Push open the door and for a moment, the world outside seems to disappear.
The polished wood of the door feels smooth and cool beneath your fingertips as you push it open. Behind you, the sounds of the street become muffled and distant, replaced by the gentle ticking of an ancient wooden clock somewhere among the shelves.
Ancient bookshelves rise around you, holding more books than could possibly be counted, their spines gleaming like jewels in rich reds, warm browns and glowing blues. They seem to stretch endlessly into the shadows, each shelf filled with stories waiting patiently to be discovered.
Or perhaps not quite so patiently.
Listen carefully and you might hear it, a faint hum of excitement passing through the shelves as the books sense your arrival. They have been waiting for someone like you. Waiting for a hand to reach out and choose them.
There is a warm and intoxicating perfume in the air. The scent of old polished wood mingles with smoky ink, ageing paper and the gentle sweetness of warm vanilla.
Your fingers brush against a book’s spine and you wonder what story lies inside.
Perhaps this book wants to take you somewhere far away, to distant lands you have never seen. Perhaps it will carry you backwards through time, make your heart race in an epic love story or simply allow you, for just a few hours, to live an entirely different life.
Books are extraordinary things. Standing here, surrounded by shelves upon shelves of waiting stories, you begin to hear one calling to you.
Perhaps the most magical thing about a bookshop is that you never quite know what you will find. A forgotten story, an unexpected adventure, a book that seems to have been waiting especially for you. Across Derbyshire, you’ll find all kinds of bookshops, each with its own particular kind of magic.
Scarthin Books, Cromford
Hidden away in the charming village of Cromford, overlooking a quiet pond, this bookshop is one of those rare places that feels as though it has been waiting patiently for you to find it.
Push open the wooden door and the outside world seems to fall away.
Inside, the old stone building is overflowing with books. Not just a few shelves neatly arranged around a room, but books upon books upon books, stretching upwards across three floors and disappearing into every corner.
More than 100,000 new, used and antique books live here.
They line the walls. They fill the shelves. They gather on tables and spill into little corners. They climb the staircase that winds its way through the building, following you as you wander upwards.
It is impossible to see everything.
And that is part of the magic.
The old wooden floors are decorated by large vintage rugs. Cosy armchairs wait between the shelves. Light falls gently across rows of faded spines, rich with colour and age. Everywhere you look there is another title, another forgotten story, another book that seems to whisper to you to stop and take a closer look.
The building itself seems to have surrendered to the books. It seems to slump beneath their weight in the most beautiful way, as though, over the years, the old stone walls have simply given themselves over to the thousands of stories within them. Rather than containing the books, the building seems to embrace them, wrapping its old rooms around shelf after shelf of stories.
There is an old world magic here.
A feeling that you could climb another staircase, turn into another room and discover a whole new little world waiting for you.
And the magic doesn’t end with the books.
Within the old building you will find a beautiful vegetarian café, another lovingly created corner that feels as though it has always belonged amongst the books.
Because Scarthin is, above all, a bookshop.
And perhaps the most magical thing about an old bookshop is the way it can present you with a book you never knew you wanted.
You might arrive searching for something particular, but then another title catches your eye. You pull it from the shelf. You turn a page. Somehow, it feels as though the book has been waiting for you. After all these years, after all those thousands of books passing through its doors, perhaps this bookshop has learned a thing or two about finding the right book for the right person.
There is no rushing here. You simply wander, letting curiosity lead you from shelf to shelf, following the staircase upwards and peering into every nook and cranny.
And then, almost by magic, you find it. The book you didn’t come looking for. The one you didn’t know you wanted but can’t leave without taking it with you. The one you will remember finding at this bookshop long after you have finished reading it.
This is a bookshop with global fame. Scarthin was voted number six on The Guardian’s list of the world’s best bookshops, and it has become a much loved Derbyshire institution.
This bookshop’s greatest magic is the feeling of being somewhere with an old soul. A place that has spent years gathering stories and somehow still has room for one more.
So come with time to wander. Follow the shelves. Explore the staircases. Run your fingers along the spines. Let Scarthin work its magic. You never quite know what book might be waiting for you.
Dormouse Books, Belper
Perched on the slope of the hill, Dormouse Bookshop looks as though it belongs in a fairy tale, its old stone walls perfectly at home on the hillside. A shiny black door greets you, and beyond it awaits the sort of bookshop that feels as though it has a story of its own.
Inside, everything feels light and welcoming. Sunshine yellow accents brighten the fresh white walls, while gorgeous old timber beams stretch across the ceiling, adding warmth and character. Thoughtfully chosen books fill the shelves.
But Dormouse Bookshop has a magical secret hidden beneath its bright and cheerful rooms.
A flight of old stone steps leads down into a wonderfully spooky cellar, thought to date back to the 17th century. The stone ceiling is low and ancient, and fairy lights cast a gentle glow across the darkness. Cushions invite you to settle onto stone seats, while curious objects and little details emerge from the shadows, each one adding to the feeling that you have stumbled into somewhere quite extraordinary.
It feels almost like a secret room from a storybook, a place where you could easily lose track of time with a book in your hands.
And perhaps the most magical thing about Dormouse Books is the story it is helping to create beyond its own walls. All of the shop’s profits go back into the local community, including providing books for young people and helping to nurture a love of reading.
This isn’t simply a beautiful bookshop tucked into an ancient building. Every carefully chosen book that is sold helps to pass the magic of reading to the next generation.
