Here is our guide to the loveliest independent bookstores in Eastbourne, England.
Tucked in beside the independent record stores and quirky coffee shops of Eastbourne’s trendy Grove Road, you wouldn’t expect the unassuming facade of Camilla’s to stock in excess of one million books. Run by proprietors Stuart and, of course, Camilla, the charming bookshop has paperbacks piled floor-to-ceiling and is a booklover’s paradise, just asking for readers to lose themselves among the teetering towers of reference and fiction. Resident parrot Archie pops in on Tuesdays and Fridays for a sing-song.
Camilla’s, 57 Grove Road, Eastbourne, England
Camilla’s Bookshop, Eastbourne | Postcard Courtesy of Camilla Francombe
Charity shopping is a way of life for many people in Britain, not just as the government’s austerity measures have the country tightening its belt, but because the charm of a bargainous second-hand book, mixed with the knowledge your cash is going to a good cause, is a winning combination. Eastbourne’s Oxfam Bookshop, though one of a countrywide chain, is granted its individual charm by its wonderfully eclectic mix of volunteer staff, and the variety and potential for unusual finds that regular donations afford. From travel guides to bodice-ripping period novels, you’re sure to find a book to hit the spot here.
The Oxfam Bookshop, 40 Grove Road, Eastbourne, England
Oxfam Bookshop, Eastbourne | Courtesy of Oxfam Bookshop
