Bookshops in North West/Cheshire

Abacus Books/ALTRINCHAM/24 Regent Road

Abacus Books Open at advertised times

24 Regent Road ALTRINCHAM WA14 1RP

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tel: 0161 928 5108 web

Open: Thursday - Saturday 10.30 - 4.30.

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Large general stock and arts, crafts and local history.

Although we tried very hard, we could find absolutely nothing of interest in this bookshop. While we where there a chap came in with a few books to sell and was told "we aren't buying at the moment" - which in book-speak means we aren't selling anything either. This is like a rest home for old books, and be assured, they won't be disturbed. Rosie Gamgee 21.11.13

The other comment is a little unfair; there is quite a lot to see here, though admittedly the small paperback fiction section has books that look like they've been here years, and the small sci-fi section is down near the floor behind the door, so you get in the way of anyone coming in. Elsewhere though are many hardbacks covering lots of subjects, a hardback literature and literary biography section that's worth a look. But yes, those paperbacks do need a bit revitalizing! Archy 14.07.16

Ridiculous prices on stock that had obviously been there for years. One of the few shops I have visited wheee I was not able to make a single purchase Archive61 04.10.21

Glad I ignored the previous comment, and paid a visit. Pleasantly surprised, to find a great selection of books, at reasonable prices. I came back with a good haul of art and illustration books - many in as new condition.

They seem to specialise in art, crafts and local history titles, with also a good selection of natural history. Most other interests also catered for I think. Nice to see a secondhand bookshop that welcomes families and kids. Bibliophile 06.02.22

Aldous Books/CHESTER/14 Godstall Lane

Aldous Books Open at advertised times

14 Godstall Lane CHESTER CH1 1LN

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Open: Open: Wednesday - Saturday 10.30 - 5.30, Sunday 11.00 - 4.00

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New branch of Aldous Books Liverpool

Alsager Book Emporium /ALSAGER/Hassall Road Methodist Church

Alsager Book Emporium Phone before travelling

Hassall Road Methodist Church ALSAGER ST7 2HE

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tel: 01270 625444 web

Open: Friday, Saturday and bank holidays, 10.00 - 2.00

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We have around 40,000 donated secondhand books on a variety of subjects. Proceeds to Englesea Brook Chapel & Museum.

Whatever you are looking for, this amazing bookshop probably has it. Half the space is given over to Christian books but there are also hundreds of biographies, books on trains, self help and health, history, poetry, humour, topography, art, and lo-o-a-d-s of fiction both classic and modern in paperback. This is the only bookshop I know with a working organ! Coffee/tea and biscuits are offered to refresh you as you browse. Oh and if that wasn't enough, the prices are set to sell with most fiction paperbacks at 50p and large hardback glossy art books at £2. Brilliant! Rosie Gamgee 10.03.18

Open on Fridays only at present from 10am until 2pm, though I believe they’re looking for volunteers to re-open on Saturdays again. It’s definitely worth visiting if you’re in the area. Martin R 28.07.21

Open on Saturdays, when they can. The profane books probably outnumber the sacred ones these days. Just outside at the back are tables with all manner of fiction/non-fiction in crates with a supply of carrier bags and a request to "Fill a bag for £2". In addition, storage areas were also being opened up but the stock within had not been sorted or priced up yet. Cheap but a lot better than the usual charity shop fodder. Came for a quick look but stayed an hour and came away with two bulging bags. Pity about the restricted opening times but it does rely on volunteers. Stive 10.10.21

Well-worthy of praise (pun not intended)! Christianity is heavily catered to, but absolutely stacks of everything else as well. Prices extremely reasonable, staff very friendly and helpful, WWAD! AHowl 23.03.25

Amblongus Books/CHESTER/19 Upper Northgate Street

Amblongus Books Open at advertised times

19 Upper Northgate Street CHESTER CH1 4EE

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tel: 01244 726360 e-mail

Open: Tuesday to Saturday 9 - 5.30

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Specialising in the visual arts; art, architecture, photography and design. Also books on nature, cookery, poetry, classic fiction and a number of general subjects. A small selection of children's books, and toys to occupy younger children while parents browse. 50p shelves and some free books always available.

