Secondhand and Antiquarian Bookshops in the UK and Republic of Ireland
News:
Dylans Mobile Bookstore has closed
Stella Books has merged with Rose's Books late of Hay-on-Wye, as Stella and Rose's Books
Abergavenny Flea Market no longer has regular book stalls
Serendipity of Chepstow closed in 2017
New Tenovus Cancer Care charity shop in Cardiff
Stephen's Bookshop Monmouth added
Capital Bookshop Cardiff has closed
New listing Inter Books Pontypridd
New shop Bardic Vintage Books Llantwit Major
New shop City Hospice Bookstore Cardiff
Open at advertised times
Phone before travelling
Appointment necessary
Status unknown, update requested
We do our best to make sure these details are correct and up-to-date. However we recommend that you contact bookshops before making a special journey.
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Bardic Vintage Books/LLANTWIT MAJOR/5 Church Street
Bardic Vintage Books
5 Church Street LLANTWIT MAJOR CF611SB
map
tel:
07546 275075 e-mail web 
Open: Wednesday - Saturday 10.00 - 5.00, Sunday 11.00 - 5.00
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An eclectic mix of vintage (and some new) books, antiquarian books, particular interests are in history, local history, mythological and Celtic literature and penguin green and oranges. Also vintage vinyl and local art & craft, and organises author events.
Bear Island/CARDIFF/Stalls 178-180
Bear Island
Stalls 178-180 Central Market CARDIFF CF10 1AU
map
tel:
02920 388631
Open: Monday - Saturday - 8.00 - 5.30.
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Very good range of stock, pretty good layout, reasonable prices. Found this by accident wandering round market, was one of the best bookshops in the city, well worth a visit. The Wanderer 30.10.09
Has possibly changed since the above review. Now all paperbacks with piles of SF and Commando magazines. NWAD. Chris Harte 19.11.12
Have visited for the last 7 years. A fair selection considering its size but doesn't have a lot of new stock or newer books. doesn't accept hardbacks. Candy 19.01.13
Chris Harte's review is accurate. I first visited this charming, quirky little bookstall in Cardiff Market back in 2005. I can confirm it has always sold just paperbacks, comics, romance and SF etc. Worth a visit, dependent on the visitor's interest. Richard 06.08.14
This is an old fashioned market which was a joy to wander around. The bookstall, of two units, was well set out with books tidily shelved. It was about 80% paperback fiction but also had a huge number of books about Cardiff. Chris 21.12.23
Situated within a booth on the ground floor of the wonderful old Victorian market in Cardiff city centre. A good selection of secondhand paperbacks, reasonably priced. This and the nearby Troutmark bookshop, in the Castle Arcade, are worth a visit if you are in Cardiff. Richard 05.03.24
Bijou Bookshop/CARDIFF/The Pumping Station Penarth Rd
Bijou Bookshop
The Pumping Station Penarth Rd CARDIFF CF11 8TT
map
tel:
07877 109128 e-mail web 
Open: Monday - Sunday 11.00 - 5.00
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Bijou Books specialise in antique and vintage books that cover from classics to history to general interest. We have a range of Folio Society books from the 1950s to the modern day, as well as rare books that date to the early 1800s. We are bookworms and want to share our passion with the world. We are small (and bijou) but we have hopefully a lot to offer too.
Book Station/ABERDARE/13 Duke Street
The Book Station
13 Duke Street ABERDARE CF44 7ED
map
Open: Monday - Tuesday. Thursday - Saturday, 9.30 - 2.00 but may vary
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Currently staffed by a volunteer.
Unfortunately, I went on a Wednesday, the day it is closed! Looks to be a fair amount of books inside, and alongside the Bus Station so very easy to find too. Steve Newman 12.08.19
The shop was staffed by a pleasant man who showed me round a cluttered shop. The stock is very strong on fiction which makes up about three-quarters of the shelf space. 'Celebrity' (sic) hardbacks abound and there is a good military section. There are a few children's books of which I purchased one along with an authors' yearbook (and only because it had my name in it). Chris Harte 14.08.21
Another visit. However, virtually the whole shop is now shelves and piles of paperback fiction. I counted less than twenty hardback books. Chris 06.05.23
Broadleaf Books /ABERGAVENNY/16 Monk Street
Broadleaf Books
16 Monk Street ABERGAVENNY NP7 5NP
map
tel:
01873 857127 e-mail web
Open: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday 10.00 - 4.00.
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About 10,000 books on local history, natural history and just plain history. Photography, architecture and art along with cooking and gardening as well as much more high quality interesting stock. Always welcome to visit in this historic market town. Books are bought as well as sold.
