Scrivener’s Books and Bookbinding, Buxton (Image: MEN Staff)
The seasons have already begun to change and the tempuratures drop, so the type of holiday Brits are looking for might switch from golden sand beaches to staycations and cosy adventures in the UK.
The UK has a plethora of options for short getaways, with plenty of countryside towns and villages offering wholesome advenures.
Manchester Evening News’ Liv Clarke headed to the Peak District town of Buxton, discovering a oldy worldly bookshop which looked like it could’ve been plucked straight from a Harry Potter film.Â
So if you’re a book lover looking for a cosy place to spend the autumn without wanting to fork out on a flight abroad, Liv suggested turning your attention to the Peak District.
Here’s what she thought.
In the cellar you’ll find the ‘smallest Victorian Museum in Buxton’ (Image: MEN Staff)
“As I wander around a never-ending rabbit warren of bookshelves, I feel as if I’ve lost all sense of the outside world.
“It’s the same feeling you get when reading a good book – an escape from reality; whether it’s stepping into a fantasy realm, travelling back in time or learning about distant lands in travel guides.
“I’m visiting Scrivener’s Books and Bookbinding in Buxton, a second hand bookshop spanning five floors and boasting an incredible 40,000 books.
“Once named among the UK’s best second hand book shops by The Guardian, this shop occupies a building which stands proud on a street corner at the end of a row of shops, which gives it a tower-like appearance and makes it impossible to miss.
“It has a traditional shop front with all the decorative signage leaving no doubt of what lies inside.
“You can sense this is a magical place from the roadside, but stepping through the door I’m delighted by what I discover.
The bookshop is packed full of cosy reading nooks (Image: MEN Staff)
“The ground floor features everything you expect: the till area, some stationery, greetings cards – the sort of thing you find at a normal checkout in the bookshop.
“Yet in the corner sits the intriguing bookbinding station, certainly not something you find in your usual high street shop. This is the first clue that this is no ordinary bookshop.
“A helpful shop guide lists the subjects stocked on every floor, from the attic to the cellar.
“There’s everything you could imagine: books on anthropology, archaeology, architecture; fairy tales, fiction and fantasy; travel, theatre and transport. You name it, they’ve got it.
“Making my way upstairs I’m struck at how peaceful the shop is; during my visit it’s pretty much empty, bar the staff on the ground floor, so I’m left to explore each floor at my own pace.
“Each floor features books stacked high on higgledy-piggledy shelves, crammed into every nook and cranny. It really does feel like you’ve entered the set of a Harry Potter film.
Buxton is just a stone’s throw away from some glorious views (Image: Getty)
“Cosy reading corners can be found among the shelves, perfect spots to curl up and start reading.
“There’s a gorgeous children’s section, filled with every comic you could imagine. Spaced out between the books, the building’s windows provide picture-perfect views of Buxton’s rooftops.
“Hand-drawn signs add to the magic of the place, down in the cellar an illustrated poster informs visitors that books on gardening, horses and pets are “around the bend”, while books on beekeeping are located “somewhere”.
“Indeed, if you’re after a specific title, you may have to dig for it. Another one of these signs leads you to one of the more intriguing features of Scrivener’s.
“It reads, ‘Don’t miss the cellar. It’s full of books and the smallest Victorian Museum in Buxton’ then in brackets, ‘also we may have a ghost’.
“Venturing down into the cellar, I don’t encounter any ghouls, but I do stumble across the tiny Victorian Museum, found next to the buildings’ original stove.
“It features all sorts of paraphernalia, including picture slides, a range of antiques, and shelves upon shelves of Victorian books (naturally).
“I will admit it would perhaps be a little ghostly if you were left alone here at night, resident ghost or not.
“Emerging back outside, I had no idea how long I’d spent inside Scrivener’s but I do know I could have spent hours perusing all of its shelves.
“With autumn upon us there’s no better time to stop by a bookshop, and if you’re passing through Buxton then a visit here is an absolute must.”
Scrivener’s Books and Bookbinding, 42 High St, Buxton SK17 6HB