Book Exchange/MACCLESFIELD/Unit 22, Indoor Market, Grosvenor Shopping Centre

The Book Exchange Open at advertised times

Unit 22, Indoor Market, Grosvenor Shopping Centre MACCLESFIELD SK11 6AR

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tel: 07460 786651 e-mail web

Open: Tuesday - Saturday 9.30 - 4.00

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Long-established second-hand book unit in the indoor market. Varied stock, mostly paperback novels, but also non-fiction.

A better stock than is usually found at such outlets. Although mass-market paperback fiction is here in abundance, there is a higher proportion of non-fiction than one might expect. Quite a good selection of books on military history, local history and sport. My only visit was a couple of years ago, when I was surprised by the quality of some of what was available here. The enthusiastic owner, Alan, has been selling books at this market for more than 20 years. Worth a look if you are visiting the town. Booker T 19.03.24

The indoor market is currently undergoing some refurbishment works. Despite a general notice saying traders are open for business as usual, the Book Exchange is closed while the works are ongoing. Jon R 01.02.25

Bookingham Palace/CHESTER/98 Northgate

Bookingham Palace Open at advertised times

98 Northgate CHESTER CH1 2HT

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tel: 07983 266136

Open: Monday - Saturday 08.00 - 5.00

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Sharing space with Vinyl Richie, this establishment has recently moved from the market to its own premises towards the top end of Northgate and a short walk across the road from Amblongus. The books could do with some some sorting but heartening to see another bookshop making a go of it in Chester. Mostly modern and classic fiction but a fair smattering of non-fiction around the shop. You might need to root around a little to find what you want.

Cavern Books/NANTWICH/Unit 1, Dagfields Craft and Antiques Centre, Crewe Road

Cavern Books Open at advertised times

Unit 1, Dagfields Craft and Antiques Centre, Crewe Road NANTWICH CW5 7LG

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tel: 01270 841594, mob: 0771 2046873 e-mail web

Open: Monday - Friday 11.30 - 5.00, Saturday - Sunday 10.00 - 5.00

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General secondhand books, and particularly railways, military and crime, postcards and ephemera. Also LPs & CDs. There are also numerous book shelves all around the massive buildings.

Brilliant, a really great variety of stock, something for everyone, and very reasonable prices. All books were neatly displayed, not one tatty spine or crumpled cover. Owner and the woman working in the shop were friendly, and most welcoming. Not an easy place to get to, but well worth the effort. The Wanderer 14.10.09

Excellent books and service. Amazing stock. Thanks for the First Edition Bond. We will be back. Wirralshrew 27.07.11

Well worth a visit, lots of stock in different subjects. Paul 05.11.11

Still there and still great, with fair prices and condition of books ranging from good to "oh wow, I am having that". The Wanderer 09.06.12

Definitely worth finding this place. Some quality books in here. And a very nice place as well with all the other shops. Gareth 12.07.12

The best second hand bookshop in the area. Reasonable prices, organised stock and an owner who knows his stuff. Always worth a visit. Rosie Gamgee 10.11.12

Probably the best selection of secondhand railway books in the country. Stocks always seem to be moving and so worth regular visits. Rik 16.02.13

This is an interesting and well run bookshop, with a cheery and helpful owner, but, as with a lot of places I visit, I did wonder whether a fair proportion of the stock was not really the sort thing that would sell under any circumstances. Outside in the arcade there were tables of paperbacks and popular coffee-table books that were suffering from the damp atmosphere, but the inside of the shop was well laid out and contained a good, general stock, particularly strong on transport and the countryside. There appeared to be a very good selection of old postcards, but the music section was somewhat muddled and inconsistently priced, and there were some areas of tired stock that needed a bit of attention. Depending on your speciality, it is probably worth a visit, but don't be disheartened if you have difficulty in finding it its well signposted but is quite a trek down country lanes and is a fair distance from Nantwich itself. Nicholas Pendower 12.02.14

