The Best Bookshops in Bath, England: A Literary Day Out for Book Lovers
Looking for the best bookshops in Bath, UK? Here’s where I’d browse for new books, second-hand finds, beautiful editions, antiquarian books and one very fabulous Reading Spa—plus how I’d turn them into a literary day around Bath—from a lover of Bath and books!
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I love discovering bookshops when I travel.
Obviously I love the books, but I also love how quickly a good bookshop tells you something about where you are—and in Bath, that’s half the fun.
Jane Austen was actually one of my first connections to the city, long before I knew the finer details of Georgian Bath.
So a day spent moving between the streets she knew and some genuinely fabulous bookshops feels like exactly the sort of Bath day I would’ve loved before I ever saw the city.
On the same day you can be standing beneath the rolling ladders at Topping & Company Booksellers, choosing one of Persephone Books’ beautiful grey editions, digging through old Bath and Austen titles at Bath Old Books and looking at bindings inside George Bayntun.
Which is very much my kind of day.
Plus, if you can believe it, Austen isn’t the only literary thread here. Mary Shelley wrote much of Frankenstein while living here; Charles Dickens put Bath into The Pickwick Papers, and the city has been giving writers very good material for a long time.
With that said, here’s my guide to the best bookshops in the city and how to have a fabulous literary-led day in Bath.
Shall we?
About the Author
Hi, I’m Candace — a London-based travel writer and content creator who traded the East Coast of the US for the charm of the UK back in 2016. London’s been my home ever since.
On this blog, you’ll find hundreds of thoughtfully crafted London, UK, Europe and Worldwide travel guides alongside lots of insider London tips, honest hotel and restaurant reviews and advice for content creators.
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🗞️📺 As featured on the BBC, USA Today & Recipe.TV.
Quick Overview: The Best Bookshops in Bath
| Bookshop | Best for | What I’d know |
|---|---|---|
| Topping & Company Booksellers | My first stop | 80,000 titles, rolling ladders and a huge events programme in an 1818 former Friends Meeting House |
| Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights | Recommendations & the Reading Spa | Independent since 2006; reserve their Reading Spa well in advance |
| Persephone Books | Women writers & beautiful editions | Independent publisher/bookshop specialising largely in overlooked twentieth-century women writers |
| Bath Old Books | Second-hand & antiquarian browsing | 15,000+ volumes with particularly good Bath, Jane Austen, literature, art and architecture sections |
| George Bayntun | Rare books & bookbinding | Historic bookseller and bindery beside Bath Spa station; open on weekdays |
| Waterstones Bath | The biggest general browse | 55,000+ titles over three floors plus Café W |
Opening times and bookshop details were accurate at the time of writing. I’d still check the individual shop before travelling, especially George Bayntun, Bath Old Books and any visit built around an event or Reading Spa.
Book Your Bath Trip
Where I recommend staying: For the most character, I’d choose No.15 by GuestHouse, Bath, set inside three Georgian townhouses on Great Pulteney Street with playful interiors and an on-site spa. For the easiest arrival by train, I’d stay at Hotel Indigo Bath; it’s a 5-minute walk from Bath Spa station with small Jane Austen touches alongside a modern stay. I’ve personally stayed at and highly recommend both.
Getting to Bath from London: Compare times and book your direct journey from London Paddington to Bath Spa—it takes around 1 hour 15 minutes and is a beautiful journey.
The attraction I’d book first: Reserve your Roman Baths entry ticket with audio guide. It’s an essential first-time Bath attraction, and arrival times can fill up quickly on busy weekends and holidays.
Visiting from London for the day? I’d choose this Windsor, Stonehenge, Bath and Roman Baths day tour if you want transport and all major bookings handled for you.
Staying longer? This Stonehenge, Avebury, Lacock and Castle Combe tour from Bath combines two prehistoric sites with two of the prettiest villages within easy reach of the city.
For a different view: Take this 30-minute scenic River Avon cruise for glorious views over Bath’s weir and riverside.
Stay connected: Set up your Europe eSIM before your trip. It takes less than five minutes, and you’ll have mobile data ready to use when you arrive.
For extra peace of mind: I personally recommend using VisitorsCoverage to compare travel insurance options before your trip—it’s my go-to for finding the right cover whenever I travel.
Why Bath Is Such a Good City for Book Lovers
Jane Austen is the obvious starting point for me, but she isn’t the whole story.