Broadleaf traded for over five years in Blaenafon and has now moved to Abergavenny. TBG 23.06.09
I was completely surprised today in Abergavenny to find a fantastic cookery section filled with classics, ethnographic cookbooks, food histories, natural and wild food, foraging - basically, so many gorgeous, interesting and well-priced books I had never seen. I could not resist buying three books, and wanted many more. I also left with a title in mind to look up on Amazon, and I told the proprietor this, and she so kindly found the best on-line price for me and matched it, so I bought a fourth one. AND she was really nice to my children who were embarrassingly misbehaved. Annie Levy 17.08.10
Finally found it. Superb shop with good quality books, extensive collections including for me Wales, Art and Biography. Great proprietor. Well worth a detour. Norman Davies 08.05.12
A bookshop as bookshops should be (with that classic book scent that can't be found anywhere else). One to lose yourself in and stumble upon something unexpected but wonderful, as has happened to me many times. Covering fact and fiction, new and old, and always a pleasure to venture into. Linus Harrison 18.07.12
A particularly good bookshop. Excellent stock at reasonable prices and attractively laid out. Parking nearby. Well worth a detour. The Drifter 14.08.13
As stated above, a charming lady owner who was only too willing to help me find books of my interests. A good local and regional section behind the front door otherwise a nice place for just browsing and finding the odd treasure. Chris Harte 28.08.13
What a knockout. 9/10. The Boxer 26.09.13
Over five years since my last report and I really enjoyed my time in the shop. Plenty of chatter but also space to check the holdings which were perfectly categorised. Chris Harte 23.11.18
It really is a pleasure to enter a shop in which everything is categorised in a tidy way for easy inspection. There is no speciality although I did mention during my visit that some scarce books on the shelves would walk if listed on the internet. The bargain section outside the shop contained two gems for me which I added to my other purchases. A pleasant way to spend an afternoon hour. Christopher Harte 18.09.21
Very much agree with Chris Harte's comments above. This smallish two-room shop is full of neatly arranged shelves covering a wide range of genres, including an interesting selection of Welsh and local interest titles. It was my bad luck to visit on a market day in the school holidays when traffic congestion seemed at its worst! Wessexman 12.04.22
City Hospice Bookstore/CARDIFF/23 Heol-y-Deri, Rhiwbina
City Hospice Bookstore
23 Heol-y-Deri, Rhiwbina CARDIFF CF14 6YF
map
tel:
02922 671431 web
Open: Monday - Saturday 9.30 - 4.30
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Charity bookshop selling second-hand stock, including Welsh-language books. Also sells records.
Formerly a general shop for the City Hospice, this became a bookshop in June 2023. It is about four miles north of the city centre, but only a short walk from Rhiwbina railway station. Booker T 04.05.24
Inter Books/PONTYPRIDD/5 Market Chambers, Market Street
Inter Books
5 Market Chambers, Market Street PONTYPRIDD CF37 2ST
map
tel:
01443 492555 e-mail
Open: Monday - Saturday 7.45 - 3.30
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Long-established seller, with 20,000 second-hand books in indoor market.
A very substantial stock, with specialities including classic literature, history, Welsh interest, science fiction, comics and graphic novels. Recently extended its presence in the market as the number of books became far too large for its existing units. For many years it was rather chaotic, with books piled up everywhere, but now is significantly more orderly. Booker T 31.03.24
Jeff Towns/SWANSEA/Dylans Bookstore (The Newton Bookroom)
Jeff Towns
Dylans Bookstore (The Newton Bookroom) 5 Summerland Lane Newton SWANSEA SA3 4UJ
map
tel:
01792 655255 e-mail web
Open: By appointment only
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We sell books on Art, Poetry, Literature, History & Travel. Specialising in Wales & Dylan Thomas.
