Bookshops in London/NW Postcodes

Archive Bookstore/MARYLEBONE/83 Bell Street

Archive Bookstore Open at advertised times

83 Bell Street MARYLEBONE NW1 6TB

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tel: 020 7402 8212 web

Open: Monday - Saturday 11.00 - 6.00

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General stock of secondhand books with some antiquarian. Large stock of printed music, popular and classic (piano scores, piano duets and duos, chamber music, opera) Two floors of sought-after, selected titles in all subjects. Forecourt bargain stall of several hundred cheaper books and quality reductions.

This is a true old-fashioned London bookshop. Titles scattered everywhere with the helpful owner risking all for me as he kept climbing a ladder to get to books from the top shelves for me to examine. There could be treasures here yet to be found. Sensible prices. Chris Harte 27.06.09

A true secondhand bookshop. Almost impossible to get near the modern firsts even with the assistance of a stool but found a couple of nuggets at very reasonable prices. Very helpful owner and staff. Offered a cup of tea within minutes of entering the shop. I will return. Loyola 24.04.10

Rambling,crowded and friendly shop. The stock changes frequently and often includes gems at reasonable prices, although they may take some mountain climbing to get at. Helpful and knowledgeable owner who may offer a cup of tea or something stronger. James Salmon 16.03.11

I have been using this bookshop for years. The owner is charming and knowledgeable and I hardly ever leave without buying something wonderful and unusual. Don't ever close, please! Jane Jones 31.05.11

The basement is extraordinary, a must for musicians in London- music books and a piano to tinkle. Brian 29.05.15

It was nice to see this was still here but I have rarely bought anything in the shop as it is so chaotic which is off putting. I barely fitted down some of the alleyways. The basement appeared closed although it was being talked about by a visitor and the owner as it has apparently been referred to by Alan Rusbridger in his book on learning the piano. Can't really comment on the extent of the stock as it is, mostly, barely visible! Jon Morgan 06.06.15

To those who have their doubts about the undiluted merits of "progress" and are comfortable with nostalgia, Archive Books, situated in the heart of London, is a welcome oasis of traditional book-selling. It is rare for me to visit this shop without picking up at least one or two serendipitous books (sheet music is a particular strength). Close to unique, certainly in central London, with books crammed into every nook and cranny at very reasonable prices, not to mention the bargains outside, the shop is all the better for being old-fashioned, particularly for those who consider such bookshops an endangered species and its (nowadays) unusual character has even attracted the attention of Hollywood as a setting. Recommended. Richard Durkan 15.06.15

Quirky and unusual little bookshop Najeeya 14.06.18

This shop is definitely not for the faint-hearted. The squeeze-gut aisles and out-of-reach stock reminded me of Camilla's, in Eastbourne. However, it's worth persevering for some unusual titles in arts and photography at reasonable prices. The assistant was most welcoming and helpful - and offered a discount because this was my first visit. Nicholas Sack 18.01.20

The shop happily continues as it always did. Possibly the ground floor is currently a little more accessible, the basement (mainly music) less. The stock changes regularly but the type and quality and the chances of finding a long-sought gem remain. Adrian 16.07.21

Always a great selection, and even the half price boxes out front are always worth perusing. The owner and his assistant are great at finding the obscure title you are after. Mark the Bookseller 01.08.21

There are good things here but access to the shelves is difficult and I found today that even more of the stock around the fiction section is now buried under more recent arrivals. Imagine Camilla's in Eastbourne but restricted to the floor area of half a dozen phone boxes. Laurence Purcell 12.06.22

I have been coming to this bookstore for many years now, and I guarantee you will always receive a warm welcome, and possibly a cup of tea! You are encouraged to rummage around, and you will no doubt find something without really looking… The choice is huge, with many boxes that seem not to have been opened in a while! Do not hesitate to ask the staff - they will guide you towards the right section. I guarantee one visit will certainly not be enough!