She lived in Bath from 1801 to 1806, and the city later became central to Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. But Mary Shelley also spent an important stretch of time here while working on Frankenstein, and writers from Tobias Smollett and Fanny Burney to Charles Dickens have all folded Bath into their work.
Then there’s the city itself.
As you’re exploring, you’ll be walking through the same Georgian city they were writing around and about—including famed sights like The Circus, the Royal Crescent, the Bath Assembly Rooms, old pleasure gardens and more.
I think that’s why the bookshops work so well as a theme here. You can spend an hour reading about Bath, step outside and suddenly recognise half the street names!
P.S. – If you want more of that side of the city, my best walking tours in Bath guide has the history-led options, while my best things to do in Bath guide covers the wider city. For a themed day, use my Jane Austen guide to Bath.
If I Only Had Time for Three Bath Bookshops
I’d go to Topping & Company, Mr B’s and Persephone Books.
Topping for a long browse. Mr B’s when I want somebody to tell me what I should read next. Persephone, if you want to come home with something that forever becomes “the book I bought in Bath“.
And if second-hand books are more your thing, swap Persephone for Bath Old Books.
The Best Bookshops in Bath, UK
1. Topping & Company Booksellers — Best Overall
Best for: a beautiful bookshop wander, beautiful interiors, events and leaving with more books than you planned…
If I could only send you to one Bath bookshop, I’d start with Topping & Company.
The Bath branch started in 2007, then moved in 2021 into the former Friends Meeting House on York Street, an 1818 building designed by William Wilkins—the same architect behind London’s National Gallery.
And it is gorgeous.
There’s around 80,000 books here now, with high shelves, rolling ladders and enough rooms that a “quick look” can become quite a serious chunk of your morning (it did mine).
More than stunning, Topping runs more than 200 author events a year in Bath, plus reading groups and a huge literary programme. Margaret Atwood, Sally Rooney, Nigel Slater and Dolly Alderton have all passed through over the years.
I’d check the Bath events calendar before your trip as you might stumble into Bath on the same evening as an author you love!
It’s also only a stone’s throw from Bath Abbey, so it fits ridiculously easily into a first day in the city.
2. Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights — Best for Book Recommendations
Best for: talking books, unusual recommendations and the very fabulous Reading Spa.
Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights opened on John Street in 2006, and is one I’d save time for if you’re after personal book recommendations on your trip.
Recommendations are a big part of the shop here, which I love, especially at their very iconic Mr B’s Reading Spa.
You sit down with one of their booksellers over tea or coffee and cake, talk through what you’ve loved reading, then your “bibliotherapist” disappears and comes back with a pile chosen around you. The current experience costs £105, usually lasts around 90 minutes and includes £60 towards books.
The only catch is availability. At the time of writing, Reading Spas are booking roughly 10–12 months ahead and the shop is currently taking appointments from mid-2027 onwards. So yes, this one needs a little more planning than deciding what to do after breakfast.
Even without the spa, I’d still stop in for the shop itself. And if you’re travelling with children, they do Junior Reading Spas too.
3. Persephone Books — Best for Beautiful Editions & Women Writers
Best for: neglected women writers, beautiful editions and a book that feels particularly lovely to bring home from Bath.
Persephone Books is both a publisher and a bookshop, and this is the one I’d save for when I want to find something I wasn’t already looking for.
They reprint overlooked fiction and non-fiction, mostly by women writers and mostly from the mid-twentieth century. At the moment there are more than 150 Persephone titles, from novels and short stories to diaries, memoirs, poetry, gardening and cookery books.
The signature editions are grey on the outside and then completely lovely once you open them: each gets a patterned endpaper chosen to connect with the book, plus a matching bookmark.
Best thing to do here is visit without a title in mind and choose what catches your eye! The shop itself is at 8 Edgar Buildings in a Grade II-listed building dating to 1761, with an upstairs space fitted with an old piano and used for book groups, lunches, small concerts, film screenings and seminars.
The only slightly annoying bit: Persephone is closed on Sundays. So be sure to plan around it!
4. Bath Old Books — Best for Second-Hand & Antiquarian Books
Best for: old books, local history, Jane Austen shelves and the pleasure of not knowing what you’ll find.
If second-hand shelves are more your thing, Bath Old Books is the one I’d save time for.
The shop is tucked into Margaret’s Buildings between The Circus and the Royal Crescent, which already makes it an extremely convenient detour.