This is one of the best antique centre bookshops I have been into for very many a day. A wonderful selection of subjects and huge holdings. I mentioned my collecting 'wants' to the most pleasant owner and he kept coming up trumps for me. Alas, I was dragged away by my wife after two hours but I will most certainly be back. Chris Harte 23.03.15

Not that hard to find - the antiques centre is well signposted. A veritable Aladdin's Cave once inside - something for everyone. Well signposted sections but I did find some strays in each section which did make browsing a bit hit and miss at times. Some stuff did seem a bit overpriced to me for what they were but still plenty at very reasonable prices too. Picked up 3 books for 11 quid and had a quid knocked off without asking. Very impressive shop and will definitely return. Flip M 18.12.15

Just over 18 months later and a return visit. All my previous comments still hold, although the silly pricing annoyed me more this time. More stock on the floor than I remember, shelves all full, some double stacked (incl stuff I saw in 2015, still at the same price). Still got a few quid off at checkout without asking but their stock would shift a lot quicker if the prices were keener (and they'd have more shelf space too perhaps). Flip M 10.08.17

I usually manage to come away from here with a good selection of books. Well worth a visit Archive61 04.10.21

Worth looking at if you are in the area. A lot of paperbacks in cases outside.Plenty of stock, mostly well arranged, in the shop but we did come across some mis-shelved. We thought the prices in some cases rather ambitious, books that we had paid a few pounds for elsewhere were marked up at £30 to £50. They also have a large stock of vinyl and cd's. David 24.10.21

It is always a pleasure to visit such superbly stocked premises. Both my wife and I took four hours to study the stock in depth and many treasures were found. The lady on duty (whose knowledge of books was quite stunning) has been trying to organise the categories to give more prominence to the titles. Harry, the owner, does slightly over-price his books but then offers a discount on purchases! My annual study of the shelves results my bank balance being sorely tested. Chris Harte 20.02.22

I really don't know where Harry gets his stock from. Nine months since my last visit and so many shelves refreshed. Rare titles galore. I spent too much. Chris 13.11.22

A bit of a TARDIS of a shop, containing much more than might appear at first glance. The staff were helpful in pointing us to our areas of interest and the place is crammed to the rafters. Has some of everything, including some interesting antique books. Modern paperbacks are mainly in the corridor outside, and are entirely alphabetical by author with no genre distinction which makes for some entertaining shelf-fellows. Prices are varied - modern paperbacks seem sensibly priced, but some older works and hardback non-fiction seemed rather optimistically high at times. HelenM 07.01.25

Copnal Books/CREWE/18 Meredith Street

Copnal Books Open at advertised times

18 Meredith Street CREWE CW1 2PW

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tel: 01270 580470 e-mail web

Open: Friday - Saturday 9.30 - 4.00

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Second-hand bookshop established in 1984, with more than 15,000 books on two floors. Specialities include theology and local history. Payment in cash only.

Only open two days a week, so hard to plan a visit. When I first visited I bought a pile of books. I visited again about a year later and didn’t look to have refreshed the stock Archive61 04.10.21

A little out of the way from the town centre on the corner of a largely residential street. Not a huge place, but it’s quality over quantity here and I found quite a few good titles and reasonably priced. Strong on military history, transport, literature, poetry. Note that it’s cash only here - the owner seemed to take pride in telling me they haven’t accepted cards since 2017. Jon R 01.02.25

