Brilliant Bookish Places to Visit in England

Over the years, England has produced huge swathes of talented writers whose words have transported us to new worlds, given us a glimpse into the lives of others, and stayed with us through the ages. Here’s a list of some great places around the country where you can walk in the footsteps of your favourite author, enjoy the landscapes that inspired them, or imagine yourself in one of their books.

 

Haworth, Yorkshire

One of my favourite places and an absolute must for Brontë fans. Their home has been carefully transformed into a museum, the house itself returned to the state it was in while they lived there, with an exhibition space at the end where you can see their famous little books, childhood toys, and some of their other creative work. Directly opposite is the church and graveyard in which all but Anne are buried, giving you a sense of what it must have been like to grow up surrounded by death. Venture a little further and you’ll find yourself on the windswept moors that they loved so much. A bracing (well signposted) walk will take you to Brontë falls, and for the heartier walkers, a steep climb up to Top Withens, thought to be the inspiration for the location of Wuthering Heights. You can either retrace your steps across the moor or loop back through Stanbury, allow the best part of a day. The moors are beautiful and feel timeless. On a sunny day you might have to share with a lot of other Brontë fans but if you go out of season you’ll have them largely to yourself. Haworth Main Street is full of independent shops selling an eclectic mix of goods, but they don’t have set opening hours and if you’re there out of season might find that most of them are shut. The Black Bull pub was frequented by Branwell and you can still enjoy a meal there or a well earned pint at the end of a long walk. Haworth also has an additional gem for fans of the film of The Railway Children as the steam train that passes through was used in the film. On my first visit to Haworth I walked from Keighley station meaning I happily got to see some of the countryside en route. It’s a beautiful part of the country and there are so many places to walk in the surrounding areas.

Brontë Parsonage Museum

Oxford, Oxfordshire

Oxford is a city that has played host to some of our most well-loved authors – Philip Pullman, Lewis Carroll, and J. R. R. Tolkien to name but a few, and is rich in literary history. Exeter College is reported to be the inspiration behind Jordan College in Pullman’s His Dark Materials. A little outside the city you’ll find Godstow Abbey and The Trout pub, both of which feature in La Belle Sauvage. The pub itself is a great place to stop for a drink and delicious meal by the river. Speaking of pubs, The Eagle and Child was the meeting place for The Inklings in the 1930s and 40s. This informal group would meet to discuss literature and included J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. Any book lover visiting Oxford won’t be able to resist a tour of the Bodleian Library (which also featured in the Harry Potter films). Founded in 1602, it has a remarkable history and collection that includes a First Folio of Shakespeare and manuscripts of Tolkien’s works. All those books will doubtless leave you hankering for some new additions to your own shelves and Blackwell’s is just the place for you, the original of the chain. There’s also an excellent Oxfam bookshop.

 

Bath, Somerset

Jane Austen fans flock to Bath for its beautiful Georgian buildings and the glimpse they offer into the life of a much-loved author. It’s worth taking time to just wander around this historic spa town, but there are a few stops that no Austen fan would want to miss. The Jane Austen Centre delves into her life and what the city would have been like when she lived there (1801-6). The Fashion Museum is housed in the Old Assembly Rooms which feature in two of her novels, and in which Charles Dickens gave readings. The Fashion Museum itself is worth a visit in its own right, as well as offering the opportunity to try on some period costume yourself. Even if you’re not a big Jane Austen fan, Bath has a rich history, and some excellent bookshops, including Mr. B’s Emporium, which all bookworms will want to check out.

Hill Top

 The Lake District, Cumbria

This stunning area of England has inspired many a writer over the years, including Arthur Ransome, Beatrix Potter, and William Wordsworth. Lake Windermere and Coniston Water provided inspiration for Ransome’s Swallows and Amazons, and visitors can get out on the water in a kayak or boat to experience a slice of adventure for themselves. Beatrix Potter did a lot to preserve the natural beauty of the area and the breeding of Herdwick sheep. You can visit Hill Top, preserved as she left it with a gorgeous garden you can just imagine Peter Rabbit scampering around in. There’s also a great Gallery dedicated to her work in Hawkshead, and the National Trust has put together a guide for some less well-known places of interest. William Wordsworth wrote some of his most famous works in the Lake District and you can visit his home, Dove Cottage, where he hosted other literary giants such as Walter Scott and Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

 

Dorset

Thomas Hardy spent most of his life in Dorset, and the landscape appears in all of his major novels as Wessex. He is known for his heavily descriptive writing style and the central role the locations play in the plot. You can visit the home he designed, Max Gate, where he wrote Tess of the D’Urbervilles and Jude the Obscure. Dorset County Museum holds a large Hardy collection and have on display some of his manuscripts and a reconstruction of his study at Max Gate. Visit Dorset have put together a handy leaflet with places of interest for Hardy fans.

