London is filled with activities and sightseeing, and our job is to make sure your itinerary is filled with what brings you the most joy. At Vacations by Jillian we love books and history - if this is up your alley, here are some great recommendations for you to explore in London.
Hatchards
187 Piccadilly, St. James's, London W1J 9LE
An easy 5 minute walk from Piccadilly Circus, this five-story building is a famously known bookshop among Londoners and visitors. John Hatchard founded Hatchards as a publisher and bookseller in 1797 - making this London's oldest bookshop. One of Hatchards' first customers was Queen Charlotte, the wife to King George III, and that royal association has continued over the years. Because of its strong association with the Monarchy Hatchards has received two royal warrants. (Royal warrants indicate when a business supplies goods or services to the crown). In more recent times, Hatchards has branches beyond the original Piccadilly location, but that first one holds the most history. Hatchards prides itself on offering a wide selection of first editions and historical books, especially on royalty - to modern books where many authors will sign their new releases.
Heywood Hill
10 Curzon Street, London W1J5HH
Independent bookshop Heywood Hill is situated just outside of Shepard's Market in the heart of Mayfair and is a haven for book lovers. This is a great stop when you visit Buckingham Palace or wander either Hyde Park or Green Park. Its central location isn't what makes it the central scene for authors, readers, book sellers and collectors since 1936, though. The bookshop contains both old and new books with a variety of trinkets, and it has maintained its fidelity to have passionate booksellers throughout the years. The shop is known for its variety of special collections (that they ship all over the world!), and, their dedication to maintaining their original style even through the digital age. They also pride themselves on getting to know individual customers and their likes and dislikes. The bookshop was once kept by Nancy Mitford, an aristocrat of the 1930's and 40's. Later she became a novelist, most likely inspired by her time at Heywood. Her sister, Deborah, kept the connection alive through her husband, the Duke of Devonshire, and their support has continued through the decades. The character of this bookshop is alive and felt the moment you step inside.
Word on the Water
Word on the Water was founded by friends who lived on canal boats - one of whom began his book selling years earlier selling books from bread crates and under a bridge at the Thames-side book fair. The bookshop on the barge began with a cruising license in 2011 - docking from one end of the Thames to another, but eventually (due to thousands who signed a petition to support the cause) they secured a permanent location in 2014. The Diante has history as a Dutch canal boat from the 1920s, and it now docks on the Regent - a short walk from King's Cross Station. Part of the beauty of this little bookshop is that you never know what you find - with both many new titles and beloved titles from the past. Word on the Water has live music and performances such as dance or spoken word. If you visit at night, twinkle lights illuminate the barge and set the ambience of magic that every bookshop aspires to have for readers.
Primrose Hill Books
134 Regent's Park Rd, London NW1 8X
Primrose Hill is nestled to the north Regent's Park and West of the famous Camden Market. It's a small village known for its picturesque pastel-colored terraces and the small green park with panoramic views of the city that the neighborhood is named after. Primrose Hill Books fits right into this perfect nook of London - along with other small businesses and bakeries of the town that hold travelers' and locals' hearts equally. The draw of this bookshop is not just the excellent books and events, but the ambience of the neighborhood and how it represents this gem within the city. Embracing the pastels, Primrose Hill Books blue terrace is equally as welcoming as the shop is itself. Family owned and operated since the 1980s, this bookshop has had great success due to its local following and their investment in local writers and authors, often hosting them for events and book signings. Don't miss out on the downstairs which offers an entire floor with secondhand books!
Marchpane
16 Cecil Ct, London WC2N 4HE
We've now gotten to the crux of this blog - because of where this particular bookshop is located. Cecil Row, also known as Flicker Alley for its influence on early 20th century film, is now commonly known as Bookseller's Row as it is lined with bookshops that have historic and present day importance to the whole of London. Wolfgang Mozart's family stayed in this area for a time, and one of the most famous music bookshops in the world is in this alley as well. Bookshops here house classics, first editions, music books, and children's books. The magic of this street, each storefront curated to show what books they offer, inspired the idea of the Wizarding World's Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter series, where children hop from one store to the next looking through the glass windows at the displays as they shop for school. This brings us to this fantastic bookshop - Marchpane Children's Books - which evokes this childlike magic within the store as well. Known for having the largest selection of books by and about Lewis Carroll (its specialty in Alice and Wonderland written works), this children's bookshop specializes in collectible children's and illustrated books. All kinds of readers (even the adult one's) will be inspired by both new and classic children's literature. While bookseller's row is for everyone, Marchpane is an especially great stop when you have children tagging along.
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