Scrivener’s Books & Bookbinding – Buxton
In Buxton, England’s highest town, stands an atmospheric old bookshop that is full of books and wonderful surprises.
As you approach the front door, you are welcomed by plants and flowers growing in pots, black signs picked out in opulent gold lettering and the unmistakable feeling that you have stepped somewhere rather special. There are five floors to discover, including an attic and a cellar, connected by a winding staircase that seems to invite you to keep climbing.
This is no ordinary second hand bookshop. This bookshop is a hospital for old books.
Hidden inside the building is a traditional bookbinders workshop where you can watch damaged and much loved books being lovingly restored and rebound. It feels like an enchanted old elves workshop from a fairytale. The wooden shelves are piled high with boxes, rolls of jewel coloured fabric burst out of boxes and the rich smell of leather hangs in the air. The old metal and wooden tools look as though they have been rescuing books for generations.
And then there are the books themselves.
Wander through the rooms and you might find a book that you have not seen for years, tucked quietly onto a shelf among thousands of others. There is something about this bookshop that makes you feel the building knows exactly what you have come looking for. Somehow, almost magically, the right book seems to find its way into your hands, appearing on a shelf just when you need it, as though the old building has quietly placed it there especially for you.
Perhaps that is the magic of a place like this. It does not feel as though the books have merely been collected here. It feels as though they have been gathered here for a reason, waiting patiently for the person who is meant to find them.
Even the little details have their own stories, including a miniature doll house of the shop itself. Somewhere amongst the books, you may encounter Basil, a magnificent ginger cat who seems to belong to the magic of the place, quietly padding through the rooms as though he knows every secret the old building has to tell.
A bookshop this extraordinary has not gone unnoticed. Scriveners was shortlisted by the Guardian to be in the top ten of second hand bookshops in Britain.
This is a bookshop that feels less like somewhere you browse and more like somewhere you explore, a building of winding staircases, forgotten books and enchanting rooms, where perhaps the book you have been searching for is already waiting for you.
Peak Volumes, Tideswell
In the heart of this village stands a grand old stone building with an unexpected secret inside. Once a grand old Victorian bank, it is now home to Peak Volumes, where the grandeur of the building and the quiet magic of books seem to belong together perfectly.
The shop occupies a grand old stone building with elegant high ceilings, beautiful timber beams and an atmosphere that feels peaceful and calm. Enter through the grand stone arch and you find yourself somewhere between a traditional bookshop and a vintage library, surrounded by shelves, stories and the comforting quiet of a place where books are allowed to take centre stage.
There is something peaceful about this bookshop. The warm feeling of the old building seems to slow you down as you wander between the shelves, and it is easy to imagine spending a rainy afternoon here with no rush to be anywhere else. This is a bookshop run by book lovers for book lovers, and that affection for books seems to hang in the air.
Even the building itself has a little story to tell. As you enter, a curious stone creature stands guard, clutching a shield as though it has been appointed keeper of the books. The real surprise comes when you discover just how many books are hidden within those ancient walls. Like a literary Tardis, the space seems to unfold as you explore, revealing yet more shelves and books tucked into unexpected corners.
There is something wonderfully unhurried about this bookshop. You can wander beneath the timber beams, explore the shelves and let your eyes settle on whatever catches them. There is no need to know exactly what you are looking for. Sometimes the best discoveries are the books you never intended to find.
Perhaps that is the magic of Peak Volumes. It feels less like somewhere you simply go to choose a book and more like somewhere you discover one. And somehow, in a place like this, you can’t help wondering whether the book you were meant to find was waiting for you all along.
Book End, Bakewell
Some bookshops create magic far beyond their shelves. Tucked beside the famous river that winds through Bakewell, this bookshop is a charming little stone shop with flower baskets outside and a heart that reaches far beyond its walls.
Inside, books rise from floor to ceiling, creating the kind of display that makes you want to pause and browse just a little longer. The most wonderful thing about this bookshop is not just what you might find on its shelves. It is what the sales of those books make possible for the local community.
This bookshop is run entirely by volunteers, and this feels like the true soul of this bookshop. The money raised from book sales supports Bakewell and Eyam Community Transport, whose instantly recognisable minibuses weave their way through local villages and dales. This amazing charity provides door to door transport for local residents and helps people stay connected to the places and people that matter to them.
The service helps local people reach medical appointments, enjoy summer day trips and take part in outings they would otherwise have missed. In a rural community, where distance can sometimes make the world feel a little further away, that support can make an enormous difference.
It is about much more than getting from one place to another. It helps people maintain their independence, stay connected to the places and people around them and, perhaps most importantly, to continue to be part of their community.
You can wander in simply looking for a good book and leave knowing that your purchase has helped someone else discover a little more freedom, companionship and happiness. That feels like magic created by books and the amazing volunteers that sell them.
Bookshops are special and everyone has its own unique kind of magic. Every one has its own character, its own atmosphere and its own stories waiting to be told. Beyond the shelves of amazing books, it’s the feeling each one gives you that makes them memorable. There is something wonderful about wandering without knowing exactly what you are looking for, running your fingers along the spines and waiting for a particular book to speak to you.
What makes all of these bookshops special is the people who bring these shops to life. The people who know their shelves, share their recommendations and happily spend time helping a stranger find the perfect book.
In a world that can sometimes feel as though everything is designed to be quick and convenient, these bookshops offer something beautifully different: time, conversation, curiosity and the chance to find a little bit of magic between the pages.
All of these bookshops have wonderful websites where you can find out everything you need to know to plan your visit.
