10 Memorable Bath Bookshops to Put on your Bucket List
If you’re a book lover who’s planning or considering a trip to Bath, England, you don’t want to miss these amazing bookstores.
Bath has some of the best bookshops in the world, and that’s saying something coming from a literary travel expert who literally makes it her mission to find the world’s best bookstores and literary destinations. Astonishingly enough, there’s more than one indie bookshop in Bath that I can say is completely unlike any I’ve ever visited.
If you’re looking for where to find second hand bookstores in Bath, new bookstores, chains, charity shops, indies, and everything in between, I’ll spill the tea on all of it. In this post, I’ll tell you all about where to find the best bargains and where you are most likely to have a really unique bookshop experience.
Because if you visit Bath without going into at least some of these bookstores, what are you even doing there??
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Whenever possible, I recommend buying books at local bookshops or through Bookshop.org, because shopping there puts the profits right into the hands of indie bookstores all over the country.
Persephone Books
14-15 John St, Bath BA1 2JL
I could gush about Persephone Books all day long, but I’ll try to be succinct here and say that Persephone is SO MUCH MORE than a bookstore — it’s also a publishing house that specializes in reprinting “neglected fiction and non-fiction,” especially by female writers.
That’s right, because for every Jane Austen, there’s a hundred other female writers who have faded into obscurity, despite being equally as worthy of being read and celebrated. Through an infinite variety of avenues, the people at Persephone Books hunt down forgotten literature to reprint in their own unique editions — and they are gorgeous!
That’s the other thing we need to talk about with this truly unique Bath bookshop — the aesthetics. Persephone Books prints their books in an unmistakable style. Their book exteriors are all the same, minimalist gray. But once you open them up, each book has its own unique and GORGEOUS endpaper, each with its own bright and colorful pattern.
Let me tell you, the effect is stunning. I wanted to buy all of them, because no two are alike. And because they know you’re going to swoon over the endpapers, they also sell the endpaper patterns as pillow covers, wrapping paper, and even matching bookmarks.
At the time of writing, Persephone has released 151 titles, including novels, memoirs, poetry collections, and non-fiction books, plus their own short story collections.
All of their books are sold for £15 and can also be ordered online and at a select number of bookstores in addition to their in-person location in Bath. Book lovers, be warned: if you visit this bookshop you will want to give them ALLL of your money.
Tip: Not sure where to start your collection? (it’s hard to choose!) Check out their list of recommendations based on what you want to read.
Skoobs Books
40 – 42 Guildhall Market, Bath BA2 4AW
Skoobs is a Bath bookstore that’s definitely worth checking out while you’re in town. It’s a little tricky to find, as it’s one of about 20 vendors located inside the historic Guildhall Marketplace.
Once you find one of the Guildhall Marketplace entrances, weave your way through the variety of food shops, soap vendors, and knick knack displays until you find the massive stalls filled to overflowing with secondhand paperback books. Yes, it’s all secondhand, and it’s all paperbacks.
There are lots of genres available here with tons of titles, and the organizational structure lends itself to lots of digging. So you’ll want to leave yourself a decent amount of time to browse this deceptively small shop with a lot to offer.
One of the best parts? The prices! All the paperbacks I looked at here were sold for about £3 apiece, so you could really end up with some great steals.
Related: One literary destination you should add to your day in Bath is the House of Frankenstein, a Mary Shelley Museum dedicated to the writer, who finished her most famous novel while living here.
Mr. B’s Emporium
14-15 John St, Bath BA1 2JL
If you’re a book lover who keeps up with the best indie bookshops in the world, then you’ve probably heard of Mr. B’s Emporium in Bath. Since this remarkable indie bookshop opened in 2006, it has become a staple not just within Bath but in the larger UK book scene.
Mr. B’s has won the UK’s Best Indie Bookshop prize twice already, and it’s becoming a world famous destination bookshop, independent of the many things to do in Bath for book lovers. That’s quite a feat. I’d heard a lot about it before my visit, so expectations were high, but Mr. B’s exceeded them all.
So, what makes Mr. B’s so special? Where to begin.
