Barter Books

It is an «aaah, all is right with the world» kind of place. The smell of the lovely books, the chugging of the model train and the light pleasing music will make you happy! Couple this with the added tastiness of a café in an old waiting room area, which sells proper coffee and nice food, with real warm fires and you have heaven. The building is so well looked after, and well used. The local buses from Alnwick/​Berwick to Morpeth and Newcastle stop nearby outside, or you can use the on site car park.
The bookshop is called Barter Books because you can go in and ‘barter’ your books, bring in a selection of books and they will value them and let you swap that for books in the shop. It is also home to the original ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ poster. so whenever I see a variation of that on a mug, card or poster I always will think of Barter Books.
Kids have their own section of the bookshop, with brightly coloured shelves and a few toys and games, as well as thoroughly well organised books on an author and genre basis.
We enjoyed a lovely coffee at the café, which is also run by the owners. A tremendous home made scone (light, fluffy and crunchy at the edges just the way it should be) and jam is to be recommended. I love the way they add literary anecdotes to the menu like ‘Emily Dickinson loved cake’ or ‘Spike Milligan’s favourite breakfast’.
There is so much to see and browse at Barter Books it would be particularly challenging to visit and not spend anything, but everyone is pretty relaxed and there is no hard sell here. Staff are really knowledgeable and will know where anything is, the book stock will never be the same each time you visit as it changes so regularly. I loved the rare books in cases above the normal shelves which have beautiful covers, if you are a collector this would probably be a good place to go. The prices of the books go from a really small bargain price, right through to original first editions, so something for everyone, and a comfy seat or several to enjoy leafing through your potential purchases.

Holy cow what an amazing place.
Located inside an old railway station this is a warehouse of old second hand books. Now don’t thing charity shop book store more like library of everything amazing and magical about books.
The building still holds it railway magic with a waiting room to enjoy a cup of tea in front of an open fire. While reading your latest find. Isles and Isles of books all put into easy to find topics.
Barter Books does what it says on the tin. If you have something a little bit different you no longer want you can bring it in to put against your latest purchase. They don’t seem to require standard paperbacks though.
This place makes me think of the library in hogwarts it is just such a magical place.
My only warning is the parking can be fun. If you can wall in from town it is far less stressful

One of the best secondhand bookshops I have ever had the pleasure of visiting, with a good selection of everything you might want. The staff are lovely, but this is the kind of bookshop you visit, browse, read, sit, enjoy, possibly buy, but at the very least spend real time wondering around and enjoying. If I am in this part of the world again this is a definite place to spend a couple of hours in if not more, possibly somewhere to visit on those rare rainy days we get here. Next time I will also sample the tea and cake (it looked delicious but I went off for lunch near by instead).
More than worth a visit.

This place is a secondhand book-lover’s dream come true! The building itself is the old Alnwick train station, and you can explore the shelves where the tracks used to be and have tea and snacks in the station waiting rooms. An electric train circles the shelves in one of the rooms, and there is a fantastic mural of authors. The book selection is grand — you have everything from £1 used paperbacks to please-​inquire-​for-​price first editions and historical texts. You can bring in your used books and get them valued and then you can exchange them for credit in the store (hence the «Barter»). I loved looking through the travel books — they have guides to London from the 19^th century! The shop has plenty of comfy chairs for sitting and having a read, or you can go in the café or tea room for a cuppa. This place is a dream and if I am ever in the area again I will definitely come here armed with old books to barter!

Best second hand bookshop I have explored in UK!
I love books, especially their smell. You read something and feel part of the world that is described. We can’t live without books, which are currently substituted by all new electronic equipment’s. But in the end, we return to the old ways and get back to a good old read!
Normally I prefer new books, but since visiting this shop I was astonished by it’s professionalism, interior design and structure, so much, that I did not mind buying second hand books. Another good thing was that they are cheaper than the new books and still in a very good condition.
The building originally was a railway station and a small miniature train still goes around just a bit above the book shelves. You can hear the train making a «tut tut» noise. I believe that there are over 20 000 books, if not more, and prices range from 50p to 25k. Lot’s of expensive special books to buy!
Sit at the open fireplace and enjoy your coffee and cake. Leave your children in the nearby play area and off you go scanning the vast amount of bookshelves containing
many different categories. You can find all topics and interests there.
Check out their web page — you will get a better feel for the place.
Distance: 2h’s from Edinburgh and close to Newcastle.

A charming secondhand bookstore in Alnwick, where you could easily while away many, many hours. The interior is very large, and it used to be a railway station, which makes for charming aspects of design — the old waiting rooms turned into a café and reading room, etc. Several cozy places to sit, and free-​wifi. The reading room is quiet and warm, as they have a fireplace (one in the front as well!) Also tea and biscuits in the front room, which are inexpensive and paid for on the honor system in a little box. I believe dogs are allowed in here as well, as I remember petting a very sweet one by the front fireplace. Well-​organized, but easy to get metaphorically lost in all the wonderful finds. A bit of touristy merchandise for sale up front as well, including an assortment of Keep Calm And Carry On mugs/​posters/​etc, as this is where the original one was found. Wide assortment of books and genres, as always at secondhand bookstores, some not worth a look and some lovely. I believe they do have some old and rare books but most are just your usual secondhand stuff. But do come visit and come often, get cozy on a chair in front of the fire, and read for hours. But BUY something, won’t you, don’t treat it as a library because places like this deserve our money!