The books that are piled up everywhere are the real charm of this bookstore. The selection of books is so comprehensive, that you are sure not to leave empty-handed. The sheet music section in particular has some real gems. Guy B 10.12.22

At present the shop is even fuller than usual. Downstairs has two new cabinets - you can get past if reasonably thin and agile! Some sections in my areas of interest are not currently accessible. But the positive side to this should be stressed; even if they block older stock, these piles are new acquisitions of similar quality, and long-sought wants are more than possible. Adrian 21.06.24

Books for Amnesty/KENTISHTOWN/308 Kentish Town Road

Books for Amnesty Open at advertised times

308 Kentish Town Road KENTISH TOWN NW5 2TH

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tel: 020 7428 0134 e-mail web

Open: Monday - Saturday 10.00 - 6.00, Sunday 12.00 - 4.00

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Just opened. Decent stock and decent prices. Little collectable at this stage. Peter Miller 12.08.19

There are only 10 Amnesty shops in the UK and I think only 3 in London. (The Blackheath Amnesty book sales are well worth going to) This is therefore welcome, both as another bookshop and for the important causes it supports.

This new shop is not huge but it manages to pack in quite a few subjects on its shelves. My main interest - modern fiction was well catered for and although not massive, the selection was of good quality and the prices are still sub-Oxfam (especially Bloomsbury Oxfam) although the nearby Oxfam bookshop about 5 minutes walk away is more reasonable than many.

I now have two reasons to go to Kentish Town. Jon Morgan 21.08.19

A mini version of the original Hammersmith branch and many of the books seemed familiar. Still, at least the prices are reasonable and the cause is to be recommended. Nicholas Greenwood 29.08.19

Stock here is a cut above Oxfam, a few minutes' walk away. Books are neatly categorised and shelved, and the arts section shows glimmers of promise. Close to Kentish Town Thameslink and Underground station. Nicholas Sack 15.02.20

Oh dear... prices have certainly risen here, I know it is for an excellent cause, but first the books need to sell! £6 for a secondhand paperback? The stock is average and nothing - apart from the overpriced book - was of any great interest. Firedrake 12.05.22

Not overly enthralled with the quality of stock available here and the pricing I found unconvincing. Amnesty usually does it for me. This shop was great for self-help, therapy, gender studies and all things LGBTQ+. Antiquarian it is not. SaltaireTom 07.05.23

The antiquarian & collectible shelves had a much better selection this time around in Kentish Town Road when I visited. A better & more balanced selection of things overall & I found a decent item. Good history, environment & children's sections. Experienced manager with good people skills training at the till. Excellent service from the volunteer. SaltaireTom 17.11.23

Now renamed “The Amnesty Bookshop”. The stock in most categories is at a minimum quite good, especially for history, politics, philosophy and the arts. Very good indeed for foreign-language books (there is also a children’s section for these, which is unusual). A decent selection of children’s books in English too. Fiction - both modern and classic - is well represented, as are travel books and those in the “mind, body and spirit” category. Prices are generally reasonable, although most of the plays and the poetry are perhaps overpriced. There is no need to qualify this assertion for the contents of the “collectable” shelves. Not only do many of the (generally dull) volumes therein appear to have been priced with ABE as the yardstick, but they are arranged by colour, which - to this customer, at least - is decidedly vexatious. That said, this is not at all a bad shop (and a significantly better one than the Oxfam bookshop down the road). Booker T 06.03.24

I went up here for the first time in many months and found the stock refreshed. Not a bad Modern fiction section. Crime quite light but a very good modern language esp. French, area. This time the various charity shops proved a fertile hunting ground and if it is your bag, the Mind shop had a largish collection of exhibition catalogues. Oxfam bookshop is worth a visit too. NB Kentish Town tube is still shut, but the overground there and at Kentish Town West are good alternatives. Firedrake 28.08.24

I've been here a few times and the stock is varied with a lot of what one might call "Posh North London Reading" Lots of self help, lots of Booker shortlist novels, lots of philosophy, lots of left wing books. I found the manager dismissively rude to a customer who'd brought a donation which he refused on the grounds it wasn't up to the standard he was looking for. misterg 07.05.25

Some bad news to report: this shop is facing closure later this year, together with the Amnesty bookshops at Hammersmith, Malvern and York. According to the charity, with overhead costs rising, these four shops are "operating at a sustained loss". The charity's online bookshop is also set to close.

A consultation on the proposed closures, which will involve job losses, is currently under way and ends in mid-July. At Kentish Town (and also at Hammersmith - see the TBG entry for that shop), the staff and volunteers have set up an online petition on the website change.org in a bid to persuade Amnesty to reconsider. They say that sales at the Kentish Town shop are increasing and that the figures Amnesty is using to justify its closure are not transparent and may relate to a period when footfall was hit by the protracted closure of Kentish Town tube station.

