A Walking Tour of Nottingham’s Bookshops – from the oldest
to the newest
We begin at Jermy & Westerman.
Nottingham’s best second-hand bookshop was established in
1978. The shop, which also sells some new books, has been owned by Geoff &
Richard Blore (father and son) since 1987. The ground floor houses antiquarian
books of local relevance as well as a tearoom. As the stairs climb upwards, so
do their eclectic mix of books, which cover every wall and crevice. The shop was
one of the host venues for the Nottingham Poetry Festival 2017, with
performances from Nottingham poets Andrew Martin, Trevor Wright, Rosie Garner and
Henry Normal.
Head down Mansfield Road, to the Intu Victoria Centre.
Once inside the main thoroughfare, look ahead, diagonally right, and you'll notice a branch of WHSmith.
This store hosts celebrity appearances and book signings. All
its fiction, non-fiction and magazines are on the ground floor but for our next
stop you’ll need to take the escalator up a level.
Head along a little farther and seek out the Victoria Market, Nottingham’s
largest indoor market.
On the left hand side is Mary and Tony’s Books.
Victoria Market, Nottingham, NG1 3PS
Open: t.b.c.
Open: t.b.c.
In the middle of the last century D P Storey had a bookstall
on the old Nottingham market. Mr Storey is now 98 years old and,
unsurprisingly, retired, but his passion for bookselling has been inherited by
his daughter. Mary began working with him when she left school and still sells
books as one half of Mary & Tony's Books. They changed the name from D P
Storey to Mary and Tony’s as that’s how customers referred to them. These
friendly sellers of second-hand books (and the odd new book) are one of the few
survivors from the time the market moved to the Vicky Centre back in the mid-1970s.
 |
| Tony, one half of Tony and Mary's |
As you pass Argos, note that it was about here in 1826 that Susannah
Wright set up her first freethought bookstall, in what was then the Tradesmen's
Mart. After one week, she moved across to Goose Gate in Hockley, and that’s where we are
headed as we cross the road and cut through to Broad Street.
On the right is Rough Trade.
Website
Twitter @roughtradenottm
Open: Mon-Thurs 10am-10pm (Music Floor 8pm), Fri-Sat 10am-11pm (Music Floor 8pm), Sun 11am-10pm (Music Floor 7pm)
Twitter @roughtradenottm
Open: Mon-Thurs 10am-10pm (Music Floor 8pm), Fri-Sat 10am-11pm (Music Floor 8pm), Sun 11am-10pm (Music Floor 7pm)
The Nottingham branch of Rough Trade opened in 2014. More
associated with music, Rough Trade also sells new books and hosts literary
events, supporting local authors and poets alike.
At the end of Broad Street you might fancy turning left and
taking a look inside Bookwise.
Twitter @BookwiseNottm
Open: Mon-Sat 10am-5:30pm
Open: Mon-Sat 10am-5:30pm
Proceeds from this charity shop go to Music for Everyone, a
music-education charity which provides imaginative music participation opportunities
across Nottingham and the region. As the CDs are front of house you’ll find most
of the second-hand books upstairs.
There are more preloved books to be discovered at Oxfam.
16-22 Goose Gate, Nottingham, NG1 1FF
Open: Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sun 12-4pm
Open: Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sun 12-4pm
This stylish branch of Oxfam opened in 2009.
Up the hill we join Carlton Street. Carry on to Byron’s
green plaque then continue down Victoria Street.
At Bridlesmith Gate turn left. From here you’ll see
Nottingham’s largest bookshop, Waterstones.
This grand Victorian building fills five floors, a coffee
shop and a large events’ room.
From Waterstones take a walk down St Peter’s Gate.
On the left is St Peter’s Church which has a small Christian
bookshop at the entrance to a large coffee shop.
Open: Mon-Fri 10am-2:30pm
Move along to Wheeler Gate.
For over a century there was a bookshop on Wheeler Gate (1897-2005).
The once impressive store is now flats and a Sainsbury’s Express.
At the end of the street you might fancy a short trip up Friar
Lane to Forbidden Planet, if the comic, manga, anime, graphic-art forms of fantasy
are your bag.
Website
Open: Mon-Sat 9am-5:30pm, Sun 11:00am-4pm
Otherwise, continue up Beastmarket Hill and take the natural
left of Angel Row (if it’s a Thursday or Friday).
Opposite Central Library is West End Arcade, inside which
you’ll discover Books and Pieces.
Open: Thurs & Fri daytime.
It’s a small unit, rammed with thousands of used books.
