Now owned by shaun bythell, it is scotlands largest secondhand bookshop with around 80,000 books on its shelves. How i made a dream come true life and style the guardian. The old bank bookshop in wigtown, scotlands national book town, dumfries and galloway. Byre books, 24 south main st, wigtown dg8 9eh scotland. Today wigtown is known as scotlands book town and is thus compared to hayonwye in wales. The old bank bookshop the former customs house and bank is now home to another of wigtown s book shops, with five large rooms to browse through. Byre books specialising in folklore, mythology, theatre. Old bank bookshop is currently closed as the present time falls outside of the opening hours below. Extensive sheet music and comprehensive art book sections. Twas the night before christmas at the bookshop, wigtown duration. For the bibliophiles, avid readers, kindred book lovers, adventure seekers, we are the first ever bookshop holiday read more. Sep 04, 2018 today she owns and runs the old bank bookshop with her husband, ian, living above the shop with their yearold daughter, helena, who they say was wigtowns first bookshop baby.
The bookshop with its miles of shelves, wonderful decor, and entire section of secondhand folio society volumes i only barely resisted, especially the da vinci notebooks. They now have their own book shop in wigtown which is a great place to buy a wide range of childrens books including beautifully illustrated tales based in galloway and a series featuring big bill the beltie bull there is also a range of gifts, toys, cards and local book merchandise. The old bank bookshop second hand bookshop in wigtown. The diary of a bookseller author shaun bythell at scotlands biggest secondhand bookshop premises in wigtown, where he wrote his best selling book. The shop opened again today for 2020 and i am looking forward to another happy year in wigtown. The old bank bookshop, wigtown the book shop, wigtown. While pregnant in 2004, she bought the old bank bookshop. As part of the london bookshop crawl virtual tour we have had the chance to purchase a few books from indie bookshops from around the globe. The story of scotlands national book town wigtown book. However, in contrast to hayonwye, wigtown s status as a book town was planned, in order to regenerate a very depressed town the main employers, the creamery and distillery, having closed in the 1990s, although the distillery bladnoch has now reopened and is.
Apr 09, 2018 wigtown is tucked away in the southwest corner of scotland in galloway, a region that doesnt draw too many tourists. Joyce and ian welcome you to the old bank bookshop. We, of course, scoped the other bookshops, including curly tale books, a fantastic kidcentric store. The building has an interesting history and is another place you could lose time as there are so many titles and. Old bank bookshop events during association of wigtown booksellers spring book weekend 28 april 1 may 2017. The bookshop 17 north main street wigtown dg8 9hl tel. The old bank bookshop, 7 south main street by donation wendell berry, 83, an american writer, farmer and environmental activist has been writing fiction and nonfiction for more than fifty years. Wigtown, scotlandsam evans was born in england and lives in ottawa but shes at home in a dainty secondhand bookstore in this remote coastal town. In this video we unbox a lucky bundle purchased from. Its always been emily cottons dream to own her own bookshop. It did remind us a lot of hayonwye, the book town in wales, what with the drystone walls, rolling green hills with more imposing mountains behind, sheep in the fields, and goodly number of bookshops. Filled with rows of stone houses and brightly painted door and window frames, wigtown is home to 10 bookshops and some 900 people. The bookshop mill on the fleet visitor centre, high street, gatehouse of fleet. Wellread books of wigtown second hand bookshop in wigtown.
Scotlands national book town, a royal burgh of 1,000 residents and 12 bookshops beside the. A trip to wigtown, scotlands book town bookish beck. At the wigtown emporium, we sell an intriguing and always changing variety of vintage and retro curiosities, including unusual gifts, jewelry, lights, cameras and clocks, art, and of course, books. But sitting among shelves of haphazardly stacked books in a damp old barn, the reality feels a little different. The old bank bookshop is coowned and run by ian and joyce cochrane. But when she receives a desperate email from her childhood best friend begging for her help she doesnt stop to. A complete guide to wigtowns bookshops in 2020 julias.