A link to the Kentish Town petition is here: https://www.change.org/p/save-our-amnesty-bookshop

Amnesty's portfolio of bookshops was recently depleted by the closure of the Norwich branch. The latest four closures, if confirmed, will reduce the number of Amnesty bookshops to just five: Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh and Newcastle. Booker T 15.06.25

Hellenic Bookservice/TUFNELL PARK/89 Fortess Road

Hellenic Bookservice Open at advertised times

89 Fortess Road TUFNELL PARK NW5 1AG

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tel: 020 7267 9499 e-mail web

Open: Monday - Friday 10.00 - 5.00, Saturday 10.00 - 4.00

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Specialist shop, established in 1966, with a huge stock of second-hand books in Latin and Ancient Greek, as well as on all aspects of classical civilisation. Also books in Modern Greek.

Although I studied Latin and Ancient Greek at school, I laid down my textbooks with some relief after passing O-Levels in both languages 45 years ago and I have never really felt the urge to pick them up again. If I were to revisit these subjects, however, this shop would probably be my first port of call. The ground floor is devoted to new books, but the basement contains a huge secondhand stock.

The main sections - all of which are very extensive indeed - are textbooks for the learning of both languages (some quite heavily annotated); works by Latin and Ancient Greek authors, major and minor; and books on Greek and Roman history and literature. But there are substantial selections on a wide array of related subjects, including Greek and Roman theatre; mythology and ancient religion; philosophy and oration; classical art, archaeology and architecture; theology and religious texts; Roman Britain; Byzantium and iconography; Athens, Troy and Sparta; Pompeii and Herculaneum; the Etruscans; the ancient Olympics; emperors, consuls and leaders; and Greek and Roman coinage. Also a small stock of antiquarian books.

There is a large choice on less scholarly topics, such as travel in modern-day Italy and Greece, as well as modern Greek fiction and children's books. Plenty of books on Cyprus too. The prices here are not unduly cheap, but are by no means unreasonable - and there are "bargain boxes" on the floor, containing books priced at just £1 (mainly works by Ancient Greek and Latin authors), which are genuinely good value. Hellenic Bookservice is a three-minute walk from Tufnell Park tube station and only slightly further from Kentish Town station, which is also served by Thameslink trains. It would be a mistake to dismiss this shop as solely the preserve of the narrowly academic. If you have even a passing interest in the classical world, it would be worth a visit. Booker T 01.04.25

Keith Fawkes/HAMPSTEAD/1-3 Flask Walk

Keith Fawkes Open at advertised times

1-3 Flask Walk HAMPSTEAD NW3 1HJ

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tel: 020 7435 0614

Open: Monday - Saturday 10.00 - 5.30, Sunday 12.00 - 6.00.

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Large, strangely organised, crammed and accessible by Thinipuffs only. However very helpful and knowledgeable manager compensates. A.N.Other

A packed little shop worth an hour of any bibliophile's time,with a cynical american owner who does a nice line in dry wit. Paintworks 08.07.10

Barely worth a visit. Barely a bookshop. Most of the place used as storage for the owner's house clearance business. (The 'cynical American' is not the owner and no longer works there.) Muggins 28.05.13

Some improvement Muggins 29.07.13

An unusable muddle. Dirty, disordered and staff without knowledge or interest. Don't go. Bookish Wanderer 21.08.14

Once upon a time this shop was about twice the size and one could move easily. Now the aisles are half blocked by boxes and furniture. There is some indication that the former space is being worked on and may be available for more books. At base the stock is not bad, simply inaccessible. It could be so much more ... NWAD. Jon Morgan 19.05.15

Yes, untidy messy stock all over the place but gems to be had and cheap too. Steve Newman 05.12.15

Committed to making 75% of its stock inaccessible; should be celebrated as a monument to aged English eccentricity in a profit-focused London (a fair deal of newish lit fic, how did they get through the frames to put them there?) T McGee 09.09.16

