Sam Read Bookseller Ltd

Established by Sam Read, the shop has traded as a small independent bookshop since 1887, taking advantage of its position on Grasmere village green. There can be few places in the country that can lay claim to so many literary connections, from Wordsworth, Coleridge and the Romantics, to John Ruskin, Beatrix Potter and Arthur Ransome.

The shop has had only 6 owners in its 123 year history. Sam Read, a prominent local Victorian, passed the business onto his daughter Helen, who ran it until the 1950’s. The shop then passed out of the family but the name has lived on – for obvious reasons!

The shop has always prided itself on its range of books and quality of service. Apart from a few weeks in January, we are open 7 days a week, 9-5 in winter and 9-6 the rest of the year. If you are unable to come and visit the shop, please browse these web pages and contact us with any orders or requests. We are happy to do a search for any out of print titles and will endeavour to supply them where possible.