2 Ravens
2 Market Street
KIRKBY STEPHEN  Cumbria  CA17 4QS
tel: 017683 71519  map
Open: Wednesday - Saturday 10.00 - 4.00 (worth checking before making a special journey).
Small general stock and local history and topography.

Beckside Books
31 St Andrews View
PENRITH  Cumbria  CA11 7YF
tel: 01768 895951  map
Open: Monday - Saturday 10.00 - 5.00, Wednesday 10.00 - 4.00. Two floors of general stock. Browsers welcome.
    Between the rear of the shopping arcade and the church in the centre of the pretty market town of Penrith, Beckside Books has one room downstairs and several upstairs which combine into a bright, well laid out small to medium sized bookshop with a friendly owner. The stairway and the different styles of bookcases, particularly upstairs, lend individuality to the rooms and they have an interesting general selection of titles. Worth stopping off at if you are on the Lake District section of the M6. - Jeremy Briggs 07.07.08.

Bertrams
16 Back Lane
SEDBERGH  Cumbria  LA10 5AQ
tel: 015396 20408
    The only bookshop in Sedburgh's Back Lane which, ironically, is actually the main A-road through the village. A small shop with a mixture of books and music in a room which may have originally been the archway entrance to a courtyard, the children's titles and train books stand out from the selection on display. - Jeremy Briggs 14.08.08.
    General stock with an emphasis on music. Lovely interior as has been mentioned above. - Chris Harte 15.02.10.

Bookcase
17-19 Castle Street
CARLISLE  Cumbria CA3 8SY
tel: 01228 544560  map
Open: Monday - Saturday 10.00 - 5.00.
Large general stock and specificaly books on Cumbria, literature and natural history.
    A big shop spread throughout a large old building a few minutes walk from Carlisle city centre, towards the castle. From the science fiction & fantasy on the second floor to the children's section in the basement, this Victorian(?) building displays so much of its character that there are times when you actually forget about the books as you walk around, marvelling at their various staircases or stepping into the strong room in the depths of the basement. Yet don't let the building distract you from the book selection which is no let down either as it has very good coverage of most subjects. - Jeremy Briggs
    Finding this bookshop alone made the journey from East Anglia worthwhile. Fair prices with a quantity discount offered. A colossal, well organised stock. The hours just slipped past in this treasure trove of a bookshop. - Stuart Tucker 02.12.08.
    When I was young I was told that if I was good I would go to heaven. Now I'm old if I promise to try to be good can I go to Bookcase? This shop is the ultimate of its kind. How many books? 100,000? More? Certainly not less. All categories and tastes are catered for here. Young but knowledgable, understanding, polite and helpful staff. It is heaven. I know it is. - Chris Harte 15.02.10.

The Book House
Grand Prix Buildings  Main Street
BROUGH  Nr. Kirkby Stephen  Cumbria  CA17 4AY
tel: 017683 42748  e-mail  website  map
Open: Monday & Wednesday - Saturday 10.00 - 4.30.
Wide-ranging general stock with specialities of industrial history, railways, gardening, language & children's books. Free search service. Ample parking. Please telephone if travelling any distance as occasionally I am away at bookfairs.

The Bookseller
77 Main Street
SEDBERGH  Cumbria  LA10 5AB
tel: 015396 20991  map
Open: Monday - Saturday 10.00 - 5.00  early closing Thursday.
Local topography, travel and general stock.
    A small to medium selection of books spread over two rooms with an impressive selection of collectable children's titles. - Jeremy Briggs 14.08.08.

The Bookshop
22 Market Street
KIRKBY STEPHEN  Cumbria  CA17 4QT
tel: 017683 71804  e-mail  website  map
Open: Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday 10.00 - 1.00 & 2.00 - 5.00.
A small bookshop established in 1980 with an eclectic stock of new, secondhand and antiquarian books, maps and documents. Local maps and guides. Book finding service and mail order.

Daisyroots Books
Albert Mews  Main Street
GRANGE OVER SANDS  Cumbria  LA11 6AB
tel: 015395 38817  e-mail  website  map
Open: Monday - Saturday 10.00 - 4.00.
An eclectic stock of high quality books, plus the largest collection of paperback fiction in Cumbria. Daisyroots are pioneering a fresh approach to secondhand books, come and experience the difference.

Dales and Lakes Book Centre
72 Main Street
SEDBERGH  Cumbria  LA10 5AD
tel: 015396 20125  map
Multi-dealer bookshop renting shelf space to a number of different booksellers. Shares the space with Sedberg Tourist Information office.
    Situated in a lovely stone building, with the tourist information, book related gifts and merchandise in the first room and the books in the two further rooms. With so many book-dealers sharing the premises, it must be worth a visit! - Jude Haslam.
    Before the arrival of Westwoods this was the largest bookshop in the village and it is also the tourist information office so it is probably worth making it first stop in any visit to Sedburgh. The shop is really selections of books from various dealers housed under the one roof and as such tends to be a little repetitive as each dealer's books have their own area. This means that there are, for example, children's books stocked in three or four different places. That said it is a nice old building with interesting cubby holes and a pleasant welcome. - Jeremy Briggs 14.08.08.
    Because of the number of dealers who have stalls the quality varies enormously. Holdings of Cumbrian and regional histories are top of the range whereas other sections are moderate. - Chris Harte 15.02.10.