There is quality here, as noted by Jon R, and the prices are generally fair. Overall, though, the stock is a couple of notches below outstanding. There is little that is genuinely exceptional and some sections are rather overpopulated with dated volumes of middling quality, but this is a solid, old-fashioned bookshop of some merit. On the ground floor, the fiction selection is excellent, with a very large choice of classic and literary novels (hardbacks and paperbacks are shelved together). Also a good stock of poetry, although the drama is rather less impressive. Welsh books feature prominently in the small foreign-language section. Quite a lot of vintage children's books, many of which are to be found in the "decorative covers" section (shrewd marketing) on the shelves by the door. The history, military and local history sections are good, as are the transport books, which are evenly divided between water, road and rail (six shelves of each). Excellent for books on the performing arts and quite good for literary criticism. Upstairs can be found the shop's main speciality: an extensive stock of theology, although the prices seemed slightly less reasonable than for other subjects. A large but rather stodgy science section, with books from a bygone era predominating. A varied selection of sports books of generally good quality. Average for art; slightly better for books on antiques and collectables. Quite good for natural history, travel and British topography. The biography section is excellent, with some low prices in evidence. This low-key shop, tucked away on a back street in an unattractive and investment-starved town, is now its fifth decade and should probably appear on more people's radar than it does. Its proprietor, Crewe historian Peter Ollerhead (now assisted by his daughter, Ruth) is 88 years old and very knowledgeable about books and the book trade. The shop is fairly quiet these days, but online sales keep the business ticking over. Although not much more than a five-minute walk from the shopping centre and the bus station, the shop is almost a half-hour trek from Crewe railway station, which is some distance south of the town. Booker T 02.02.25

Cover2Cover/NORTHWICH/Witton Street

Cover2Cover Open at advertised times

Witton Street NORTHWICH CW9 5AE

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Open: Tuesday - Saturday 10.00 - 4.00

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Opened April 2025 by Annie and Tim Olson with 'around 80 years of retail experience between them'. Small general stock with the motto 'Something for Everyone'.

Ichthus Christian Books/NORTHWICH/58 Station Road

Ichthus Christian Books Open at advertised times

58 Station Road NORTHWICH CW9 5RB

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tel: 01606 47767 e-mail

Open: Friday 10.00 - 4.00

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Christian bookshop with an extensive second-hand stock.

The shop opened as long ago as 1987, but for several decades it specialised in new books. In 2019 it underwent a metamorphosis as the proprietors, Peter and Sue, stopped ordering new stock in anticipation of their imminent retirement. But no buyer for the shop came forward and enthusiastic supporters began to donate large quantities of books in the hope of keeping the shelves full and the shop open. Eventually, the owners - unwilling to render the area devoid of a Christian bookshop - decided not to retire. From that point, Ichthus became predominantly a second-hand bookshop. Pre-owned books now make up 80% of the stock. There is a large and good-quality selection of theological books, devotional literature, books on Christian living and Biblical studies, with a particularly good stock of Bible commentaries from the libraries of retired clergymen, at very fair prices. The shop is now open on just one day each week, but for prospective customers who really cannot visit on a Friday, the owners are willing to open it at other times by prior arrangement. The shop is almost a mile from the town centre, but only a three-minute walk from Northwich railway station. Buses from Warrington (route 9), Weaverham (49) and Knutsford (89) stop at Hadfield Street, right by the premises. Booker T 03.02.25

JPs Box of Books/RUNCORN/The Box

JPs Box of Books Open at advertised times

The Box Runcorn Shopping City RUNCORN WA7 2EU

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tel: 07780 097595 e-mail web

Open: Monday - Saturday 9.00 - 5.00.

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A large selection of secondhand and antiquarian books - military, history, art, travel, sport, novels, biographies, children, show biz and film, transport, poetry, all at very competitive prices. This is a new business, café and free parking, we also have a selection of work by local artists.

Great little book shop with a various collection of books all good prices well worth a visit Angrwin 23.04.24

Magpie Books/MALPAS/3 The Cross, Church Street

Magpie Books Open at advertised times

3 The Cross, Church Street MALPAS SY14 8NU

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tel: 01948 861680 e-mail web

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

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Small shop with a varied second-hand stock, as well as new books.