Oxfam Bookshop/CARDIFF/36 St Mary Street
Oxfam Bookshop
36 St Mary Street CARDIFF CF10 1AD
map
tel:
029 20 222275 web
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General stock which must have been supplied from a central depot as all categories were uniform and just fitted into the right shelves. Nothing of value. Chris Harte 03.09.09
Regarding your reviewer's comments - I volunteer here and our books are not centrally sourced. We collect direct from donors' homes in Cardiff and only sell good quality books. marg.wat 04.09.09
I was surprised at the wide range of books and once you get away from the general paperbacks, prices were very reasonable. I actually liked the shop and even found the staff friendly. (now there is a novelty for me, praise for an Oxfam shop) The Wanderer 30.10.09
Suffers from Oxfam overpricing of good books but this is definitely a better than usual Oxfam with a much better selection of non-fiction than most. Norman Davies 08.05.12
Very overpriced and with little of interest. Not worth a detour. The Drifter 14.08.13
Gatekeeper. 1/10. The Boxer 17.09.13
Although I stick to my view of ten years ago about the books coming from a central depot what was on the shelves were well worthy of perusal. The books were well categorised and easy to reach. Prices were somewhat above the norm but this is a good Oxfam bookshop. Chris Harte 29.04.19
Little has changed from my previous report. Books are still neatly laid out on the shelves and the shop lighting is good enough to easily read the titles. Very general stock with nothing outstanding. Chris Harte 15.08.21
Another two year gap. This time the old/antique section had expanded and had some good books at most reasonable prices. Military was stronger than before, so was the Art section by the entrance door. The Jazz CD section had some very good items for sale. Chris 21.12.23
Oxfam Shop/SWANSEA/34 Castle Street
Oxfam Shop
34 Castle Street SWANSEA SA1 1HZ
map
tel:
01792 654710 web
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This was a surprise. Not only has it got a large section on local and regional interests but the antiquarian section, although not large, had a few decent publications on the shelves. I purchased two bags worth of nineteenth century books, a rarity for me from a charity outlet. Chris Harte 19.09.12
A good example of an Oxfam bookshop. Busy on the day I visited but one of the members of staff was still going the extra mile to help a customer find an obscure title. I do not have a complaint against the shop but it is a sad reflection that this is now the best secondhand bookshop in Swansea. Steven Whitehead 10.01.13
Two and a half years since my last visit and little has changed. Overpricing of stock is an understatement. Fortunately I could turn off my hearing-aid as the volume of the music (sic) being played was extremely high. Good Welsh stock, as should be expected, with the occasional little gem being noticed. I would have purchased a number of titles but why pay £9.95 for books available at 60p plus £1.80 postage on abebooks? Chris Harte 07.04.15
This is a bookshop which can one day produce nothing and the next is full of fascinating titles. The surrounding area is not conducive to intellectual life (it's mainly wine bars and nightclubs) but the titles available, very often on Welsh history, can be quite fascinating. You can take a gamble when visiting this charity shop: it could be bad or very good. Who knows! Chris Harte 15.08.21
Two years on from my previous comment and today's visit was startling. The quality of books was very high; many runs in collectables and a window full of Georges Simenon books which then overflowed onto an inside table. What was even more amazing were the shelves of decent 99p books, of which I grabbed quite a few. It's not too often I spend over an hour in an Oxfam shop. Chris 12.09.23
St. Mary_s Collectables/CHEPSTOW/23 St. Mary_s Street
St. Mary's Collectables
23 St. Mary's Street CHEPSTOW NP16 5EU
map
tel:
01291 622299 e-mail
Open: Monday - Saturday 9.00 - 5.00.
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Although this shop has much in the way of "collectables" it actually has a fairly large offering of books, many of which are of a surprisingly good quality. The shelves behind the entrance are floor to ceiling with local/regional history and culture books with another block of shelving displaying titles circa 1890-1920. It's worth a visit, as is the coffee shop next door. Chris Harte 04.08.10
It very much depends on what you call a large offering. I found a few interesting titles but it isn't worth making the long drive for a couple of bookshelves and a small handful of purchases. Nicholas Pendower 05.04.14
To me a standard antiques centre with nothing that jumped out at me. But good vintage postcard sellers. Norman Davies 08.04.17
Although mainly an antiques centre there are quite a number of bookshelves which, I was told, are stocked by a local dealer who works from home. For a shop such as this the quality and variety of the selection is quite good especially for rare local history booklets. Chris Harte 27.02.22
Stella and Rose_s Books/TINTERN/Monmouth Road
Stella and Rose's Books
Monmouth Road TINTERN NP16 6SE
map
tel:
01291 689755 e-mail web
Open: Monday - Sunday 10.00 - 4.00
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Stella Books has merged with Rose's Books late of Hay-on-Wye. A large stock of 30,000 books on all subjects, specialising in children's and illustrated, UK topography, railways and natural history. Currently online only, please check for reopening. Payment by card only.
