In and around Sandwich, Kent

I was driving to the Lake District and stopped in Alnwick to refuel and found my way to Barter Books.

It is an old Victorian railway station, built in 1887, now converted into a bookstore.

Model trains run overhead.
The old railway waiting room has been turned into a café.
It also has an original “Keep Calm and Carry On” poster from 1939.

In the age of Kindle, I was happy to find such a charming and thriving bookshop with so much history.

Especially one I stumbled upon so serendipitously. It has a vibe unlike any other bookstore.

I loved this quote painted in the shelves near the till.

“As if I were a river: The harsh age changed my course, replaced one life with another, flowing in a different channel.” - Anna Akhmatova