About Us

The Book House started life in Shepley, Yorkshire in 1963 when Mary Irwin put out books for sale on the wall in front of our house. The initial stock was about 20 books and we had 2/6 (12 and a half pence) as a float. By the time we left Yorkshire for Loughborough, Leicestershire, in 1965 we had built up quite a collection of books.

In Loughborough we lived on a suburban estate, so selling books was a problem. The town had a very lively market and we applied for a stall. We got a site but no stall and had to manage with a small table which sprouted a plastic cover in bad weather, while we sheltered in a nearby shop doorway. After a year the Market Superintendent took pity on us and offered us a good stall, that had become vacant.

For the next four years we gradually built up trade, in the meantime renting a warehouse for the books. This became our first "shop".

The big breakthrough came in 1969 when we bought a shop in Loughborough near the public library. This was promptly named The Book House.

1971 saw us joining Gerry Mosdell in setting up the first book fair for out-of-town booksellers in London. This was the beginning of the PBFA, now the world's largest second-hand booksellers' group.

By 1983 an increasing amount of business was coming through catalogues and so a move was made to Ravenstonedale, Cumbria. In 2006 we moved to Brough under Stainmore on the A66 road from Scotch Corner to Penrith, Brigid runs the shop and Mary & Chris are taking it a bit easier, though they expect to be around occasionally.

We are open for visitors 10am to 4.30pm each day except Sundays and Mondays. As Brigid is sometimes away at Fairs please ring if coming any distance.

We do have some of our books on the internet and you browse through them by clicking here