It’s a collective of booksellers with more than 15,000 volumes and particularly good sections for literature, art, architecture, local Bath history and Jane Austen.
I wouldn’t come here looking for one exact title, but if you’re happy to leave your fate in the luck of second-hand bookshops, this is the one for you.
At the time of writing, Bath Old Books is open 10am–5pm Monday to Saturday and closed Sunday too.
5. George Bayntun — Best for Rare Books & Bookbinding
Best for: antiquarian books, fine bindings and seeing the craft side of books outside of reading.
George Bayntun is the one I’d add if you want to see the craft side of books too.
George Bayntun started his bookbinding business in Bath in 1894. The shop and bindery now sit in an old Post Office sorting office on Manvers Street, less than a minute from Bath Spa station.
And very little inside has changed since 1938.
Here you’ll find thousands of antiquarian and second-hand books and prints over three floors, while the binders still work at benches originally used for sorting the mail.
This is less “pop in for the new paperback everybody is talking about” and more about books as objects—the leather, paper, bindings, first editions and the fact that somebody has actually made or restored the thing you’re holding. Incredibly fascinating!
George Bayntun is currently open Monday to Friday, closing for lunch between 1pm and 2pm, so it’s very easy to miss. If you’re taking the train from London on a weekday, I’d either make it your first stop off the train or your last before heading home!
6. Waterstones Bath — Best for the Biggest General Browse
Best for: a huge range, children’s books, travel and a coffee break while you decide what you’re actually buying.
I know, I know—it’s Waterstones.
But I wouldn’t leave the Bath branch off just to make the list more independent.
It’s the largest bookshop in the city, with more than 55,000 titles across three floors on Milsom Street. It has particularly big fiction, crime, children’s, history, art, travel and cookery sections, plus a Café W if you need a sit-down halfway through the day.
If I only had a day, I’d give the independent-bookshop time to Topping, Mr B’s and Persephone first. But if you’d like a sit-down in Bath with a side of book browsing, yes—I recommend Waterstones.
How I’d Turn Bath’s Bookshops Into a Literary Day
This is the bit I love, because the bookshops sit so neatly inside the Bath I’d recommend seeing anyways.
I’d start at Topping & Company. It opens early, and you can start your day with coffee and a proper browse before the middle of Bath gets busy.
From there, you’re right beside Bath Abbey and only a few minutes from the Roman Baths. I’d wander through the historic centre for a bit before making books the mission again.
Then I’d head towards Mr B’s on John Street.
If Jane Austen is part of the reason you’re doing this in the first place, the Jane Austen Centre on Gay Street is only a short walk away. I’d do the Centre here, then pick up my Jane Austen in Bath guide and follow Gravel Walk towards the Royal Crescent side of town.
If you’re much more gothic than Regency, Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein is on Gay Street too. I’d swap that in rather than trying to do both museums in the same bookshop day.
That brings you almost straight to Bath Old Books in Margaret’s Buildings.
From there I’d loop back via Persephone Books at Edgar Buildings and Waterstones on Milsom Street if you still have room in the tote bag.
And if it’s a weekday, I’d save George Bayntun for the end. It’s beside Bath Spa station, which makes browsing old bindings a considerably nicer way to wait for a train than standing on the platform staring at the departures board.
If this were my day, I’d finish it somewhere involving tea. The Regency Tea Room is fabulous for the full Jane Austen version, and you can check out the rest of my recommendations in my Bath afternoon tea guide.
Coming From London?
A bookshop day is a very easy excuse for another Bath trip from London.
Direct trains from London Paddington to Bath Spa station take around one hour and twenty minutes and you can compare London to Bath train tickets here or use my London to Bath guide for the full journey.
If I were coming down just for the day, I’d do the bookshops and one literary attraction, then leave the rest of Bath for another time. And when that other time comes, use my one-day Bath itinerary!
Where I’d Stay for a Literary Weekend in Bath
If you’re making a weekend of it, I’d still go with the two Bath hotels I’ve personally stayed at.
No.15 by GuestHouse, Bath is my character pick on Great Pulteney Street. From there you can walk straight down towards The Holburne Museum and Sydney Gardens for the Jane Austen side of the city.
Hotel Indigo Bath is the practical one if you’re arriving with a suitcase and a growing stack of books, because it’s only a few minutes from Bath Spa station.