Once you have negotiated the piles of pseudo antiques on the footway to fight your way down the first aisle across piles of mouldy and dusty books on the floor, past unwashed glasses and empty bottles and cans (What goes on here after closing?) towards the till you turn and find that the other aisles are completely blocked by boxes, more empty bottles and general detritus to at least waist height. Short of hammering pitons into the ceiling there is no way to access these books and there may be some gems in there.If the owners are not going to run it as a bookshop, perhaps they could sell up and leave it to someone who will. Jonathan Morgan 17.06.17

Definitely not for the faint hearted. What a pity that boxes on the floor make the aisles all but inaccessible. Almost certainly there are gems lurking here - tantalisingly out of reach. Nicholas Sack 10.03.18

Shop still used as a store for the junk and bric-a-brac sold on the pavement. I did manage to squeeze past and find a book I wanted on those shelves still accessible, but there was no-one to pay. The junk-seller outside told me that though the door was open the shop was closed, presumably just at that time! Peter M 25.09.21

Visited yesterday, first for a long time. Nothing has changed really, only about 50% of the stock is viewable, presumably the bric-a-brac raises more revenue than the books.

Staff are friendly enough, but I found nothing on this visit and given the difficulty viewing stock will not be rushing back. Steve Newman 30.07.22

Visited for first time in 3 years and, as always, found a couple of books. Cluttered but worth a browse. H. Wessells 15.10.22

The shelves of my collecting area inaccessible due to furniture storage. Seems to be a theme here. Had an amiable chat but seller didn't seem concerned customer could not get to stock. A place for a rummage in passing only. SaltaireTom 18.10.22

This shop is NOT open at the advertised times. I don't know when it opens now, if it ever does.

Visited Saturday during the advertised times and yet again it was closed. The man who stores 'antiques' in the bookshop was there so I asked him. He gave me a rant about 'clever' people asking about the bookshop and then told me to "f**k off".

On that basis I'd advise everyone to avoid this shop. PeterM 18.03.23

Another frustrated visit. The shelf areas I need once again blocked with clutter. The owner likes to stand & chat on the doorstep and watch the street. Affable but can probably turn on a sixpence. Difficult to fathom this one out. Not inclined to return. SaltaireTom 07.05.23

Keith Fawkes runs a house clearance business. The sale of bric a brac and furniture from what was a bookshop now clearly takes preference. PeterM 05.06.23

I echo the comments of most previous reviewers, with the caveat that I have always found the owner and staff quite ETGOW, to use an old Drif term. A visit here is apt to be a frustrating experience as the long-standing encroachment of the owner’s house clearance activities tends to block the shop’s inner aisles and renders at least half of the books inaccessible, blocked from view by furniture, boxes and assorted junk. This is a shame as the stock is fairly solid and the pricing generally not excessively high. It is perhaps worth listing here the subject categories that are (in normal circumstances) accessible for viewing. The aisle one comes into upon entering the shop is rarely, if ever, blocked and here can be found 18th- & 19th-century fiction, crime fiction, Penguin paperbacks, books on London, nature, music (including many scores at present), sport, religion, architecture, psychology and philosophy, as well as children’s books and French-language fiction (a very good selection indeed in this last category), together with new acquisitions on art. Further into the shop, but fully accessible at the time of writing, is the main section of art books - which is pretty good in terms of quality - as well as drama. Most of the poetry (quite a decent choice) can also be reached at present. However, most of the general fiction and almost all of the history stock is no longer accessible, which is the usual state of affairs these days in this rather maddening shop. Booker T 17.02.24

Closed at noon on a Monday. Asked about it at the cafe opposite to be told that the opening times are "irregular." Chris 12.03.25

found it open on a Wednesday afternoon (it had been closed on 3 other visits in the previous week), ever more crowded, aisles inaccessible & books piled 4 feet high (spines in) in front of shelves, along with framed stuff from antique shop. Reminded me of the impossible upstairs library in a dysfunctional house in Ohio. One always finds something, of course, glad I stopped in H. Wessells 21.05.25

Kenwood Bookshop/HAMPSTEAD/Mansion Cottage (next to the Garden shop and Cafe), Hampstead Lane

Kenwood Bookshop Open at advertised times

Mansion Cottage (next to the Garden shop and Cafe), Hampstead Lane HAMPSTEAD NW3 7JR

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Open: Thursday - Sunday 12.00 - 4.00

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Single room of secondhand stock, on the Kenwood estate at the north of Hampstead Heath. No entry fees to visit.

