This is the second of the “Travels Down Memory Lane Series”. Over the last couple of years, there hasn’t been an opportunity for holidays away. So I decided to look at some of the posts I’d planned to write, and for various reasons, I hadn’t. Nothing is as much fun as walking down memory lane and revisiting and sharing the photographs and journals from our travels.
In 2019, we went to Northumberland for a week before travelling to Lancashire for a family wedding. Northumberland was extraordinary. I’d read about Barter Books in a magazine months before and wanted to visit. On our first day, we visited Alnwick and parked. The first thing we did was visit the wool shop, and I spent a little while browsing the shelves before choosing a few balls of sock yarn.
We walked to Barter Books, which is based in an old railway station. There was a very long queue for the cafe, so Neil bought us a drink and a slice of tea brack, and we sat outside on a bench in the sunshine and enjoyed our snack.
Barter Books is utterly magical. I saw a few books that I would love to read. Honestly, who wouldn’t want to read a book about a flying rabbit?
Our next visit to Barter Books was on Sunday afternoon. It was quieter, and we could find a table in the original waiting room area to enjoy relaxing music and delicious fish cakes. There was an ambient buzz of people chatting at surrounding tables in various languages.
I had an incredible time out and relaxation and enjoyed knitting on my current sock project. I wandered around and took a few photographs. Barter Books is a very cool place to hang out.
Neil left me sipping tea and knitting so he could wander around the bookshelves. When I joined him, I noticed that book lovers walking around the books were all utterly mesmerised and in a world of their own.
The next time we visited Barter Books, we’d spent the day visiting Seaham Beach (Durham), and on our way home, we stopped there for a chocolate brownie and coffee! We’d taken photographs of my Humulus sweater on Seaham Beach, but I wasn’t particularly fond of how they had come out.
Our final visit was on the day before our drive to Lancashire, and we visited for our dinner and to shop for a few books we had spotted. I successfully got a couple of them, but others had been sold.
Barter Books was worthwhile for every one of these visits. I loved every moment in this glorious place. I loved the miniature trains travelling along the tops of bookshelves. I loved the murals on the walls. Everything about Barter Books is worth enjoying should you be lucky enough to visit Alnwick.
I used to live in Alnwick and my dad was the station master of this station for the last few months before it closed down as a proper railway station. It is a cool book shop and I love going in and remembering where my dad used to sit in his office. Also remember the wool shop that was there back in the 70s and 80s though I’m guessing it’s not run by the same person! Hope you managed to visit all the castles around, such as Warkworth, Bamburgh, Dunstenburgh etc they are all wonderful.
We visited Bamburgh and definitely want to return to Northumberland. There are so many places we would like to see there.
What an interesting book shop. I’m pretty sure the verse on the arches is from Song of Solomon
It is a wonderful bookshop and I really hope I’ll be able to visit it again someday. I loved our holiday in Northumberland.
I’ve been there, too (2013, maybe?), and absolutely loved it. 🙂 Your post makes me long to go back! Though that must wait for a while yet … travelling between Germany and the UK is not as easy anymore … (oh how I wish we could go back to those easy carefree days!)
I know exactly what you mean… I also look forward to visiting Northumberland again one day…
What an interesting post Nicolette – it brought back very happy memories of a visit there a few years ago when, like you, we were in Northumberland for a week’s holiday. You’re so right, a lovely place to visit and somewhere you don’t want to leave – such a welcoming atmosphere and feel to the place! Truly a book lover’s paradise! Coincidentally, I had just read another favourite blog the subject of which was also a place we visited on holiday, so two blogs in one day to send me down memory lane! Thank you for sharing.
It is wonderful, we would return for another holiday in Northumberland in a heartbeat!
I love Barter Books, one of my favourite places. We go to Northumbeand often as have a caravan up there. I love the thought of sitting knitting and drinking tea in Barter Books. Must try it sometime. Magical place. X
What a wonderful place to have your caravan. Idyllic!