A lovely bookshop in a superb setting. Quality titles all over the place and a visit is highly recommended. There is nothing to criticise regarding the shop itself although I do have considerable reservations about their on-line selling and the carelessness in book descriptions. Attention to detail is paramount and needs consideration. Chris Harte 19.04.11
Lovely location with distracting view of Tintern Abbey. Interesting stock sorted by budget. Books may all be on-line but browsing adds new interests. Simon Procter 14.05.11
If you are daft enough to pay these sort of prices then this is the place for you. The shop appears to act as a storage facility for their internet book selling business, which means that prices are well in excess of those you would expect to pay in any provincial bookshop (even the most expensive ones). This is not a place for the passing trade, and if you are thinking of making a special trip make sure that you've organised a bank loan before you go. After seeing their advertising I arrived in optimistic mood but left feeling annoyed that I had been hoodwinked into such a costly and time consuming drive. Nicholas Pendower 05.04.14
Large and attractive bookshop in a beautiful setting. Stock in very good condition. We thought the prices were a bit high. We did find something to buy but did not proceed with the sale as this shop does not accept cash. David 20.07.23
I fully agree with David's comments about this shop. Very well laid out with most if not all the books having plastic covers and in excellent condition as a result. However the prices in my subject, railways, were too rich for me. Some books were near or above the original published price. Not unusual for old books but these were relatively new books and may well be still obtainable from the publishers. I came away somewhat disappointed. Terry H 04.09.23
Stephen_s Bookshop/MONMOUTH/3 Church Street
Stephen's Bookshop
3 Church Street MONMOUTH NP25 3BX
map
tel:
01600 713701 e-mail
Open: Monday - Saturday 9.00 - 5.00, Sunday 10.00 to 4.00
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Bookshop selling both new and secondhand books. Fiction and non fiction.
Tenovus/CARDIFF/43 Whitchurch Road, Heath
Tenovus
43 Whitchurch Road, Heath CARDIFF CF14 3JN
map
tel:
02920 619976 web
Open: ring to check
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A charity shop of high standard: books are a notable proportion of stock - fiction, history, sport and biography feature. A small number of older, collectible/antiquarian upon request.
Troutmark Books/CARDIFF/39-43 Castle Arcade
Troutmark Books
39-43 Castle Arcade CARDIFF CF10 1BW
map
tel:
029 203 82814 e-mail web
Open: Monday - Saturday 10.00 - 5.15, Sunday 11.15 - 4.00
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Tucked just inside an arcade opposite Cardiff Castle, this is the largest (and I think the cosiest) second hand bookshop in Cardiff. Three floors offer a good coverage of all topics. Books are in good condition, well presented and include a good proportion of recent publications, Troutmark is especially strong on modern literature and dedicates its top floor to science fiction/ pulp magazines/ephemera and comics. George Marshall 26.02.09
Many books over three floors. Huge number of paperbacks; lots of science-fiction; boxes of magazines but very little material pre-1960. Good for the general reader. Chris Harte 03.09.09
Lovely shop, very well laid out and large stock. Sadly though I found them to be rather overpriced with very few affordable collectables. Should have listened to Chris Harte. The Wanderer 30.10.09
Great shop, with a top floor devoted to Sci-fi and comics. Reasonable prices. Iain Baille 22.11.10
I like this, it is a good old fashioned s/h bookshop with books crammed in but ordered. I found prices sensible. Norman Davies 08.05.12
A very large selection of books, well laid out and probably the largest second hand book shop in Cardiff. I looked everywhere for a copy of 'one flew over the cuckoos nest' and this was the only place I found a copy in stock and it was pretty much brand new. Candy 19.01.13
One of the best secondhand bookshops I have ever visited. A varied, neatly organised selection of books across three floors. Decent SF section (paperbacks and hardbacks) upstairs; many comics also. In my opinion this is the finest bookshop in Cardiff, by a mile! Richard 06.08.14
Yet again a Cardiff shop full of surprises. On first glance the shelves looked too neat and a bit boring, but time and patience proved my bonzana for in the basement on the very bottom shelves treasures abounded. I was pleasantly surprised at what I found; good quality titles which should have been given more prominence. The ice-cream parlour nearby is superb. Chris Harte 15.08.21
An interesting and well-stocked city centre shop where I could easily have spent more time than I had available. Wessexman 18.08.22
Excellent stock was how I felt about this shop after my visit. Everything was placed neatly on the shelves, with clear indications given as to subject. The first floor was my bonanza although the ground floor and basement offered the occasional gem. No specific area of interest stood out but well worthy of a visit. Chris 21.12.23
Troutmark/NEWPORT/5 Griffin Street
Troutmark
5 Griffin Street NEWPORT NP20 1GL
map
tel:
01637 216208 e-mail web
Open: Thursday - Saturday 10.00 - 4.00
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Now open at new Griffin St premises. Paperback fiction and some hardback non-fiction.
This market stall has closed-the market is being modernised. However a shop in the next street has been decorated in the Troutmark livery; it seems full of boxes of books, but is yet to open. Hafren 26.10.21
Thu-Sat only for the moment. Stive 22.06.22
Made a special Saturday journey to Newport to find the shop with its shutters down, an incomprehensible scrawled message on the door and with the metal gates closed and padlocked. With most of the other shops in the street appearing to be empty I wonder if this shop has gone the same way. Chris 25.03.23
