Brilliant Bookshops: Winstones, Sidmouth

Sidmouth is a lovely town on the Jurassic Coast (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Its beautiful seafront is framed by dramatic red cliffs and the surrounding countryside is perfect for ramblers. John Betjeman, the Poet Laureate, described the town as ‘caught still in a timeless charm’ and it boasts a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. Sidmouth was a favourite with Queen Victoria, who visited a number of times, and the town is obviously proud of its history as there are many plaques referring to ‘Historic Sidmouth’, sharing significant events and locations around the town.

The town also has a rich literary heritage. ‘Stymouth’ in Beatrix Potter’s ‘The Tale of Little Pig Robinson’ is based on Sidmouth and several of her illustrations have strong similarities to locations in the area. Elizabeth Barrett Browning lived here for a time and the town was visited by H G Wells, Jane Austen and George Bernard Shaw amongst other authors so it is fitting that it should have a wonderful bookshop!

On the High Street of this pretty town, you will find Winstone's Bookshop. Very much at the heart of the town, a constant stream of customers flowed through its doors whilst I was there with a mixture of visitors and locals valuing the opportunity to browse the excellent selection on offer. But tourist or resident, everyone was greeted warmly and made to feel welcome.

The shop is light and the space is well laid out, offering a balance between there being something new to look at at every turn and there being enough space to move round the shop comfortably!

A wonderful selection of Tintin books sit proudly with a range of graphic novels. I was sorely tempted by a Snowy in a gift box, but surprisingly for me, I resisted! In the children’s section, there was a pleasing balance of recent and older publications. It was particularly pleasing to notice that certain shelves weren't dominated by the complete works of some authors to the exclusion of others.

The lady behind the counter was extremely helpful, polite and knowledgeable. She was really keen to help me locate what I was after and to answer my questions about the area.

With shops in Sherborne (Dorset) and Frome (Somerset-see Brilliant Bookshops: Hunting Raven Books), the South West is is lucky!

Winstone's,

10, High Street,

Sidmouth, Devon