshold, he announced he was shutting early to attend a wake as he had been unable to get to the funeral. That said we had a good chat about his stock and he has some very early books, much leather and dust - a wonderful combination and supplies books as props to film and TV studios . If you are looking for anything much later than WW2, then this place is probably not for you, but I will be back at some time to look through the WE Johns stock. Firedrake 25.10.21

Part of the Bones Lane Antiques Centre (not the Old Granary where there is another book seller) Small and quite cramped, lots of notices telling customers to wear a mask (nobody was except the owner), not to handle books, 1.65% charge added to card payments under £10. etc. Felt like the owner was watching us but he did turn out to be friendly. The books are mostly 19th or early 20th century, lots of royalty, poetry, Kipling, classics, military, as found in so many house clearances. A lot of the books were very tatty, boards detached etc, just because a book is old doesn’t mean condition isn’t important. Pricing erratic, eg good condition paperback Agatha Christies very reasonably priced at £1 each but hardback copies (some stained) free from Daily Mail I think, £5 each. 1970s Armada Biggles paperbacks £3 each, would be a reasonable price in good condition but these were held together by yellowing sellotape. Meanwhile a rare Putnam title about Japanese aircraft was only £5. Probably not worth a special trip unless combined with a mooch round the rest of the antiques centre and a trip to the tea shop but it’s the sort of bookshop where you could unearth a gem. HB 09.10.22

HB- 09/10/2022

Apologies but I've only just read your comments, and I 'probably' still had lots of Covid signage on display,when you visited as I obviously had not got around to taking them down. BTW, I continues to wear a mask during that period, but no longer do so.

The shop has changed considerably since your last visit, and gone are the Biggles Armada paperbacks. I'm 'puzzled' by your observations of the collection as at least three quarters are 17th & 18th century (some in fact much earlier). I sell lots of books to the film industry (as props), interior designers & people keen on using books as decoration and 'distressed' calf/ leather books are a popular seller. I try to be as consistent as I can in terms of pricing, and am concerned that you found my prices 'erratic', but the majority of feedback I recieve about the shop, the price of books, variety of books and 'ambience' are extremely positive. I have built up a large and growing customer base reflecting 'most' tastes and demographics, but accept that it's impossible to please everyone.

Apologies if you felt that you were being 'watched', this is not intentional and is due to how I had to 'hastily' redesign the shop (& my seating area, desk etc), when Covid happened. Unfortunately I have limited space, so during the pandemic and in the months following had to re- jig things. The shop has now undergone a bit of a revamp, lots of antique book cases, less clutter, no masks (personal choice) and fair prices.

You are indeed right, that I do have some hidden gems ( quite a few in fact), and lots more besides. Occasionally things slip through the net, like the Japanese aircraft book you mention, but I bought that one (in my early days of trading) with a job- lot of aviation books and recall paying an average £1 per book. I was more than happy to let this one go for £5 (allowing myself a modest profit) and any potential buyer a bargain!

Please do come and visit again, as I'm sure you'll have a more rewarding experience.
Jim Smyth 18.11.23

It was interesting to read your reply to my review of last year. Apologies if I caused any offence. You have a great little bookshop with lots of interesting stock. We don’t live very close to you but if we are in the area we’ll certainly call in and say hello. Hope you have a great run up to Christmas HB 21.11.23

Leigh Gallery Books/LEIGH-ON-SEA/137 Leigh Road

Leigh Gallery Books Open at advertised times

137 Leigh Road LEIGH-ON-SEA SS9 1JQ

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tel: 01702 715477

Open: Thursday - Saturday 10.00 - 5.00.

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Large general stock and particularly art, illustrated, literature and local topography. Also maps and prints.

The biggest and best of several secondhand shops in Leigh. Antiquarian and secondhand books, well-displayed and organised with quality books at reasonable prices. Recommended to browsers. Bridget the Browser

This is the sort of bookshop I love. Excellent stock with loads of 19th century items. Lots of quality mid-wars fiction and some stunning rarities in between other stock. Owner knew his subject and answered my queries with ease. Visit highly recommended. Chris Harte 29.06.09

This looks promising from outside and occupies a significant area ie two shops. tha said the stock is extensive although somewhat disappointing. Lots of dead stock and gaps on the shelves and little of real interest although the poster collection (Mainly French) was good.. Owner was helpful and knowledgeable but since Drif is being spoken of again, NWAD JM 24.07.12

Matters have obviously improved since JM's visit six years ago: this is an excellent shop, strong in all categories with plentiful stock and reasonable prices. The proprietor is extremely friendly and helpful (not something I've found I can rely upon in every secondhand bookshop). In my view, WAD! Laurence Purcell 13.02.19

Very good shop, I always find something, friendly staff. Looks like a proper second hand bookshop as well. WAD, or for those who well remember Driff, in my case WAP. During lockdown left free books outside in boxes; that tells you much about the owners. Peter M 20.08.21

Reassuringly, things are still as they once were, even to the geezers seated around the cash desk exchanging merry badinage. Well stocked in all categories and prices are very reasonable. My only criticism is that the books in certain subjects (military history is one) are not arranged in alphabetical order by author which rather slows one down. Worth a special visit. Laurence Purcell 26.02.22

Yes, the geezers remain. This excellent shop is unchanged. On the shelves some fantastic bargains have been waiting for over a decade for the one man in England who collects them to come and fulfill their destiny.