Website claims open Saturdays and Sundays 10am - 4:30pm, but wasn't open till 11 am the Sunday I went. Single room, decent stock and reasonable prices. Easily accessible by public transport, no entry fees. 26.07.21

Highly erratic opening hours. Sign on door says from 10 am Fri -Sun, but another (last Sat) said "open today from 12". Travel in hope! After midday probably safest. PeterM 18.01.22

Now open from 12 midday not 11am. Prices were reasonable when they first opened, but they are now often very high. PeterM 20.02.23

They confirmed the current opening hours, can't say how well they observe them. Prices seem average for standard stock but they have succumbed to the "ebay price £X, our price £(a little less)" labels for things they think might be collectable, and seen on one or two quite shabby copies. Strong on art at the moment, and stock in general seemed better than usual donated-book standard, as befits its location. Adrian 19.08.23

Oxfam Books and Music/KENTISHTOWN/166 Kentish Town Road

Oxfam Books and Music Phone before travelling

166 Kentish Town Road KENTISH TOWN NW5 2AG

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tel: 020 7 2673560 web

Open: Monday - Friday 9.30 - 5.30, Saturday 9.30 - 4.30, Sunday 12.00 - 5.00

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Nothing that makes this particular Oxfam branch stand out from any of the others. Mandalay Bookshop 05.04.12

Decided to pay this shop another visit: at 11am on a Friday morning it was closed. Definitely won't bother again. Mandalay Emporium 11.09.12

One of the best Oxfam's in the area, knowledgeable manager, cheap prices, and the staffing problems that led to closures last year appear to be sorted. Steve Newman 08.02.14

Very tired stock that never seems to change. Their so-called "collectable/antiquarian" section is an overpriced joke. One of the worst of all the Oxfam Bookshops. Mandalay Bookshop 18.05.18

This store has been revamped to it looks like any other Oxfam Bookshop. Gone is the dingy carpet with its interesting eco-system and interesting stains and the overcrowded shelves with poor lighting and welcome to clean lines and a fairly decent stock mostly at the £2.99 level. The collectables section (sorry to harp on but it always amuses me) seems to reflect every other Oxfam shop. If the business thinks it can get these absurd prices for these books, then flog them in ABE - except that it can't as the prices are aspirational in the extreme. Now actually worth the trek to NW5 . Nearby charity shop not really worth a detour but the coffee / bakery shop was marvellous. (NB down escalator under repair so be prepared. Jonathan Morgan 15.09.18

A return visit (actually I have been back a couple of times this year) as I wanted to see the new Amnesty shop just up the road.

Apart from having a problem with drains, amusingly all the customers were glancing at each other with a 'Was that you?' sort of look.... this shop is so much lighter and better stocked than before.

They had had a huge donation of French comic books (Bandes Dessinées) and I spent far too much money , having been allowed out the back to view the haul - by a very nice French lady volunteer.

Now there are two reasons to visit Kentish Town on a book crawl . New bookshop opposite the Oxfam and a few charity shops none of which were of any interest book-wise. Jon Morgan 21.08.19

I had the distinct impression that anything of quality or value is diverted to the online store. Shelves are desperately short of attractive or inspiring titles. The Amnesty shop, a few minutes' walk away, is a better bet. Nicholas Sack 15.02.20

Good turnover, reasonable pricing in general. I find something good every second or third visit, i.e. most months. Unfortunately I've yet to find any gems or bargains in the nearby Amnesty shop despite regular visits. Peter M 01.10.21

Unlike Amnesty just up the road, I came away with six books at (for Oxfam) reasonable prices. There seems to be a quite a few US and Australian books / editions in here at the present. I suppose it is largely luck of the draw. I added two more from one of the local charity shops which are usually not worth the bother. 12.05.22

Bland & uninspiring stock, full of low grade strange, obscure & unloved shelf fillers. In this trip round mostly Oxfam shops in London I felt overall that poor stock quality was a constant backdrop to my visits...and that was even before I got to Bloomsbury branch. A feeling that surely in affluent London the donations coming in to charities can't be as bad as all that - but here it was. I left emptyhanded for a consolation coffee & cake on Kentish Town High Street. SaltaireTom 07.05.23