There’s the sheer size of it — it’s a massive store covering multiple levels and seemingly endless rooms, all themed and beautifully decorated to inspire the imagination and make you want to linger forever. But it’s more than that — Mr. B’s is a bookshop that’s so obviously run by people who love books.
That’s evident in the extensive staff recommendations throughout the shop and the carefully curated displays. It’s obvious from their wonderful email newsletter and how they highlight what genre each of their employees specializes in, allowing each of them opportunities to give recommendations in their own genre.
But Mr. B’s has really taken what an indie bookshop can to do a new level, doing bookish things I’ve not seen any other store do. Let’s talk about some of those custom offerings.
Mr. B’s Reading Spa Experience
This is arguably the offering that made Mr. B’s Emporium so famous in the first place. The “reading spa” experience at Mr. B’s is beloved by book lovers. For £95, you’ll get to relax in the bookshop’s gorgeous “bibliotherapy room” shown above and enjoy tea and cake with your designated “bibliotherapist.”
You’ll get to have a no-stress chat with your bibliotherapist about what you like to read, books you’ve loved, and other readerly topics, and then your bibliotherapist will personally select books they believe you will love. You’ll get to choose from those and end up going home with £60 worth of books chosen especially for you.
The reading spa is such an in-demand service that you’ll have to plan way, way ahead if you want to participate. When I reached out in October, they were already fully booked through the following July!
Monthly Subscriptions
Lots of independent bookshops offer monthly subscription services (and I think it’s one of the best gifts you can give a book lover), but Mr. B’s takes this to the next level, too. It’s actually kind of a mini reading spa, done from a distance (BYO tea and cake, if you will).
When you sign up for Mr. B’s subscriptions, you are also assigned a personal bibliotherapist. You fill out your reading preferences online or pop by the shop in person, and your books each month are personally chosen for you.
All in all, I’d say Mr. B’s Emporium is one Bath bookshop that completely merits the hype. I hope that all devoted bookworms and bookshop travelers will get to experience its unique kind of magic.
Related: Any Jane Austen fans in Bath will not want to miss out on the Jane Austen Centre. Check out my complete guide to learn what to expect from your visit and tips for making the most of it.
Topping & Co.
York St, Bath BA1 1NG
Topping & Company is one of my favorite UK bookshops. It’s actually a small chain of indie bookshops, and I’ve had the good fortune to explore 3 out of their current 4 locations (the Topping & Co in Edinburgh was one of my favorites in the city!).
Topping & Co. has been open in Bath since 2007, though it recently moved from its location on Paragon to a beautiful Georgian building on York Street, right across from Bath Abbey. They took over the former Friends Meeting House, a building that encapsulates the famous Bath Georgian architecture, columns and all.
They moved to have more space, and the new location is arrestingly enormous. They even claim to have more bookshelf space at this location than at any other indie bookshop in the UK, with more than 75,000 books in stock.
One of my favorite things about Topping & Co, and the Bath location is no exception, is they tend to carry more author-signed copies than any other bookstore I’ve ever visited. They are conveniently marked as such by a paper band across the cover, and it’s not just the latest bestsellers you can find signed.
I checked throughout the many genres in this extensive Bath bookshop and saw author copies in every genre.
Topping & Co. is also known for its rolling bookshelf ladders (iykyk) and their offer of complimentary tea and coffee you can enjoy while you’re browsing (though I’ve always been too shy to ask).
Book lovers, definitely don’t plan a Bath itinerary without allotting yourself a decent amount of browsing time at this really special bookshop.
Beaufort Bookshop
1 Beaufort Pl, Bath BA1 6RP
You’ll have to journey a little outside the city center to get to this particular Bath bookshop, but those who do are well rewarded for their efforts. Beaufort Bookshop is everything a village bookshop should be, stocked full of secondhand books amidst vintage art pieces.
They focus on carrying titles that are less likely to be found in larger, chain stores, so it’s a great place to discover lesser-known books. Perhaps that’s because it’s owned and operated by a former English teacher and Head of English, and a handful of volunteers.
Actually, you might even find that owner, Dr. James Thomas, tutoring kids in English at the shop.