Walking back towards the Old Market Square you’ll pass
Market Street on your left. Up here is Page 45.
Website
Twitter @PageFortyFive
Created in 1994, Page 45 sells comics and graphic novels, as
well as second-hand books. It’s an award-winning shop of which Neil Gaiman
said, “I’ve long thought that Page 45 is the best graphic novel shop I’ve ever
been to…”
Also on Market Street is Oxfam Books & Music.
After the delights of Market Street continue back along Low
Pavement, to the Nottingham Tourism Centre.
Open: Mon-Sat 9:30am-5:30pm
Another award-winning venue, the Tourism Centre stocks a
decent selection of books of local interest.
The Works has a good stock of new books with commercial
fiction and non-fiction at reasonable prices.
Next door is our final destination, Five Leaves Bookshop.
Radical and independent, Five Leaves opened their doors in
2013. They stock a good selection of new books with sections devoted to poetry,
beat writers, art, travel, anarchism, Jewish interest, LGBT issues, black history,
philosophy and spiritualism. The venue hosts book launches, poetry readings and
more with a busy programme of literary events. They even run their own mini-festival,
Bread and Roses.
Other City Centre
Bookshops
Bargain Book Time
12 Broadwalk, Broadmarsh, Nottingham, NG1 7LE
Open: Mon-Sat 9-5.30pm, Sun 10:30am-4:30pm
This store opened in 2010 and has a wide selection of new
books.
Ideas on Paper
A selection of magazines, journals, and books on fashion,
art, culture, design, business, economics, food, wine and travel. The shop
focuses on independent publications.
WHSmith
38 Listergate, Nottingham, NG1 7DD
Blackwells University Bookshop
Chaucer Building, Goldsmith St, Nottingham, NG1 5LT
More Notts Bookshops
The BOOKCASE
An award-winning independent bookshop situated in the heart
of Lowdham. This small but perfectly formed shop was founded in 1996.
Strays Newark
A family owned business that has been selling books in
Newark since 1994, specialising in books for children and young adults, they
also stock local titles, history, travel and literature.
Gladstone Books
Website
Open: Thurs-Fri mornings and afternoons, Sat morning.
About 3000 high quality books are on display, with good
selections of classical and modern fiction, history, poetry, essays,
biographies, local and natural history, gardening, various arts and crafts,
philosophy, theology, sociology, politics and reference books.
Beeston Bookshop
58 High Road, Beeston, Nottingham, NG9 2JQ
Beeston Bookshop is a long established 'remaindered'
bookshop selling discontinued books.
Book Law Publications
382 Carlton Hill, Carlton, Nottingham, NG4 1AJ
Established in 1987, they specialise in transport books,
which this family business also publishes.
The Mustard Seed
2 Main Road, Gedling, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG4 3HP
A Christian bookshop and tearoom, it’s been around for over
30 years.
Blackwells University Bookshop
University of Nottingham, Portland
Building, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD
Twitter @BlackwellsUofN
Blackwells University Bookshop
Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Campus, Clifton Lane,
Clifton, NG11 8NS
The Works
Caliver Books
Purveyors of military and historical books.
Bookworm
1 Spa Lane, Retford, Nottinghamshire, DN22 6EA
Oxfam Bookshop
12 Central Avenue, West Bridgford, Nottingham, NG2 5GR
Bookwise, Newark
Church Street, Newark, Nottinghamshire, NG24 1DT
Open: Mon-Sat 9:30am-4:30pm.
Open: Mon-Sat 9:30am-4:30pm.
Bookwise, Southwell
2 Queen Street, Southwell, NG25 0AA
Open: Mon-Sat 9:30am-4:30pm.
Open: Mon-Sat 9:30am-4:30pm.
WHSmith
54 Bridge Place, Worksop, S80 1JN
WHSmith
Four Seasons Shopping Centre, Mansfield, NG18 1SN
WHSmith
24-26 Front Street, Arnold, NG5 7EL
WHSmith
Kingsmill Hospital, Mansfield Road, Sutton-In-Ashfield, NG17
4JL
WHSmith
Market Place, Newark
WHSmith
55 High Street, Long Eaton, Nottingham, NG10 1HZ
WHSmith
25 High Road, Beeston, Nottingham NG9 2JQ
Oxfam
142 Front Street, Arnold, Nottingham, NG5 7EG
Oxfam
25 Plains Road, Mapperley, Nottingham, NG3 5LG
Oxfam
650 Mansfield Road, Sherwood, Nottingham, NG5 2GA
Oxfam
58 High Road, Beeston, Nottingham, NG9 2JP
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