I usually find something to buy, though turnover seems to have slowed a bit. Having said that, today I saw people going out with armfuls of books. PeterM 06.04.24

Oxfam Books _ Music/EPPING/214-216 High Street

Oxfam Books & Music Phone before travelling

214-216 High Street EPPING CM16 4AQ

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tel: 01992 576111 e-mail web

Open: Monday - Saturday 10.00 - 4.00, alternate Sundays 10.00 - 2.00

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Only opened 21/2/19 but bought three items. Extensive modern fiction and Crime section. Large premises with videos and music too Former charity shop and before that the Gas Board Showroom (before the con of Sid selling us what was already ours). Prices were reasonable and on a par with the Saffron Walden Oxfam which is my yardstick. probably NWAD as the other charity shops in the area are not much cop, but worth visiting if in the area and you can tolerate dropped aitches and the glottal stop so beloved of Estuary English. Avoid Thursday as apparently my ex-wife volunteers there and I take no responsibility for petrification, scorched clothing or singed hair! JM 27.02.19

Large, well-stocked and pleasant. The large crime section contains nothing vaguely collectible. There is however enough in some sections that are not new and shiny to give hope for the future. Let's hope that scruffy interesting books find more of a place. Prices 'optimistic'- I've seen worse in Oxfam. Peter M 24.03.19

Not often a new bookshop opens in my area so once I found out (Oxfam yet to add this shop to their website) an early visit was required. Large premises by Oxfam standards and well laid out stock. Pricy though, at least for the books I looked at. One book was not priced, a lady took it out the back and returned saying it was £14.99p. Worth a fiver at most! I will give it a few weeks and look again, but at these prices doubt I will be buying many books! Steve Newman 24.03.19

Paid my first visit for sometime yesterday. Pricing these days appears to be more in line with your average Oxfam Bookshop these days. The stock is well laid out, and staff helpful too. A welcome oasis in the bookshop desert that is East Essex! Steve Newman 06.01.22

First visit for three years. Saturday mid morning. It was dark and closed and a sign on the door said 'this shop is temporarily closed due to shortage of volunteers'.

Even an opening hours notice further down the door indicating that it wasn't normally open till 10.30 qualified this by saying it might not open at all some days.

Having said that when I went back past 30 mins later it was open and full of punters and seemingly many volunteers.

Agree with the last review; the prices were much more realistic this visit. But don't go all the way to Epping without checking that it is open. PeterM 04.03.23

Opening hours now given on notice on shop window as: Mon-Sat: 10am - 4pm, Alternate Sundays 10am -2pm (no indication as to which Sundays they are open & which closed).
Also a warning that: “These hours may vary due to lack of available volunteers”.
Plus a further notice that they are currently suffering from “reduced volunteering levels”. And also an appeal specifically for volunteers for shifts on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Clearly unwise to travel any great distance at the moment without checking they are open. Booker T 12.11.23

Managed to get inside for the first time since the summer. Erratic opening hours aside, this is a good Oxfam bookshop, nicely laid out. Much larger than most of their premises (at least in and on the edge of the London area), which means the stock is extensive. Almost all subject areas are reasonably well represented, at least in terms of the number of books on the shelves. The fiction (popular/mid-market and “literature”) stock is very large. Crime fiction is an enduring speciality here, it seems. Also an extensive selection of children’s books, perhaps the largest I’ve seen at any Oxfam. The history section is fairly sizeable too. The quality in almost every subject category is middling. There is a lot of run-of-the-mill stuff, but there are a fair number of better items as well. Pricing appears to have come down a bit here in recent years and is now generally reasonable, although there is the usual Oxfam mark-up on their glass-cased “rare” items, which are more numerous here than in many of their other branches. To be fair, some of the offerings in the cases are genuinely hard to come by. One unwelcome change in recent months here is the apparent demise of the “old and interesting” section on the open shelves. As always at Oxfam, this used to contain a goodly quotient of rather uninteresting ancient dross, but there was an decent harvest to be gleaned here at times, and the loss of this section is a shame. I suppose it is possible that these books have been dispersed by subject on to the general shelves, but if so, this is by no means obvious. There is a rather sluggish turnover of stock in most sections - a direct consequence of the premises’ large size, so although worth checking out, it is probably best to leave a fair interval between visits. The volunteers here seem very helpful. Finally, although there is the usual irksome array of Oxfam (non-book) fair-trade tat for sale here, the shop is so large that this matters less than in most of their other branches. Booker T 02.12.23

