| Bijou Nearly New 
Hesleden Road
Blackhall Colliery
HARTLEPOOL County Durham TS27 4EP map
tel: 07779 043330
Open: Monday - Friday 9.00 -3.00,closed Wednesday, Saturday 10.00 - 12.00
Small but interesting stock of secondhand books. Donations always accepted (book recycling we call it !)
A modern day 'Old Curiosity Shop' with lots more to buy besides books, retro and new. Lovely friendly helpful owner. Well worth visiting ! - Angela 06.12.12.
Bondgate Books
50 Fore Bondgate
BISHOP AUCKLAND County Durham DL14 7PE map
tel: 01388 665516
Open: Monday - Saturday 10.00 - 5.00.
Rather disorganised but a good stock of fiction both paperback and hardback, and particularly, science friction. There are also sections on biography, childrens and a few DVDs. Worth a visit but not a detour. - Geoff Martin 19.05.09.
I called today at 10.30 and they were shut so times can be erratic I suspect .- Geoff Martin 27.07.09.
As a regular visitor to this shop I feel your previous reviewer downplays it somewhat.A really good stock of fiction, non fiction, collectables and speciality books. Now has a book binding facility, and music selection is being introduced. Hidden jewel. - John Crick 16.03.11.
Rather on its own in this area, this shop is somewhat scruffy and a bit of a jumble. While there are a few good things to be had, some of the prices, particularly for Bishop Auckland, are a little on the optimistic side. Not really worth a special trip. - Nicholas Pendower 14.08.12.
Absolutely astounded at the prices of some potboilers in my preferred areas of interest. Always come away empty handed, sadly. - Anthony 27.10.12.
Book Aid
5 Galgate
BARNARD CASTLE County Durham DL12 8EQ map
tel: 01833 630209
Open: Monday - Saturday 10.00 - 4.00.
Charity bookshop devoted to theology and allied subjects.
It sounds like a charity shop but actually turns out to be a small Christian bookshop. - Jeremy Briggs.
Seems to be well run and organised, but it is exactly what it says it is and has nothing for the general reader or collector. - Nicholas Pendower 14.08.12.
Curlews
11-13 Market Place
BARNARD CASTLE County Durham DL12 8NF map
tel: 01833 630455
Open: Monday - Saturday 10.00 - 4.30.
General secondhand bookshop.
Medium sized shop with stock in the main shop and nearly as much again housed in a back room located out the side door and down the side alley. Nevertheless an interesting selection of books with some remaindered titles in a friendly shop. - Jeremy Briggs.
What a delightful find. Head and shoulders above anything else in the area, being well run with books sensibly and realistically priced. Charming and helpful owner. - Nicholas Pendower 14.08.12.
Darlington Lion Club Bookshop
Houndgate Mews Arcade
Blackwellgate
DARLINGTON County Durham DL1 5HG map
tel: 07504 429 635 e-mail web
Open: Monday & Thursday - Saturday 10.00 - 4.00.
Situated in Blackwellgate between Boyes & Guru We have a vast selection of good quality paperback & hardback fiction and non fiction books devoted to biographies, mysteries, cookery, sport, gardening, health, science fiction. Classics, children's books and many more topics. All books are donated & all proceeds go to charity. Please visit our website.
JN Vokes
61 Coniscliffe Road
DARLINGTON County Durham DL3 7EH map
tel: 01325 469449
Open: Monday - Saturday 9.30 - 5.00.
20,000 titles including books about North East England, the arts and topography.
Smart, bright, well laid out, medium sized shop just off the town centre, with a friendly welcome and a good selection of books. - Jeremy Briggs.
Awkward to find but well worth the effort. The holdings on the North East are superb and account for most of the quality stock. Plenty of other titles which are fairly average. - Chris Harte 13.10.09.
As a regular patron of this excellent shop, I am in a good position to comment. The books are in well above average condition. If there is a problem Jeremiah will tell you about it. The service is friendly and the shop is well kept. - Mark Hemming 12.10.11.