I am stunned we’ve never been in here before on holiday!
Barter books, for those who don’t know, is the home of the original «Keep calm and carry on» poster. This former rail station has been turned into one of Britain’s biggest secondhand book stores. There are hundreds of books which are kept in lovely old bookcases. Everything is very organised and arranged in a fabulous labrynth, leading you onto a book journey.
I’m currently sat in the former waiting room eating a cheese scone (home made and DIVINE) and pinching the free wifi. For this alone they deserve 5 stars, as we are currently mid TomTom crisis and having to re-​install all the maps. (Total nightmare) I haven’t yet got to the books but I’m looking forward to leaving my kindle at home for once and settling back into a proper paper book.
It is quiet here without being imposing and if I had time, I’m sure I could spend all day here!
Edit — I forgot to add that the waiting room I’m in still has a lovely original open fire which is lit right now. I’m a sucker for a proper fire…

What a terrific place! There is a huge librarynth of books yet the place remains intimate and quiet. The staff are friendly, informed and are never too busy to help.

This is the sort of place where once you’ve visited every other second hand book shop will suddenly seem very small. The atmosphere and layout are great but be sure you give yourself several hours (at least) for your first visit
Last time we visited we tried the café. The food was great (bacon/​sausage sandwiches) but rather expensive.
If I had one criticism it’s that you do pay for the selection and great surroundings in the cost of the books which are undoubtedly more expensive than other shops I buy from. That said, this is a must visit for any book lover you won’t be disappointed.

Barter Books is probably the biggest book shop I have ever been in! Me and my girlfriend came in and stopped off in the café for a quick drink before venturing into the aisles, and I must say, I completely lost her.
It has been built in an old railway station and has a little antique shop right next to it (I’m not sure if this is part of Barter Books or not).
When you go in, you leave books at the front counter that you want to trade in (and get a receipt for them) and then go and browse through the thousands of books that they have, the cheapest I saw at 89p and the most expensive I saw was around £700!!!
With the thousands of books in there, it is possible that someone could spend and entire day wandering around reading and deciding what books to buy.
The staff are extremely helpful and although they did not have a specific book in that I wanted, were able to help me find a very similar book.

Quite simply the best book shop in Britain. Enough said.

This is what bookstores are supposed to be like, keep your waterstones and wh smiths, i’ll be looking around this gem of a place. Carrying a massive amount of second hand, rare and hard to find books this dog friendly place has something for everyone, plenty of reading room and some decent food, a visit it a must for book lovers.

A wonderful bookshop, I don’t think there is anywhere quite like it anywhere else. From first editions and antique books with a hefty price tag to modern day best sellers Barter books has the lot. The place is full of character with lots of quirky touches and a café if you fancy a coffee or snack. It would be easy to spend a great deal of time here and many people do! An absolute must for anyone who loves books — if you’re in the Alnwick area put it on your list of places to visit, you won’t regret it.

A huge second hand bookshop that carries so much stock it is unbelievable.
Coffee shop that does a mean bacon sandwich and great reading facilities, even a log burning fire during the cold months.
Great atmosphere as well as great books.

This is an amazing bookstore! The building is a former railroad station, which has been really sympathetically redesigned as a used book store. The old waiting rooms have been converted into a small café and a reading room and the main station itself is simply filled with books.
They sell some antiquarian and rare books, but for the most part they don’t seem to be all that selective about what they sell. Lots of trade paperbacks and genre fiction mixed in with the classics. This is also the home of the original «Keep Calm and Carry On» poster, which now adorns much of their merchandise.
Definitely worth a visit.

This bookshop outdoes others. Although a secondhad shop it outdoes other shops. It has a bigger stock, better reading spaces, better staff and a train set. Better than the rest. Browse here.

Great bookshop!
Old railway station that’s been converted. Really helpfull staff and a great range of books!
Check out the train set that runs along the top of the book shelves
Nice coffee too!

Quite frankly if you love books this place is paradise with a chocolate coating!!! If they did Bed and Breakfast I would stay for a week.
One of the biggest selections of second hand books in England, there is something for everyone. Hobbies, interest, Antiquarian, out of print, I could go on for ever.
They now have a little café so you can regenerate yourself and spend even longer there.
They also buy books as well so you can trade in books you have bought there and buy more! I think there is a limit to how much you can take in though.
There is a great reading room and log fires in the Winter although with the Summer we have had they have probably been lit all year!
I usually park in the centre and walk there as the car park fills up very quickly.
Be sure and leave plenty of time to browse as it can be quite daunting when you first go in!

This is the place that good book lovers go when they die. It’s like book nirvana. It’s a beautiful, quirky, lovely second-​hand, rare and and antique bookshop, housed in a disused railway station. There’s roaring log fires, a café, a coffee machine that has an honesty box, and more books than you can shake a stick at. There are books of every type and on every subject you can imagine.
If you enjoy books, ad go anywhere near Alnwick, this place is an absolute must. Just be sure to leave yourself plenty of time.

Set in the old train station this place is fantastic to find them rare books you always wanted as well as the more common novels — If you dont mind second hand this is a great place to come to.
Their is a section for everything, a childrens room, crime, fiction, history
The antique books are kept in the glass cases around the walls of the back room
There is also a reading room, if you are after something in particular they will see if they can get it for you
They also buy books and you can get cash or credit for other books only one box at a time though
It is a little expensive though and there is very little parking so you often have to park in the town centre and walk along