Oxfam Bookshop/CHELMSFORD/94 High Street

Oxfam Bookshop Phone before travelling

94 High Street CHELMSFORD CM1 1DX

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tel: 01245 345028 web

Open: CM11DX

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A reasonably good book selection downstairs and a huge vinyl collection upstairs Herne 10.07.10

The book section had a good selection, although there was some inconsistency in pricing, but if you're interested in the vinyl don't bother - it was all vastly overpriced. Nicholas Pendower 08.09.12

As Oxfam bookshops go particularly expensive. Get the impression most books get marked at the upper end of internet prices - considering they have been donated seems a bit silly. Occasional half-price sale would be nice. Jeremy D 01.05.13

Not a great selection but some new fiction in P/B and H/B with a record / DVD shop upstairs run by someone who likes mid 70's heavy metal by the sound of it. Prices are standard Oxfam (i.e. quite dear!). There are several other community charity bookshops in the town and one Waterstones (Ex Ottakars). For a county town this is lamentable but reflects the rest of Essex! Jon Morgan 05.02.16

Some interesting modern fiction and a smallish crime section. Paperbacks among the most expensive I have ever seen in an Oxfam Bookshop and one old biddy stomped off having examined a book muttering 'typical bloody Oxfam' which made me giggle rather. More evidence of the 'Collectablebooksitis' virus! Jonathan Morgan 13.11.17

Well stocked shop (while we were there 5 people donated books). Pricing erratic, some obviously based on highest internet prices yet hardback fiction including recent titles £1 each. HB 08.02.20

Oxfam Bookshop/SAFFRON WALDEN/14 George Street

Oxfam Bookshop Phone before travelling

14 George Street SAFFRON WALDEN CB10 1EQ

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tel: 01799 526017 e-mail web

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Oh dear! Am I really saying this? Ah well. This is a good Oxfam bookshop. The shelves are very well laid out and in categories. What was held 'out the back' for regular customers was of some quality. Crowded on my visit with books turning over rapidly. Chris Harte 08.10.13

Have to agree with Chris Harte here. Constantly changing stock and the staff are more about turnover and selling books rather than proving them so high that they sit on the shelves for months. Some real bargains to be had in books and elsewhere. I got the Solti CD set of the Marriage of Figaro - unplayed, for £6.00. Real quality stock reflecting the relative affluence of the area. Jon Morgan 05.11.15

Yes plenty of good stock. I found history a good feature. Very helpful staff. For new books a branch of Daunt (called Hart's) has just opened nearby. Herne 03.06.16

Spacious Oxfam outlet, very well laid out and looked after (maps are segregated not only by area but also scale - always the sign of a quality bookshop). Prices good by Oxfam's standards. WWAD as is the rest of this pleasant little market town. Steven Kelly 10.03.17

Excellent, fairly priced stock that changes regularly. Helpful, friendly staff is a bonus. Mandalay Bookshop 19.04.18

For Oxfam this is a real gem, interesting window displays tempt you in and pleasantly the books are in very good condition and sensibly priced. Stock is changed regularly an oasis in this desert region. Bazza 04.03.22

St. Helena Hospice Bookshop/FRINTON-ON-SEA/92 Connaught Avenue

The St. Helena Hospice Bookshop Open at advertised times

92 Connaught Avenue FRINTON-ON-SEA CO13 9PT

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tel: 01255 851755

Open: Monday - Saturday 10.00 - 4.00.

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Donated books, records and CD's.

Lovely selection considering everything is donated. Friendly staff are always willing to help or point something out if they know you're interested in a particular subject. Books are all very well priced, found a few gems! renn lii 17.01.11

Best charity bookshop I've been to. Well-organised. Small, but has a selection not seen in some small pro-shops. Sam Glen 04.08.11

Well run, friendly, reasonably priced charity bookshop on a busy high street. Asked about discount for quantity, but manager wasn't keen. Jeremy D 01.05.13

New premises are marvellous, modern and well organised. No trash. No tripping over. Prices reasonable. No significant profits for dealers. Worth a look if you're in the area. Sam Glen 12.09.13

Totally agree with Sam Glen - a nice shop that hasn't forgotten it's main aim is to raise funds for a hospice; it appears prices are kept reasonable to keep turnover swift (something Oxfam could learn from!). Chris M 10.09.14

Still a well stocked charity bookshop, lots of well priced fiction (from £1.50) and children’s (from 50p) Non fiction does not have the range it used to have and is more run of the mill charity shop, cookery, showbiz biog etc. The occasional interesting items have obviously been price checked and are on the high side. The ‘collectible’ books are overpriced. But we found a couple of interesting shipping titles. Always worth a browse if in the area HB 30.10.21

Secondhand and Antiquarian Bookshops in the UK and Republic of Ireland