19/06/2026
Thanks to Yorkshire Treasures for compiling this list of independent bookshops across Yorkshire.
Something we are a big fan of too.
Whenever we set off as a family we absolutely love checking out a bookshop and finding new reads.
Skipton has the Little Bookshop in Craven Court as well as Oxfam's book shop on the High Street with an impressive selection, and Keoghs books too.
Settle, Grassington and Ilkley book shops are also local to us and well worth checking out.
Our cottages enjoy "book baskets" and we're keen to keep sharing our books with guests too.
Happy reading
Love to read? Create a bookworm tour with these bookshop & honesty box recommendations… It’s wonderful to that so many independent bookshops are thriving, with an increasing number of honesty boxes and novel places to pick up second-hand books.
Do let me know where I’ve missed in North Yorkshire. You might like to add details of your favourite Yorkshire authors and books?
You’ll find some lovely bookshops in many of our finest market towns: You may have seen The Stripey Badger Bookshop, Coffee Shop & Kitchen in Grassington in a different guise as it’s often part of the transformation into Darrowby for the TV series of James Herriot's All Creatures Great & Small. The Little Ripon Bookshop has grown, thanks to book-hungry readers, their lovely displays and strong personal recommendations. Masham Gallery Press specializes in beautifully illustrated books by and about local artists, and just across the road you can find a good range of second-hand books at Visit Masham, where profits go into community projects.
The Grove Bookshop is conveniently sited very close to Betty’s – Bettys where queues are usually much shorter than in York or Harrogate). There’s another new bookshop - Paperwing - in Helmsley in addition to the other one on the square. Visit Settle to enjoy browsing Limestone Books in the cobbled market square. There’s a lovely atmosphere at Kemps General Store & Bookshop.
Thirsk’s long-established bookshop White Rose Books & Coffee Bar looks out on to the market place where you’ll often see some colourful and imaginative yarn-bombing.
In Richmond The Station sells second-hand books on the former platform of the converted station, right next to the café (perfect combination!). Not far away is the splendidly named Wonky Tree Leyburn.
On the coast, The Whitby Bookshopis a calm refuge from the busy Whitby streets, enticing you in with carefully chosen fiction, travel writing, local history and children's books. Read and Rabbit Used Bookshop, Gifts, Events & Holiday Let in Loftus is newly opened in Loftus near Staithes as a second-hand bookshop, where there’s even the option to stay upstairs and perhaps briefly experience life as a bookseller. Just up the road is Book Corner at Saltburn.
The Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors National Park centres and Dales Countryside Museum have great selections of books about the local area,hguidebooks, walking routes and maps and Dalesmuseum
Many of the National Trust properties have a good selection of books about the local area, with some second hand books too,such as at Nunnington and Brimham Rocks.
If you Visit Sedbergh on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, you might be surprised at the number of shops selling books in this small place. Sedbergh is England’s official Book town. Westwood Books is one of the largest, longest-established in the area.
York now has an unusual bookshop – the Poetry Pharmacy, where books are ‘prescribed’ according to mood, feeling and circumstance!
There are more and more honesty book stalls from the selection in the phone kiosk in East Witton to Ebberston Village, the wonderful 'honesty shop' in Grinton (it says something about the loveliness of readers that you can have an unstaffed shop!) and the book shed in Austwick (thanks to The Traddock for the photo).
It’s good that so many independent bookshops continue to flourish but could I ask for some help on their behalf? So many people order from Amazon, not considering the impact this huge conglomerate has on our high streets.
Most independent shops will make much more personalized recommendations after a brief friendly chat than an anonymous algorithm. They’ll also order books for you, often with next day delivery.
If you want to order books online, you might try https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/bookshop_uk - don’t forget to nominate your favourite independent bookshop when you do so they still receive a small commission without it costing you more. You can also nominate your favourite bookshop on Libro.fm, a good alternative to Audible