Dave's Books
Sleddall Hall Antiques Centre  Wildman Street
KENDAL  Cumbria  LA9 6EN
tel: 07831151848  e-mail  map
Open: Monday - Saturday 10.00 - 6.00.
1000's of books at discount prices, many at just £1. New & antiquarian, all subjects covered.
    Down the hill from the main shopping streets and across the river, Sledall Hall Antiques Centre is a grand name for an slightly tatty old building with an eclectic and seemingly disorganised assortment of antiques, collectables and bric-a-brac packed into it. However one of the upstairs rooms is Dave's Books with a decent selection of mainly older fiction and non-fiction titles, the vast majority of which are priced at £1. Some are worth less than £1 but the challenge is to find ones the that are worth more that you would want to buy. - Jeremy Briggs 07.07.08.

Esoteric Dreams Bookshop
1 St Bridgets Lane
EGREMONT  Cumbria  CA22 2BB
tel: 01946 821686  e-mail  website  map
Open: Tuesday - Saturday 10.00 - 4.00.
Old and new books - children and adults - lots of non-fiction (geology/politics/ religion/history/gay - you name a subject we've got it or we'll get it!!)

Fireside Bookshop
21 Victoria Street
WINDERMERE  Cumbria LA23 1AB
Tel: 015394 45855  e-mail   website  map
Open 7 days 11.00 - 5.00.
General stock of antiquarian, academic and secondhand books, but particularly history and the sciences.

Harlings Book Shop
26 Crellin Street
BARROW-IN-FURNESS  Cumbria  LA14 1DU
tel: 01229 824625  map
Open: Monday - Saturday 9.30 - 5.00.
Mainly paperback fiction.

Norman Kerr Booksellers
Gatehouse Book Shop  The Square
CARTMEL  Grange over Sands  Cumbria  LA11 6PX
Tel: 015395 36247  e-mail  map
Open: Friday & Saturday 1.30 - 4.30, Winter Saturday only.
(The Priory Barn in Priest Lane is also open but by prior appointment only).
A wide ranging general stock of some 10,000 volumes with specialisms in transport & engineering, railways, maritime, Lake District, and rare and collectable books on most subjects. Booksearch and valuations undertaken

Keswick Bookshop
4 Station Street
KESWICK  Cumbria  CA12 5HT
tel: 017687 75535  map
Open: Easter till the end of October, Monday - Saturday 10.30 - 5.00,closed Wednesday. Winter open Saturdays only.
General stock and mountaineering.

Kirkland Books
11 Collin Croft
KENDAL  Cumbria  LA9 4TH
tel: 0800 0112368  fax: 0800 0112568  e-mail  website  map
Open: Thursday, Friday & Saturday 10.00 - 5.00.
Specialising in the history and topography of Cumberland and Westmorland, Alfred Wainwright, Arthur Ransome, Mountaineering and Railways, plus a general stock. Collectable books over 3 floors with nearby parking. Fine condition collectable books boughts for excellent prices, especially within our specialisms.
    They offer a useful Wainwright bibliography as a free down load on their site. - TBG.

Market Place Books
30 Market Place
COCKERMOUTH  Cumbria  CA13 9NG
tel: 01900 821300  e-mail  map
Open: Monday - Saturday 10.00 - 5.00
Small shop offering a wide range of good quality secondhand books.

Michael Moon's Bookshop
19 Lowther Street
WHITEHAVEN   Cumbria  CA28 7AL
tel: 01946599010  fax: 01946599010  e-mail  map
Open: Monday - Saturday 9.30 - 5.00, closed Wednesdays out of season (Jan to Easter).
Very large stock 25000+ volumes price range £1-£1000. Antiquarian and secondhand books on many subjects, specialists + publishers of Cumbrian topography. Finding new homes for old books since 1970. Books purchased for cash almost every day.
    Well worth a visit. A large shop with rooms opening out of rooms and a very large general stock, and reasonable prices. Worth spending an hour (or two) to browse right through the stock. - Richard 08.07.08.

Over-Sands Books
The Old Waiting Room  The Station
GRANGE-OVER-SANDS  Cumbria LA11 6EH
tel: 015395 36969  map
Open: Monday - Saturday 11.00 - 5.00 Sunday 1.00 -5.00.
Literature, railways and topography.

Oxfam Bookshop
17 Bank Street
CARLISLE  Cumbria  CA3 8HG
tel: 01228 523450

Oxfam Bookshop
46 Highgate
KENDAL  Cumbria  LA9 4TF
tel: 01539 729695
Open: Monday - Saturday 9.00 - 5.00.
     A bright, small to medium sized and well laid out two room corner shop at the southern end of the town's pedestrian zone. There is only so much you can say about most Oxfam shops but this is one had an interesting and fairly diverse stock when I was there. - Jeremy Briggs 07.07.08.

