Barter Books

Top choice in Northumberland Coast


Coal fires, velvet ottomans, reading rooms and a cafe make this secondhand bookshop in Alnwick's Victorian former railway station wonderfully atmospheric. It's responsible for the renaissance of the WWII 'Keep Calm and Carry On' slogan: while converting the station, the owner unearthed a set of posters – the framed original is above the till – and turned it into a successful industry.

As you browse the crammed bookshelves, the silence is interrupted only by the tiny rumble of the toy train that runs along the track above your head.