Ashdown Forest

 

Ashdown Forest, Sussex

Ashdown Forest, better known as the Hundred Acre Wood, makes the perfect day out for Winnie the Pooh fans of any age. A.A. Milne lived on the edge of the forest and took inspiration from it for creating the wonderful world that holds a special place in the heart of anyone who grew up with his tales. On the walk you can even play Pooh sticks on the original bridge. The forest is more rugged heathland than wood but it’s a beautiful place for a walk. In nearby Hartfield village is Pooh Corner, a shop dedicated to everyone’s favourite bear, which also has a café to refuel after a frolic through the forest. 

 

London

You can barely turn a corner in the capital without stumbling across a bookshop, a literary location, or a blue plaque relating to an author. From wandering the streets of Bloomsbury channeling your inner Virginia Woolf to heading to Baker Street to do some sleuthing, or rushing to King’s Cross to live out your childhood dreams of finding yourself at Platform 9 3/4 (and don’t forget to pop next door to the British Library for an incredible encounter with their collections). There’s the Charles Dickens Museum to visit, Shakespeare’s Globe to enjoy, and the bookshops of Charing Cross Road to browse. There’s enough literary history in London to write a whole book about. To get a sense of the huge array of independent bookshops check out the London Bookshop Crawl.

The Bookshops of Hay-on-Wye

The Hay Castle Bookshop

It’s that time of year again, when book lovers would usually be descending on the small town of Hay-on-Wye for its famous literary festival. Unfortunately, the physical festival has had to be cancelled this year, but they’re still offering an impressive array of virtual events for us all to enjoy. The local bookshops will be suffering the financial hit of losing out on their biggest period of sales for the year and so I thought I’d do a run-down of some of my favourite bookshops there and how to support them during this time. I’d also highly recommend visiting when things are open again as it’s a wonderful place to visit at any time of year. The surrounding areas are stunning and Shepherds Ice Cream parlour is the perfect place to refuel in between all that book shopping.

Murder and Mayhem

Addyman Books own three bookish spots across the town – Murder and Mayhem, devoted to detective fiction, Addyman Books, and the Addyman Annexe. Their shops are full of quirky nooks and a great selection of books. You can support them online here.

The Hay Cinema Bookshop is a large converted cinema which is now filled with seemingly endless rows of books. They keep some of their stock outside so you can browse in the sunshine before heading in to lose a few hours browsing. They can be found online here.

Pemberton’s Bookshop is a great spot for those who prefer their books brand new. They offer a great range at good prices and also stock a range of greetings cards and similar. Find them online here.

Richard Booth’s bookshop carries the name of the man who was instrumental in giving Hay its book town status. It’s a wonderful, spacious spot that offers a huge range of both new and second hand books, and there’s even a nice café and cinema. Check them out here.

The upper floor of Richard Booth's bookshop

This is just a small taste of the bookshops in this wonderful little town. Many of the shops specialize in particular subjects whether it be children’s books, music, poetry, or natural history, there’s bound to be something for every reader. Check out the full list.

Paris Part Two – Parc Zoologique, Jardin des Plantes, and Notre-Dame

Parc Zoologique

In the outskirts of Paris is the Parc Zoologique. Situated next to the Bois de Vincennes, a green space covering 995 hectares which is worth making a trip to explore even without the zoo. First opened in 1934, the zoo underwent a major refurbishment in 2011 to bring its environments up to the standards demanded by modern regulations. The result is a beautifully landscaped zoo with enclosures that feel quite natural. A large artificial rock dominates the skyline and teases with glimpses of stairs inside, not open to the public. They house animals large and small and have an impressive greenhouse to simulate a tropical rainforest environment.

The next day started with a trip to Galeries Lafayette Haussmann, an impressive department store opened early in the twentieth century. If you enjoy shopping you can happily spend hours browsing their upmarket wares, but even if not, it’s worth visiting for the beautiful architecture and stunning views over Paris from the roof.