Past & Present
18 The Promenade
ARNSIDE  Cumbria  LA5 0HD
tel: 01524 761256
Open: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday 2.00 - 4.00.
     A mixture of books and collectables in a small two story shop in this picturesque seaside village near Kendal. On the seafront with easy parking, this shop has a mixture of non-fiction books downstairs and general paperback fiction upstairs along with some collectables and general bric-a-brac. There is a reasonable order to the downstairs shelves although the books are unevenly priced and often betray the fact that no one has looked at some of them in a long time. There also tends to be one book too many squeezed into each shelf leading to difficulty in getting an individual book out. That said it is worth a rummage if you are in the area. - Jeremy Briggs 14.08.08.
    What a total and utter waste of time. We are talking the biggest load of overpriced tat you have ever seen. Books are scruffy and many I examined were damaged, priced through the roof on the few decent editions I found. Took me less than 30 minutes to go through every shelf and that was 30 minutes wasted. Even if you LIVE there, dont waste your time. As for making a special trip, forget it. Trust me, you will regret it. - The Wanderer. 24.03.09.
    Disagree with the wanderer. Yes some books are overpriced but I always find something to buy when I visit periodically. Upstairs appears to be a different business from downstairs. - Brian 28.05.09.

Save the Children Bookshop
5 Cornmarket
PENRITH  Cumbria  CA11 7DA
tel: 077 6893 5653  map

Sleepy Elephant
41 Main Street
SEDBERGH  Cumbria LA10 5BL
tel: 015396 21770   map
    By far the most fragrant of the Sedburgh bookshops as it sells strongly scented soaps as well as clothes and cards and a small selection of books targeted at a female and family audience. - Jeremy Briggs 14.08.08.

Summerfield Books
3 Phoenix Park
SKELTON  Cumbria  CA11 9SD  map
Tel: 017684 84909
Open: Monday - Friday 9.00 - 4.00.
Specialist stock of new and secondhand books on the botanical sciences, forestry and arboriculture, together with some general gardening.

Westwood Books Ltd
Leisure House  Long Lane 
SEDBERGH  Cumbria  LA10 5AH
tel: 015396 21233  map
Open: 7 days 10:30 - 5:30 in summer. Winter times vary.
Very large stock of new, secondhand and antiquarian books on all subjects. Sitting area & toilet.
    A relatively recent addition to Sedburgh this is a large two story shop with a bright and airy feel and easily more books than the rest of the booktown shops put together. Westwoods is the real reason for driving the five miles down the steep and twisty country road from Junction 37 of the M6 to get to Sedburgh. They have a large selection of mainly hardback fiction, even more reference books covering most subjects and a good selection of children's books, both old and modern. In addition their selection of book related cards and wrapping paper is impressive. Westwood books is everything you would want in a bookshop and, since you can park on the road right outside it for free, you won't have far to carry your haul back to your car. - Jeremy Briggs 14.08.08.
    Spotted this on the way through Sedbergh en route to The Dales. Easy on-road parking outside. An excellent shop: two floors, well laid-out and spacious. Good stock at reasonable prices. - Daedalus 29.07.09.
    Westwood Books makes a trip to Sedbergh worthwhile. - Hans Loef 04.09.09.
    A huge building with a very large stock. Antiquarian titles are in an area beside the receptionist. However the vast bulk of books are for the reader and not the collector. - Chris Harte 15.02.10.

Avril Whittle
Fairfield Mill Arts and Heritage Centre
Garsdale Road
SEDBERGH  Cumbria  LA10 5LW
tel: 015396 21958  map
Art and design, textile arts and needlework, all types of handcrafts.
    The booktown brochure says Fairfield Mill is one mile out of the village while the road signs say half a mile. However far it is, it is too far to walk down narrow twisty country roads. This turned out to be an arts and crafts gallery which keeps very quiet about its entrance fee until you are in the door. I wasn't interested enough to pay it. - Jeremy Briggs 14.08.08.

Henry Wilson Books
61 Main Street
SEDBERGH  Cumbria  LA10 5AB
tel: 015396 21111  e-mail  website  map
Open: Friday and Saturday 10.00 - 5.00, Sunday 10.00 - 4.00.
The shop specialises in antiquarian, second-hand and new books on transport and industrial history.
    If Sleepy Elephant is the women's bookshop in Sedburgh then Wilson's is the men's. This is a shop specialising in transport books with the vast majority being on trains. It makes good use of its small space and the friendly dog will keep an eye on your if the owner has popped down to the basement. - Jeremy Briggs 14.08.08.
    A warm and inviting shop with an owner whose company was an unexpected pleasure. Although his stock was very strong on quality transport titles he also holds numerous books on rural pursuits. - Chris Harte 15.02.10.