One of the fainter lights in Oxfam’s London constellation, this shop has been lacklustre for as long as I can recall. I was hoping to be surprised on the upside in today’s first visit for two years, but little has changed. Pricing is standard for Oxfam, but the stock is unremarkable, although there is a half-decent range of history and art books, as well as French-language fiction and an extensive selection of music scores. The antiquarian section always seems to be particularly dull here. Good-quality stock appears to elude this outlet. Perhaps, in an act of self-sacrifice, it is sent on to other, more favoured, Oxfam branches. Barring a long-overdue upturn in the quality of stock here, this branch is NWAD, but might be worth a quick look while visiting the nearby (and far superior) Amnesty Bookshop. Booker T 06.03.24

I found the modern fiction stock to be better than of late and bought 5. Languages and history are sparse. Prices are standard Oxfam. Local charity shops, whilst not having an extensive stock, can yield some gems. Firedrake 28.08.24

I suspect they sell more Tony's chocolate and greetings cards than books. It's consistently been one of the less inspiring of the Oxfam brand but with the same prices. Kentish Town Road is an eclectic community and one day may rise to match the local house prices but when Amnesty can curate such a good stock five minutes away, I've never understood why this Oxfam couldn't be a little better. Understocked, uninspiring. NWAD misterg 07.05.25

Oxfam Bookshop/CAMDEN TOWN/89 Camden High Street

Oxfam Bookshop Phone before travelling

89 Camden High Street CAMDEN TOWN NW1 7JL

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tel: 020 7387 4354 e-mail web

Open: Monday - Saturday 11.00 - 5.00

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One of the smaller Oxfam bookshops, opened in October 2024

I heard from another reviewer that the closed Oxfam shop in Camden High Street had a sign that it was to reopen as a bookshop. And as of two weeks ago, it has. This is in the non-trendy side of the High Street on the way to Mornington Crescent, but full of general shops including other charity shops. Now that Camden Lock Market has imploded as a source of anything old, after Walden and Boom cat Books it's worth going these few hundred yards past the station. Smaller than many Oxfam bookshops but with space to expand. Non-fiction seemed to be stronger than fiction, showing signs of holding one or two large donations, with strengths in odd specialities like social science research, bridge and golf. That of course is likely to change but while it's new there may be the odd unexpected item on the shelves. Adrian 08.10.24

Not the best Oxfam bookshop. There are signs of encroaching toot (smelly soaps, hand-knitted fair trade condoms etc) where books could be. That said, not too corporate almost as if the Oxfam hierarchy do not expect it to survive, and perhaps it won't.

It is a small shop with a 'dumb waiter' (can one say that these days?) from which books were being unloaded. Fiction was sparse and run of the mill. No separate language section but I noticed French (2 books) fiction was in with the English. Art looked quite good and other normal sections had, at most one or two shelves.

Pleasant, helpful staff, but very young - or perhaps I am just super, superannuated.

A glass counter held the usual 'old and interesting' stock and they were, frankly neither.

As Adrian has said this is nearer Mornington Crescent than Camden and not that far from Kentish Town. It would perhaps have made more sense to make one good bookshop out of the two. Nearby Charity shops are book deserts. Odd really as there are lots of studenty types around. firedrake 27.11.24

The last two times I passed it has been closed, and the phone wasn't answered today. I hope it hasn't closed already but must recommend ringing first. Adrian 14.04.25

Closed a third, or is it fourth time. It may have serious problems with staffing but I'm coming to the conclusion that it has already closed down. Will try to find out. TBG2 12.05.25

It has reopened after recruiting a new manager. TBG2 30.05.25

Oxfam Bookshop/HAMPSTEAD/45 Heath Street

Oxfam Bookshop Open at advertised times

45 Heath Street HAMPSTEAD NW3 6UA

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tel: 020 7 7943060 web

Open: Monday - Saturday 10.30 - 5.30, Sunday 10.30 - 5.00

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The usual Oxfam fare, suitably priced for the local affluent clientèle. Mandalay Bookshop 05.04.12