Magpie Books was set up in 2022 by the poet and novelist Sian Hughes and her sister Ellen. The shop is quite small, but second-hand books make up a fair proportion of the stock. Children's books are an important speciality. Although closed for redecorating and renovation for much of the early part of this year, the shop reopened a few days ago. Malpas is a village in the south of Cheshire, near the borders with Shropshire and Wales. It is served by the 41 bus route (Chester-Whitchurch), which runs every two hours. Booker T 12.03.25

Oxfam Bookshop/ALTRINCHAM/86 George Street

Oxfam Bookshop Phone before travelling

86 George Street ALTRINCHAM WA14 1RF

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tel: 0161 9281877 web

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Excellent shop. Very reasonably priced books, mostly in very good to as new condition. Varied stock; small 'classics' and 'collectables'; fair sized crime section; some CDs and DVDs. Records too, though these are a little overpriced in my view. Archy 13.09.11

Great shop with a better than average selection of jazz records as well as the usual pop/rock in addition to the varied selection of books. Jazz 29.10.12

Oxfam bookshop rather than a charity shop that sells books among other stuff. Good selection of fiction, classics, crime, smaller selection of SF. Just round the corner from Abacus, so two bookshops can be visited in one trip. Some vinyl and DVDs too, but essentially a bookshop. Small, but worth a visit. No knick knacks! Archy 10.06.22

Oxfam Bookshop/KNUTSFORD/31 Princess Street

Oxfam Bookshop Phone before travelling

31 Princess Street KNUTSFORD WA16 6BW

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tel: 01565 650741 e-mail web

Open: Monday - Saturday 9.00 - 5.00, Sunday 11.00 - 3.00

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Small stock, overpriced, like all too many of the Oxfam shops nowadays. The Wanderer. 09.01.09

Poor small stock and even by Oxfam standards badly overpriced. Norman Davies 01.10.10

Closed all day on Saturday 1st February, with huge stacks of donated books dumped in the doorway. A note in the window warns that the shop is experiencing staffing shortages. A local resident broke off from peering into the deserted premises to inform me that unscheduled closures have become quite a frequent occurrence here. The shop is small, but this is a very affluent town and, judging by what I could see through the windows, the history section - the only one that I could half-examine from the pavement - seemed to have some really good stock. The shop is right in the town centre, about half a mile from Knutsford railway station (on the Mid-Cheshire line from Manchester/Stockport to Chester). Knutsford can also be reached by bus from Altrincham, Wilmslow and Macclesfield (88) and Northwich (89); both of these bus services run on Monday-Saturday only. Knutsford's claim to literary fame is of course Elizabeth Gaskell, so if visiting do not miss the very prominent Gaskell Memorial Tower - the design of which is not to everyone's taste - on nearby King Street. Mrs Gaskell's grave can be found in the grounds of Brook Street Unitarian Chapel. Booker T 02.02.25

Oxfam Bookshop/NANTWICH/21 Pepper Street

Oxfam Bookshop Open at advertised times

21 Pepper Street NANTWICH CW5 5AB

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tel: 01270 628569 e-mail web

Open: Monday - Saturday 9.30 - 5.00

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We hadn't visited this bookshop for about a year but have always bought a few books each time. Only found one on this occasion and the shelves were a little sparse in places. However it is well laid out, condition and prices good and is well worth visiting if in the area. Price wise better than a lot of Oxfam shops. There is a large car park a few minutes away, free after 3.00 pm. Nantwich is also blessed(?) with many other charity shops. David 24.10.21

A pretty typical Oxfam bookshop. Worth a call in whenever you're in town. Prices seemed sensible and a good variety of topics, although the shelves were a little bare in places. It was also freezing cold for some reason! HelenM 07.01.25

Oxfam Shop /MACCLESFIELD/74 Mill Street

Oxfam Shop Open at advertised times

74 Mill Street MACCLESFIELD SK11 6NH

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tel: 01625 429939 e-mail web

Open: Monday - Saturday 9.00 - 5.00.