Some 11 years ago ian noticed an advert in an estate agents window in nearby newton stewart while visiting joyces mum. Come visit and explore the bookshops, ancient history, vibrant culture, distilleries, pristine beaches and more. Apr 15, 2020 as part of the london bookshop crawl virtual tour we have had the chance to purchase a few books from indie bookshops from around the globe. I have a small, wide variety of books which includes fiction, history and art. Byre books, independent bookshops, mary elizabeth braddon, readinglasses, scotlands national book town, shaun bythell, the bookshop, the old bank bookshop, the open book project, wellread books, wigtown, wigtown book festival. Today, her daughter helena can be transported to glistening tundras, scorching deserts, j. A throwaway comment to joyce on their journey back to edinburgh that easter sunday would change their lives forever. The old bank bookshop run by the lovely joyce and ian. The print room, just round the corner from the box office on new road. The old bank bookshop in wigtown, wigtownshire librarything. Sep 24, 2016 here are some of wigtown s highlights.
New chapter in wigtowns fortunes opened by book festival. Shaun bythell lives in wigtown, scotland, where he runs the bookshop the largest secondhand bookshop in scotland. Sondheimer jun 30, 2019 also known as scotlands national booktown, wigtown has seven bookshops for the 1,000 purported id guess its less but who am i to argue with the great and powerful wikipedia residents, not including the antiques stores and art galleries that also have. Aug 27, 2016 wigtown discovering what makes a great book town on a recent visit to the sleepy coastal village of port william, southwest scotland, imagine my delight when i discovered that wigtown, scotlands famous book town, was a mere ten minutes drive away.
Old bank bookshop wigtown, newton stewart book store opening. Sep, 2017 shaun bythell lives in wigtown, scotland, where he runs the bookshop the largest secondhand bookshop in scotland. With more than 100,000 used books, the bookshop is scotlands largest secondhand bookstore and home to a maze of an everchanging. Wigtown has 30 bookrelated businesses, including the largest secondhand traditional bookshop in scotland and the publisher of the smallest books in the world. Thats wigtown for you a place of variety and inclusion and. Wigtown discovering what makes a great book town on a recent visit to the sleepy coastal village of port william, southwest scotland, imagine my delight when i discovered that wigtown, scotlands famous book town, was a mere ten minutes drive away. Large selection of quality secondhand and outofprint books. The bookshop scotlands largest secondhand bookshop with over a mile of shelving supporting over 65000 books. The 2003 scottish book town festival is expected to boost temporarily the population of wigtown by around 400%. Jun 20, 2019 we, of course, scoped the other bookshops, including curly tale books, a fantastic kidcentric store.
It lies east of stranraer and south of newton stewart. Most days people bring books to the shop at a rate of about 100 a day on all subjects, but we also. The old bank bookshop the former customs house and bank is now home to another of wigtowns book shops, with five large rooms to browse through. It is well known today as scotlands national book town with a high concentration of secondhand book shops. Situated in the heart of wigtown, scotlands national book town. The shop the oldest bookshop in wigtown, scotlands national booktown and our range of stock includes all subjects. The bookshop used to be the only bookshop in town before book town status changed everything.
The open book is a bookshop and above a selfcatering flat in the heart of wigtown, scotlands national book town. The building has an interesting history and is another place you could lose time as there are so many titles and subjects to discover including a room dedicated to sheet music. Wellread books of wigtown, agnew crescent, wigtown 2020. Nov 22, 2018 thank you, wigtown, for a fabulous experience. I bought the place in 2001, said shaun, who grew up in wigtown and had worked in gas. Scotlands national book town, a royal burgh of 1,000 residents and 12 bookshops beside the sea in galloway.
The bookshop, wigtown scotlands largest secondhand book shop. It contains over 100,000 books, spread over a mile of shelving along twisting corridors and roaring fires, set in a beautiful rural town by the edge of the sea. A bookshop guide to wigtown, scotlands national book town. Browse, buy, blether about books in the towns newest book shop. In the meantime buy a lucky bundle of books, a gift voucher, or simply get in touch. Old bank bookshop wigtown, newton stewart book store. Curly tale books is a small independent publishing company specialising in books for young children.
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