Read my No.15 review, Hotel Indigo Bath review or best hotels in Bath guide if you’re staying over.
Final Thoughts on Bath’s Best Bookshops
I love finding bookshops when I travel anyway, but Bath is one of the cities where I’d happily make that the whole theme of my trip.
Start with Topping, spend far too long talking books at Mr B’s, buy something beautifully grey from Persephone and then see what Bath Old Books decides you need to take back on the train.
Not a bad day in Bath, if you ask me.
Have the loveliest literary day!
Happy travels,
Candace x
FAQ: Bookshops in Bath, UK
What Are the Best Bookshops in Bath?
My top three are Topping & Company Booksellers for a long browse and its huge events programme, Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights for recommendations and the Reading Spa, and Persephone Books for the grey editions I’d be most tempted to take home.
What Is the Most Beautiful Bookshop in Bath?
I’d give that to Topping & Company. Its Bath shop fills an 1818 former Friends Meeting House with around 80,000 books, high shelves and rolling ladders. Persephone is much smaller but especially beautiful if you like thoughtful book design.
Where Can You Buy Second-Hand Books in Bath?
Bath Old Books is my first stop for second-hand and antiquarian books. It carries more than 15,000 volumes, with specialist sections for Bath, Jane Austen, literature, architecture, art and other subjects. George Bayntun is the better pick for rare books and fine bindings.
Where Is Persephone Books in Bath?
Persephone Books is at 8 Edgar Buildings, Bath BA1 2EE. It’s currently open 10am–6pm Monday to Friday and 11am–5pm Saturday, and closed Sunday.
What Is Mr B’s Reading Spa?
The Mr B’s Reading Spa is a one-to-one book recommendation session in the Bath shop. You talk through your reading tastes over tea or coffee and cake, then a bookseller chooses a stack of recommendations for you. The current £105 experience includes £60 towards books and is extremely popular, so it currently books many months ahead.
Does Bath Have a Waterstones?
Yes. Waterstones Bath is on Milsom Street and is currently the largest bookshop in the city, with more than 55,000 books across three floors plus Café W.
Is Bath Good for Book Lovers?
Oh, absolutely. You can walk between Topping & Company, Mr B’s, Persephone and Bath Old Books, then fold Jane Austen, Mary Shelley and Georgian Bath into the same day. It’s exactly why Bath works so well for a literary trip!
Can You Do a Bookshop Day in Bath From London?
Yes. Direct trains from London Paddington to Bath Spa take around one hour and twenty minutes, and most of the bookshops in this guide are walkable from the station. Compare London–Bath train tickets if you’re planning the day independently.
Plan the Rest of Your Bath Trip
Still planning? Here’s more of my Bath guides to help you decide where to stay, what to book and how to make the most of your trip.
Bath itineraries and planning
- The Best Things to Do in Bath, England: Roman Baths, Georgian Streets, Jane Austen & More
- 2 Days in Bath: The Perfect Weekend Itinerary (From a Frequent Visitor)
- One Day in Bath: The Perfect Day Trip Itinerary (With Map & Tips)
- How to Get from London to Bath: Train, Bus, Car or Tour?
- Christmas in Bath: The Perfect Festive Weekend Itinerary
What to see and do in Bath
- Bridgerton Filming Locations in Bath: A Self-Guided Walking Tour + Visiting Tips
- Jane Austen in Bath: Places to Visit, Her History & the Perfect Literary Day
- The Best Bookshops in Bath, England: A Literary Day Out for Book Lovers
- The Roman Baths in Bath, England: Everything You Need to Know Before You Visit
Where to stay in Bath
- The Best Hotels in Bath, England: Where to Stay, From Georgian Townhouses to Spa Hotels
- No.15 by GuestHouse Bath Review: Is This Characterful Georgian Hotel Worth It?
- Hotel Indigo Bath Review: A Jane Austen-Inspired Stay Near Bath Spa Station
Tours, day trips and experiences
- The Best Walking Tours in Bath: History, Bridgerton, Ghost & Food Tours
- The Best Bath Day Tours from London: Stonehenge, Windsor, Lacock & More
- The Best Day Trips from Bath: Cotswolds, Stonehenge, Oxford & More
- Thermae Bath Spa Review: Is It Worth It? Everything You Need to Know
- The Best Boat Trips in Bath, England: Sightseeing, Prosecco Cruises & River Avon Views
