9 surprising places to buy books in Ramsbottom

“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” C.S Lewis.

Well, Ramsbottom certainly has the coffee shops (they sell tea too C.S. Lewis) so I think we’ve got that side covered, but what about the books?

I’ve spoken with many people since creating This is Rammy, on the podcast and just in general conversation around the town. I’ve gotten into the habit of asking people what they feel Ramsbottom might be lacking, and many times people mention they’re surprised there is not a Bookshop. This has came up time, and time again.

So I went out and had a look around Ramsbottom to try to come up with the ultimate list for local bibliophiles as to exactly where you CAN buy books in Ramsbottom.

One of the fantastic features of Ramsbottom is that the proximity of all of these places are near enough that you should be able to hit them all in an afternoon.

1, Ramsbottom Library – Carr Street, Ramsbottom

Sometimes overlooked, but you can actually buy books in Ramsbottom Library, not just borrow them.

Not only are there several local interest and history books at the door on the way into the Library but there are sales of withdrawn books from time to time too where you can pickup a real bargain.

Definitely one to check out and probably one of those blindingly obvious answers that you don’t think about.

2, Charity shops – Bridge Street, Ramsbottom

 

Bridge Street in Ramsbottom is currently home to five charity shops (RSCPA, AgeUK Bury, Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary, Bury Hospice and Sue Ryder) several of which I know stock a variety of literature available for purchase. You can pick up some real bargains too, always worth a peruse, but do be aware that you might go in for a book or two and end up leaving with a bookcase too.

3, St Paul’s Church – Bridge Street, Ramsbottom

Right in the centre of Ramsbottom is the magnificent building and shining example of Ramsbottoms religious upbringing. Not only is St Paul’s Church a house of God, on some special days you can find a great array of fantastic second hand books. Their regular Coffee mornings for example. I’ve actually bought a few from here too so I’m speaking with first hand knowledge.

4, Memories Antiques – Bridge Street, Ramsbottom

How can you forget the Aladdin’s Cave of Antiques, the Mecca of Memorabilia or Pile of the Past that is Memories Antiques on Bridge Street. I spend hours in Memories just browsing around the aisles, ok that’s wrong, I would spend hours if I was allowed to.

In Memories you’ll find anything from Annuals for Beano and Dandy to Harry Potter and Handy Andy (probably).

I only went in to take some photos and ended up leaving with three Mr Men books for my son! Be warned! 🙂

5, Morrisons, Tesco and ALDI oh my!

You can often find various books for sale in the few Supermarkets we have available in Ramsbottom. You’re only likely to find the book charts and maybe a few activity books and annuals here and there. Not many places have as good a range of books as Ramsbottom Library.

 

6, Theatre Royal – Smithy St, Ramsbottom

Did you know that during performances The Theatre Royal actually have an honesty box solution for their book sales. This was confirmed by Elizabeth Dunn on Twitter, I’ve also heard they have the occasional sale now and again but this is unconfirmed. (I spoke to Elizabeth back in episode 71 of the podcast)

7, Sunday Car Boot Sale – Railway Street, Ramsbottom

In the months from April to October you’ll find the car boot sale setup on the East Lancs Railway carpark. It’s not the biggest in the world, but it’s certainly a welcome feature. You can often get books on the car boot for sale. Naturally your options are limited as to what is available. For more information about the Car Boot Sale look here.

8, Clark Craft – Railway Street, Ramsbottom

Pens, Pencils, Paintbrushes and Publications (yes I did search for a P word for books). Not only can you pick-up your HB pencils, art supplies, airfix models and crafting arsenal, but you can also on occasion (usually Car Boot Sale Days, see above) buy some books where proceeds go to Charity.

9, Park Farm – Manchester Road, Ramsbottom/Walmersley

One place that originally missed the list was Park Farm Tearooms. You can find this bookcase full of second hand books for sale for £1 each. There’s quite a good selection but more for adults and teenagers than children.
Hopefully you’ve had an idea about where you can buy books in Ramsbottom. If you’ve got any favourites that I’ve not included, please get in touch.