John Turton 
83 High Street
Willington
CROOK County Durham DL15 0PE map
tel: 01388 747600
Open: By appointment only.
General stock in shop, specialist stock of antiquarian, bindings, ecclesiastical history and architecture can be viewed by arrangement.
This really is the ultimate in Aladdin's Cave. Search for hours in the dim light and you will be rewarded. Allegedly has a warehouse full of books I collect but I am always told that I have called at the wrong time. - Chris Harte 14.04.09.
Best bookshop in North east - if only it wasn't so far from anywhere. As soon as you enter - that special smell of quality old books... priced fairly as well considering just how interesting the books are. Really WAD - Paul P 11.05.10.
I strongly advise checking some days in advance that the shop will be open. I turned up on a Friday within the stated opening hours to find the shop locked. There was no reply to the phone. This is hardly a novel experience in visiting out of the way bookshops but it's always an annoying one. There were few other reasons for visiting Willington that I could see. - Laurence Purcell 30.09.10.
This shop is no longer open at anytime, but if you ring they will arrange to let you view. - Geoff Martin 19.03.13.
More Good Books
Bookstall
Victorian Market Hall
DARLINGTON County Durham
Open: Monday - Saturday 8.00 - 5.00.
This is a bookshop using two of the units in the Darlington Indoor Market in the Victorian Market Hall, right in the town centre. It has a medium sized selection of books covering general topics and a big selection of female fiction. - Jeremy Briggs.
Oxfam Books and Music
12 Elvet Bridge
DURHAM County Durham DH1 3AA map
tel: 0191 384 6366
Open: Monday Saturday 10 - 5.30, Sunday 11.30 - 4.30.
Large and well-stocked. - Thomas Krebs.
The nicest Oxfam Bookshop that I have been in. Housed in a three storey building in the historic centre of the cathedral city, this shop has a lot more character than most of the rest of the Oxfam bookshop chain. Medium sized, the books are spread over three rooms on the three floors with the second floor also having a small room with CDs, vinyl, DVDs and the inevitable video tapes. The usual glass cases for what they consider to be rare titles are in evidence, but in this instance are also used for some antiques and collectables as well. - Jeremy Briggs.
On three floors it is one of the best I've seen. - Geoff Martin 27.07.10.
The most expensive Oxfam in the region, nothing priced to sell, how they make any money for their charity beats me. Frustrating as Durham needs a good secondhand bookshop. - PaulP 05.11.11.
This must be the most expensive Oxfam bookshop in the country. Advisable, also, to take earplugs due to the loud muzak played throughout the shop. - Antimuzak 24.01.12.
I'd like to revise the above comment ... The shop must have a new manager, because the prices seem more reasonable and the shelves packed with good things so now WAD. - PaulP 06.03.13.
People's Bookshop Durham
The Attic Saddlers Yard
70 Saddler Street
DURHAM County Durham DH1 3NP map
tel: 0191 384 4399 e-mail web
Open: Thursday - Saturday 10.00 - 5.30.
A radical, independent bookshop in the heart of Durham. Stocks mostly second hand books, with some new books from radical and local publishers. Political biography, socialism, marxism, labour history, radical theory and North East history a speciality. The bookshop is located in the 'vennel' (alleyway) before Waterstone's and then up two flights of "historic" (i.e rickety) stairs.
Really nice little bookshop with friendly chap and comfy seats, has reasonable general stock as well as specialities mentioned above a bit pricey but still worth the climb. - PaulP 12.06.12.
The Village Bookshop
36 Market Place
Middleton-in-Teesdale
BARNARD CASTLE County Durham DL12 0RJ map
tel: 01833 640373 fax: 01833 640373 e-mail web
Open: Sunday & Monday 2.00 - 500, Tuesday - Saturday 10.00 - 5.00, closed Wednesday afternoon.
A small but good quality stock covering all subjects, but particularly country life and pastimes.
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