To get here, you’ll need to take a 13-minute walk or a short bus ride to the vibrant Larkhall neighborhood outside the center of Bath.
Related: Beaufort Bookshop reminds me a bit of some of the charming indie bookshops in Manchester, England, about a 4-hour train ride from Bath.
Waterstones
4-5 Milsom St, Bath BA1 1DA
Waterstone’s may not be an indie bookshop, but it’s a British chain bookstore staple nonetheless. It was actually recently acquired by the owners of Barnes & Noble, so the feel of Waterstone’s should feel pretty familiar to bookish travelers from the US.
As with other Waterstone’s locations, there’s tons of new books to discover here as well as lots of bookish gifts and merchandise. Keep an eye out for the sales tables (you can often find lots of “buy one get one half off” tables or other similar deals).
Waterstone’s Bath is located right in the heart of the city, and it is involved in the local literary community, supporting both the Bath Literature Festival and the Children’s Literature Festival.
When you’re done browsing, you can also stop to relax at the bookshop café that’s a trademark of this UK chain.
Related: There’s a really gorgeous Waterstone’s in Lewes, UK, centrally located and with a café that offers outside seating ideal for people watching.
Bath Old Books
9C Margaret’s Buildings, Bath BA1 2LP
Hike a little ways up a hill lined with Georgian shopfronts, and you are rewarded with the inviting, vibrant red exterior of Bath Old Books.
As its name suggests, this is THE place in Bath to find rare and antiquarian books. There’s everything from leatherbound, 19th century novels to rare first editions, to vintage copies of titles from the last century. There’s two floors to explore in this bookshop, and you may just find some hidden gems.
Interestingly, there’s a large selection of vintage travel books, if that’s of interest, as well as some antique maps and prints. There’s also a dedicated section toward the front of the shop for Jane Austen books and related titles, a nod to the many Jane Austen sights in Bath that attract tourists each year. You might just find a cute, used copy of one of her novels to keep as a souvenir, particularly if nothing caught your fancy in the Jane Austen Centre museum shop.
Bath’s Charity Bookshops
In addition to the many amazing indie bookshops in Bath, there are also lots of places to get books on the cheap — namely, at several charity bookshops in town. These all sell donated books, so you never know what you’ll get in terms of variety, but you know you’ll a great deal, all while supporting a local charity.
Dorothy House Bookshop
37 Broad St, Bath BA1 5LP
Dorothy House Bookshop on Broad Street is one several charity bookshops worth visiting in Bath. This particular shop supports Dorothy House, a registered charity that provides free, palliative and end of life care to adults with incurable illnesses as well as psychological support for their carers.
At this bookshop, you will likely find a great bargain on secondhand books. Most paperbacks are priced at only £2.50, and hardcovers for £3. Kids books are mostly priced around £2.50, and there are also some individually priced antiquarian and vintage books.
Oxfam Bookshop
4, 5 Lower Borough Walls, Bath BA1 1QR
Oxfam bookshops are well-known and widespread charity bookshops in the UK. They sell a wide selection of secondhand, donated paperbacks and hardbacks in a variety of genres, all priced pretty affordably. You even have a good chance of finding some newer releases someone was offloading.
Purchases at Oxfam help support a variety of local charities; they work with over 2,000 local charity organizations as well as a selection of international NGOs.
Mercy In Action
22-24 Union Passage, Bath BA1 1RD
Mercy in Action is another Bath charity shop where you can find secondhand books for sale. This one does not exclusively sell books, unlike the others on the list. It’s a “boutique charity shop” that sells a curated selection of secondhand clothes, accessories, decor, books, and other items.
There is a notable collection of secondhand books for sale, too, though you may not realize it from its exterior. The books are priced inexpensively, between £1-3.
Their charity is dedicated to fighting poverty, injustice, and homelessness and focuses on providing services to children and families.
Well, that wraps up this comprehensive look at the best bookshops in Bath. I’ve included a selection of well-priced second hand bookshops in Bath, indie stores, and even some UK chains. There’s really so much to entertain and delight bookworms visiting this unique British town.
Don’t forget to pin this post so you can reference it when planning your Bath itinerary.