This little shop is, for an Oxfam Shop quite a gem. The books are not badly proved and varied. I picked up a signed Simon Hoggart volume for £3.99 and there is a good selection of holocaust literature and factual accounts. Some good translations of modern French stuff as well. Yes, it reflects the affluent donors but is not reflective of the original prices and I have seen much more expensive Oxfam stock/stores. Jon Morgan 19.05.15

Had not been here for a long time and will not bother again. Small shop, fairly expensive and staff, although friendly, seem to have little knowledge of their stock. Steve Newman 05.12.15

Tiny Oxfam outlet located conveniently opposite Hampstead Tube Station. Small general stock, not as expensive as might be expected but well within the parameters of Oxfam's sometimes ambitious pricing. I wonder if they manage to cover their location overheads? Steven Kelly 28.02.17

Some interesting recent fiction titles but the crime section is woeful. Not really worth the trek out to Hampstead. Especially as Fawkes is such a mess these days. Jonathan Morgan 17.06.17

Scope is limited by the rather small shop, yet the arts section is of a decent standard and contains a few titles out of the ordinary. The stock is neatly shelved and categorised throughout. Nicholas Sack 28.03.18

A return visit: shop remains admirably neat and tidy, and once again there are attractive and unusual titles in the arts section. I was heartened to see a Cartier-Bresson for only six quid, and my heart leapt at the new monograph from William Gedney. But oh, the price! More than what is charged for a new copy online ... Nicholas Sack 23.10.18

Small well organised shop with helpful staff. Nothing of interest for me so can not comment on pricing. But only a 5 minute walk from Keith Fawkes bric-a-brac stall/bookshop so worth checking out if in the area. Just down the road a rare Penfold Letter Box stands unused and allegedly preserved. Needs a bit of loving care and attention but a remarkable survivor from around 1870. Steve Newman 30.07.22

Located directly opposite exit of Hampstead tube station. Very handy. Well kept & ordered stock with some interest as you'd expect in literary Hampstead. Fairly small shop but WAD (worth a detour) as Driff used to say. SaltaireTom 18.10.22

A fairly small Oxfam but everything is well-presented on nicely categorised shelves. Half a wall of history titles. Pleasingly, the ratio of hardback to paperback fiction seems quite high here. Most hardbacks were priced at £3. Jon R 18.10.23

A happy visit. This Oxfam branch is maintaining a high standard of presentation and some decent & interesting items. Still worth the effort. The manager very focussed, engaged and helpful while at the same time training a volunteer on the till. If you need a coffee in the vicinity avoid at all cost the Ole & Steen branch a few doors down. SaltaireTom 17.11.23

I'm terribly sorry Tom but I cannot share your enthusiasm. I thought the stock was terribly twee and typically Hampstead. I saw nothing whatsoever which made me want to purchase. Nicely set out admittedly and a very tidy shop. However, I did leave muttering to myself. Chris 25.11.23

A surprisingly small Oxfam bookshop for such an affluent and literary area, although this probably reflects the startlingly high rents in NW3. Nicely laid-out. I have always thought this to be quite a good shop, and saw nothing today to make me change this view. It tends to have a fairly solid stock of literary fiction, literary biography, music, the arts, history, politics and foreign-language fiction - exactly the subject categories that one might expect the well-heeled burghers of Hampstead to donate in substantial quantities. Pricing of the general stock is fairly standard for Oxfam. The books on the “antiquarian” shelves are by and large not too expensive (and are generally of a rather higher calibre than their counterparts in most Oxfam shops), but many of those deemed to be of sufficient rarity to be placed in the lockable glass cabinets are significantly overpriced. Booker T 17.02.24

Over the last year or so this shop has moved away from it's 'twee' image (sociology, cod-psychology, knitting and mindfulness used to be over-represented) and has become more balanced.

However pricing has changed over the same time. While many prices are reasonable, there are startling examples of ridiculous overpricing. In one instance a book on display at £35 could be bought for exactly a tenth of that price online. Another priced at £40 could be bought new for half that. No-one seems to have noticed that the overpriced books are still on the shelf 6 months later.

Perhaps their new book pricer has been seconded from the Islington branch? PeterM 06.01.25

Walden Books/CAMDEN TOWN/38 Harmood Street

Walden Books Open at advertised times

38 Harmood Street CAMDEN TOWN NW1 8DP

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tel: 020 7267 8146 web

Open: Thursday -Sunday 10.30 - 6.00.