Views over Paris from the roof of Galeries Lafayette

After this we visited the Jardin des Plantes and found ourselves once again heading for a zoo. The menagerie is the second oldest in the world and parts of it do feel slightly run down. The enclosures are significantly smaller than those at the Parc Zoologique with a couple of animals showing signs of distress. Despite this they do house some big cats and the design of the enclosures allow for excellent views. Crowds were delighted to see baby leopards playing together.

The menagerie is located near the Seine and we took a pleasant stroll along its banks during the golden hour, many couples and friends enjoying the stunning surroundings with a bottle of wine. We arrived at Notre-Dame just before closing and with no queues. A service was in progress so we were unable to walk the full length of the building but we saw enough to be able to appreciate the majesty of the building. The crowds of tourists do make it hard to fully appreciate the intended peacefulness but that is to be expected of a trip to such an iconic building. Last time we visited we went up the towers and I would highly recommend this.

An evening stroll by the Seine

To round off the day we visited Shakespeare and Company, possibly the most famous English language bookshop in the city. The original, opened in 1919 by Sylvia Beach was frequented by the likes of Hemingway and Joyce. The current incarnation was opened in 1951 by George Whitman and continues the traditions of its namesake, welcoming authors and artists, and sometimes even housing them in exchange for work in the shop. Visiting today is a bibliophile’s dream with its many reading nooks, resident cat, and rows upon rows of books.

Canada: Victoria

The hour and a half ferry journey from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay passes pleasantly as you glide through a series of islands, offering stunning views, with mountains just visible on the horizon. On arriving, it is still an hour or so bus ride to Victoria itself, but for the curious first time traveller this is no great hardship, allowing you to see parts of the island you wouldn’t otherwise.

Darkness had already fallen by the time we reached the city centre, and what a pleasant experience to be greeted by the glinting of lights illuminating many of the buildings, especially around the marina – Parliament House taking centre stage. After wandering the streets of Downtown and getting our bearings we decided on the Bard and Banker for dinner. Named for the bank that occupied the building for many years, and possibly its most famous employee, Robert Service, a popular poet in the first half of the twentieth century. A beautiful interior and the promise of music every night makes this a great spot for a night out, and the food was some of the best we had on the trip.

The next day we set off into town without any grand plans, which resulted in a wander around the shops (and far too much money spent on craft supplies – Beehive Wool Shop and the Button and Needlework Boutique have such lovely things, it was too hard to resist). Munro’s Books proved an excellent place to pick up some homegrown fiction (still on the to-read pile – watch this space), and after all that shopping we were in need of refreshment. West Coast Waffles have a vast selection of waffles, and confirmed my new-found belief that savoury is actually preferable when it comes to waffles. They also serve delicious freshly made smoothies. It wasn’t a cheap lunch but it was satisfying.

After all this indulgence we went in search of some history in the form of Craigdarroch Castle. A luxurious mansion built between 1887 and 1890, it stands proudly overlooking Victoria with the intention of reminding residents who was the richest, most important man in town. Robert Dunsmuir made his fortune from Vancouver Island coal, but sadly never got to enjoy his castle, dying in 1889. He left his entire estate to his wife Joan, which caused huge family rifts that lasted the rest of her life. James Dunsmuir, their last remaining son, cut all ties with the family business in 1910 and retired in his own grand house, Hatley Castle, on which more later.

The Dunsmuirs went out of their way to make Craigdarroch a symbol of their wealth, importing expensive materials from across the globe. Effort has been made to ensure the items within are appropriate, many having been owned by the Dunsmuirs even if not originally from Craigdarroch. For me the highlight was the beautiful stained glass windows throughout the house.

Hatley Castle was first on our list of places to visit the next day and so we piled on to several buses to reach Royal Roads University, in whose grounds it stands. Nestled in trees and surrounded by formal gardens designed to give the impression of inherited English grounds, it is a pleasant place to be. Unfortunately, it was not open to visitors when we visited so could only enjoy the exterior. From 1940 it was used for naval training, but is perhaps best known today for its appearance in a number of blockbusters, perhaps most famously as Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters in X-Men, and most recently in Deadpool.

Our final stop of the day was Oak Bay Marina. A peaceful place with lovely views of Mount Baker, although let’s be honest, it’s the sea lions that really capture your attention.