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Some hundreds of books on display, fiction and non-fiction of all types.

Deserves a listing in your guide. Half of the shop is books, well lit, neat and clearly arranged. Includes a collectables section, and is obviously the baby of the shop manager or someone on the regular staff who loves books. S+S 30.01.17

The previous review from eight years ago (almost exactly) mentions half of the shop is given over to books. It’s more like 20% at best now - a small section of the back wall and along half of one other wall. The stock they had was of decent quality - some good hardback and paperback fiction and not too much of the dross that appears in most charity shops. But only worth a visit if you happen to be passing. Jon R 01.02.25

Oxfam/ALDERLEY EDGE/23 London Road

Oxfam

23 London Road ALDERLEY EDGE SK9 7JT

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tel: 01625 583 162 e-mail web

Open: Monday - Saturday 9.30 - 5.30, Sunday 11.00 - 4.00.

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Good selection of General secondhand books. Children's corner with table and chairs, and also sell music, cards and stationery.

This is not a bookshop. Yes, it has slightly more books (overpriced and not very interesting) than your average Oxfam shop, but it also sells bric-a-brac and clothes. The very loud pop music is enough to make you turn tail anyway! Nicholas Pendower 12.02.14

No longer just books - now also general secondhand goods & Oxfam own brand. Books perhaps 40% of shelf space. John Tomlinson 18.08.15

Oxfam/CHESTER/31/33 Frodsham Street

Oxfam

31/33 Frodsham Street CHESTER CH1 3JJ

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tel: 01244 319861 e-mail web

Open: Monday - Saturday 09.00 - 5.00, Sunday 11.00 - 4.00

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Double roomed premises split down the middle - room on the right houses books and is the size of a small Oxfam bookshop. Usual mix of books.

A smaller Oxfam bookshop. I've suffered from bibliomania all my life but escaped empty-handed, which is a rare event. Didn't see anything of interest. PLF 18.04.24

Tatton Park Book Shop/KNUTSFORD/Tatton Park

Tatton Park Book Shop Open at advertised times

Tatton Park KNUTSFORD WA16 6SG

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tel: 01625 374400 e-mail web

Open: Summer: 7 days 11.00 - 5.00; winter: Tuesday - Sunday 12.00 - 4.00

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Second-hand Book Shop managed and run by volunteers. All proceeds go towards the Tatton Park Charitable Trust which raises funds for special conservation projects. If coming by car, parking is £6.50 to to £9.50 (blue badge holders £4) - check website for changes.

A very small shop, but with stock of reasonable quality. There is a decent choice of fiction, predominantly mass/mid-market paperbacks, with some literary novels mixed in among them, and a small section of classics. The poetry stock is very limited, but contains a few interesting titles. For non-fiction, the only sections of significant size are history, travel, cookery and gardening. Smaller selections for natural history, military and health/wellbeing. Also a small section of vintage books and a good stock of children's books. Prices are low and the turnover brisk: the shop, which opened in September 2023, made more than £20,000 for conservation projects in its first year. Paperbacks are £2, hardbacks £3 and large hardbacks £4, with some books on racks outside just £1 each. Vintage books are £3 unless otherwise priced. For children's books, the prices are £1 (small), £2 (medium) and £3 (large). Pay by cash (change is available) or scan the QR code to pay by card. Entry to the parkland at Tatton Park is free for pedestrians, but from the entrance nearest to Knutsford town centre, it is a two-and-a-half-mile walk. But you get to saunter through a landscaped deer park with views of attractive lakes, majestic trees and grazing deer. Booker T 02.02.25

Secondhand and Antiquarian Bookshops in the UK and Republic of Ireland