Second-hand bookshops

Visitors reading books in one of the National Trust's second-hand bookshops

Did you know £1.5m has been raised for special places in our care, thanks to second-hand book lovers last year?

From classic volumes and colourful children’s tales to modern fiction and vintage treasures, discover something new (to you) to keep or share in one of our second-hand bookshops.

We’ve got a soft spot for second-hand books. They’re the familiar tales of our childhood and the unexpected new favourites. They’re the keepers of loving inscriptions and forgotten pressed flowers. They’re an invitation to curl up and take a journey into history, into mystery, into fantasy, into romance. And as a charity, they're pretty great for raising funds for the amazing places we look after too.

Share in our passion for second-hand books and support the landscapes you love by donating your books and picking up a great read at a National Trust place near you. Funds raised from our second-hand bookshops support vital conservation projects at the historic homes, gardens, countryside, wildlife and coast in our care.

Here's how our second-hand books stack up

  • In total, second-hand bookshops raised around £1.5m for places that we care for in 2018/19
  • On our last count, we have 185 second-hand bookshops
  • One of our biggest bookshops at Blickling Estate raised £156k in second-hand book sales last year

Discover a second-hand bookshop near you

Is your favourite place missing from our list below? We've got so many second-hand bookshops, we couldn't include them all, so contact your local National Trust place to check if they have one and for opening times.

Two women wearing coats and bobble hats read books in a second-hand bookshop

Stowe, Buckinghamshire 

Find your new second-hand favourite in the historic Parlour Rooms of Stowe’s Old Dairy. Look out for our book folding art here - it makes a perfect gift for someone special and gives new life to those books that are otherwise a little too loved to put on the shelves.

Head to the Old Dairy
Visitors looking at books

Dyffryn Gardens, Wales 

Dyffryn Gardens has not one, but two second-hand bookshops. Browse through a range of good quality books and take the one that catches your eye into the garden to read in the open air.

Uncover a fresh story
Inside the second-hand bookshop at Attingham Park

Attingham, Shropshire 

Explore four rooms full of books over two floors at Attingham’s Grooms’ Rooms second-hand bookshop. From factual reads to fantasy fiction, you’ll find it hard to leave without a book in hand.

Explore two storeys of stories

Give the gift of a story

Blind date books are on offer at Cliveden, Berkshire

Go on a book blind date 

This is one blind date that won't disappoint. At Cliveden and other places, we're offering blind date books – as a surprise for you, or a gift for others. Your book’s identity will be hidden under wrapping paper, with clues to help you find a perfect match.

Second-hand books are transformed into fairy homes and tree ornaments

Pre-loved books make magic gifts 

At Bateman's in East Sussex, we're using a bit of magic to upcycle second-hand books into light-up fairy homes, with windows to peek through and spot fairies inside. You'll also discover book art for sale, at Rudyard Kipling's family home.

Outside the bookshop

Trelissick, Cornwall 

There's a lot to discover at Trelissick's second-hand emporium, with four rooms filled to the rafters. With the shelves regularly updated you could find that out of print book that you've been searching for, a new author to try, or the childhood favourite you'd forgotten.

Dive in for a second-hand find
Visitors enjoy browsing in Blickling's second-hand bookshop.

Blickling Estate, Norfolk 

Down at the farmyard, you’ll find Blickling Estate’s second-hand bookshop. It’s perfectly placed by the café, so you’ll be able to enjoy your new (old) paperback with a piece of cake and a cuppa.

Find a new favourite
Nymans second hand bookshop

Nymans, West Sussex 

One of our most popular second-hand bookshops, this wisteria clad hideaway sells more than 25,000 books each year to raise funds for conservation projects at Nymans estate.

Calling all bookworms
" This bookshop would be my luxury item on Desert Island Discs."
- Nymans second-hand bookshop volunteer
Rows of books in the bookshop at Baddesley

Baddesley Clinton, Warwickshire 

Now in its 15th year, Baddesley's second-hand bookshop was first created when an enthusiastic reader and regular visitor left his own library of books to this special place. From humble beginnings in a first aid room, our eclectic collection now stacks up over several rooms.

Browse at Baddesley
A cat outside the bookshop at Sudbury Hall

Sudbury Hall, Derbyshire 

Browse our second-hand bookshop in the Stable Yard at Sudbury Hall. From sci-fi thrillers to rom-coms, we've got it covered. We're always looking for more second-hand books, so please bring donations to help look after this special place.

Get lost in a good book
The window of the bookshop at Castle Ward

Castle Ward, Northern Ireland 

Run by a dedicated team of volunteers, our second-hand bookshop at Castle Ward is full of titles in every genre. Pop inside for a friendly welcome and take home a new bedtime story for the kids or a cookery book for you.

Take a peek inside