This, my friends, is not a bookshop; it’s a stairway to a place of enchantment. It’s what happens when a passionate shop owner creates something far greater than any mere shop.
In this case, it’s a place modelled on the legendary Paris bed-&-bookshop Shakespeare & Co – for the Sanctuary Bookshop, Lyme Regis, is a Bed & Breakfast that also offers 5,000 books stuffed around its staircases and landings, while the basement contains a reading room stacked from floor to ceiling.
Bob & Mariko Speer have created a wonderland of old books, which I discovered by chance on the way to lunch, and then had to rush around in state of luxurious panic – is there anything more annoying than a book lover being hurried? With ten rooms and four floors of books to cover my choices had to be made fast, but I found several authors I’d never heard of, whom I could write up in my weekly column ‘Invisible Ink’ for the Independent On Sunday.
A bookshop like this makes up for all the Starbucks and McDonalds rubbish you find in high streets. And it shows there are things no Kindle will ever be able to do – excite you with the experience of reading discoveries. You can find the shop’s site here.
This is a heaven on earth. The Speers are obviously angels loaned to us. Now for a holiday in Lyme Regis. I’m sure I can think of some reason besides the bookstore. George Vancouver was born here; that’ll do.
I’ve bought books from this place via the internet. Inside each book I’ve bought they include a bookmark that advertises the store/shop/inn and it has always sounded to me like a unique place to visit. I have always wanted to see this store and now I MUST go there sometime next year. Thanks for the enticing photos!
Wow amazing you’ve been to one of our favourite places!!!! I’ve blogged about the Sanctuary bookshop several times (http://missgish.weebly.com/1/post/2011/06/the-sanctuary-bookshop-lyme-regis.html)…
I am reading a PG Woodhouse Omnibus I bought there in October…
Lyme Regis, Bridport and Dorset in general are very inspiring places. I am very urban but I often think about moving there…
Should read P.G WODHOUSE of course.
WODEHOUSE. Sorry, I am not concentrating… third time lucky.
The also deal in pianolas. Not pianos, no no! Pianolas. Thank goodness they exist.