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Literature, art & general stock.

Very good for travel, art and history. Friendly and expert owner. Prices reasonable. James Salmon 21.08.09

Overpriced and the owner always pretty snotty to me; add that to the impossible parking and this is one I've crossed off my list. I feel it may be a different story if you look wealthy enough. Paintworks 08.07.10

One of the greats, worth a visit if only to enjoy to the creaky floorboards.Bargains outside if you like literature. Disagree with Paintworks who anyway should use public transport. Owner friendly even if you look skint. A friend in need is a friend in debt (John Cooper Clark). rickenbacher 10.08.13

Great little shop tucked away in a side street near Camden Market. Good stock and reasonable prices, but by no stretch of the imagination is it in Primrose Hill. Chalk Farm is the location, the long-closed LT Chalk Farm bus garage used to be opposite the shop! Steve Newman 05.12.15

Thanks Steve but the owner says he's in Camden Town, so I've changed the address to that. TGB 05.12.15

Attractively located in a residential street away from the tumult of Camden Town, this shop is reassuringly traditional with compact spaces and creaking floorboards. Strong on art and design, with some unusual photography titles. Friendly owner and fair prices. Nicholas Sack 15.03.16

Two years on from my last visit and I'm glad to report that this endearingly old-fashioned shop hasn't changed. I found a literary and photographic paean to Highgate and Hampstead, handsomely published in 1967, at a keen price. Well worth a detour from the hubbub of Camden Town. Nicholas Sack 28.03.18

One of the last proper second hand bookshops in London. The huge range of paperbacks packed on racks in front of the shop are exactly the kind that you don't see in charity shops. Good quality stock inside. You never know what you might find. Prices erratic, but never daft and sometimes low. Support this shop! Peter M 03.01.22

A remarkable shop. Reviewer Peter M is spot on-this shop needs supporting. The business is a rare survivor of what used to be common currency in the London & national second-hand book trade. That is a shop taking in selected stock only, and appealing to discerning buyers at a fair price. The shop has had one owner for decades who lives above the premises. I spent two hours here. It was equally an education and a buying experience and was such a pleasure. Located down a leafy suburban residential street it comes as a surprise. This characterful old shop with creaky wooden floors is five minutes walk from Chalk Farm tube. Two rooms & the back office and a huge area outside with paperbacks on trolleys held under the awning. No stairs. A very helpful member of staff. You will find a much higher proportion of earlier 19th C & 20th C books to browse here than most places. Every category held the potential for opportunity I felt and the prices were well considered and very reasonable. For second hand booky tourists this shop is easily combined with a visit to the Oxfam & Amnesty bookshops on Kentish Town Road about 10 minutes walk away. Also the excellent Owl new bookshop on the same street. Kentish Town Road is awash with coffee emporiums. Note Kentish Town tube is closed for refurbishment until late 2024 but the rail service there to KX/St Pancras is fine. SaltaireTom 17.11.23

Saltaire Tom visited four months ago. So how come our opinions are so different? I was singularly unimpressed. The person in charge (whose voice I recognised from a pre-visit telephone conversation) spent all of the time of my visit talking know-all gibberish with a customer whose whole object in life seemed to be to let people know how clever his knowledge of books happened to be. When I went to purchase, an open hand took my money while continuing a conversation. What was worse, for me, was getting back to base and finding Oxfam Bookshop price stickers on the rear of some of the books; and at prices cheaper than those I had actually paid. Chris 12.03.24

My first visit to this shop - it wasn't my intended destination but I happened to see a sign on the main road pointing me there and who among us can resist a sign with the word "Books" and an arrow? It's about 200 yards up a quiet road away from the chaos of Camden Lock (where I had intended to visit Boom Cat Books, but one look at the cheek by jowl crowds of tourists this Easter Sunday dissuaded me). My first somewhat cursory pass through the stock here left me feeling quite underwhelmed. But a closer inspection on my second pass revealed some real gems. There are nearly as many books outside the shop as inside - certainly not the usual couple of crates of dross a lot of shops put outside. Most subject areas seemed to be represented pretty well, but for me it was the quirky titles I found, including a couple of private press issues, that made this such a worthwhile visit. Jon R 20.04.25

Secondhand and Antiquarian Bookshops in the UK and Republic of Ireland