Bookstores in Chelmsford
If you judge a town by its bookshops, Chelmsford, Essex gives you 99 to judge by. That's 99 bookshops mapped around Chelmsford, each with its own shelves and specialties. The used sections are where the real bargains hide. Staff picks shelves are the fastest way to read a shop's personality.
This guide covers every bookstore we could verify in and around Chelmsford (within about 40 km), built from OpenStreetMap's community-maintained data. Names you'll run into include Oxfam Bookshop and Waterstones, plus Waterstones. If a bookshop's missing from Chelmsford's list, it probably just hasn't been mapped yet.
The Chelmsford bookstore lineup
99 mapped within about 40 km — showing 60:
Oxfam Bookshop
BookstoreRun by Oxfam
Run by Oxfam, Oxfam Bookshop is Bookstore, found on 214 High Street in Epping. Also worth knowing about Oxfam Bookshop: it has a website with more detail.
214 High Street, Epping, CM16 4AQ
Waterstones
Bookstore
Waterstones — Bookstore. Also worth knowing about Waterstones: it has a website with more detail.
Waterstones
Bookstore
Waterstones — Bookstore. Also worth knowing about Waterstones: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa 09:30-18:00; Su 10:00-16:00; it has a website with more detail.
Hours: Mo-Sa 09:30-18:00; Su 10:00-16:00
Second-Hand Bookshop
Bookstore
Second-Hand Bookshop is Bookstore.
The Works
Bookstore
The Works — Bookstore, found on 45-46 The Mall in London. Also worth knowing about The Works: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa 08:00-20:00; Su 10:30-17:30; it has a website with more detail.
45-46 The Mall, London, E15 1XE
Hours: Mo-Sa 08:00-20:00; Su 10:30-17:30
Waterstones
Bookstore
Waterstones — Bookstore, found on South Street in Bishop's Stortford. Also worth knowing about Waterstones: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa 09:00-17:30; Su 10:00-16:00; PH 10:00-16:00; it has a website with more detail.
South Street, Bishop's Stortford
Hours: Mo-Sa 09:00-17:30; Su 10:00-16:00; PH 10:00-16:00
Friends of Hylands
Bookstore
Friends of Hylands — Bookstore.
Waterstones
Bookstore
Waterstones — Bookstore, found on West Village in Greenhithe. Also worth knowing about Waterstones: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa 10:00-20:00; Su 11:00-17:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
West Village, Greenhithe, DA9 9SE
Hours: Mo-Sa 10:00-20:00; Su 11:00-17:00
Phone: +44 1322 624831
TGJones
Bookstore
TGJones is Bookstore on Thames Walk, Greenhithe. TGJones also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Fr 10:00-21:00; Sa 09:00-21:00; Su 11:00-17:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
Thames Walk, Greenhithe, DA9 9SL
Hours: Mo-Fr 10:00-21:00; Sa 09:00-21:00; Su 11:00-17:00
Phone: +44 1322 386843
Oxfam Bookshop
Bookstore
Oxfam Bookshop — Bookstore, found on 1 Clock House Parade in London. Also worth knowing about Oxfam Bookshop: it has a website with more detail.
1 Clock House Parade, London, E11 2AG
The Works
Bookstore
The Works — Bookstore. Also worth knowing about The Works: it has a website with more detail.
WHSmith
Bookstore
WHSmith is Bookstore on 207 High Street, Southend-on-Sea. WHSmith also notes on the map: it has a website with more detail.
207 High Street, Southend-on-Sea, SS1 1LN
The Works
Bookstore
The Works — Bookstore, found on The Meadows in Chelmsford. Also worth knowing about The Works: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa 09:00-17:30; Su 10:00-16:30; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
The Meadows, Chelmsford, CM2 6FD
Hours: Mo-Sa 09:00-17:30; Su 10:00-16:30
Phone: +44 1245 490614
Foyles
Bookstore
Foyles is Bookstore on 86 Bond Street, Chelmsford. Foyles also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa 09:00-17:30; Su,PH 10:00-16:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
86 Bond Street, Chelmsford, CM1 1GH
Hours: Mo-Sa 09:00-17:30; Su,PH 10:00-16:00
Phone: +44 1245 860289
Leigh Gallery Books
Bookstore
Leigh Gallery Books — Bookstore, found on 37 Leigh Road in Leigh-on-Sea.
37 Leigh Road, Leigh-on-Sea, SS9 1JQ
The Works
Bookstore
The Works — Bookstore. Also worth knowing about The Works: it has a website with more detail.
House of Joy
Bookstore
House of Joy is Bookstore on 37 Crouch Street, Colchester.
37 Crouch Street, Colchester, CO3 3EN
The Book Nut
Bookstore
The Book Nut — Bookstore, found on Barleylands Road in Billericay.
Barleylands Road, Billericay
Waterstones
Bookstore
Waterstones — Bookstore. Also worth knowing about Waterstones: it has a website with more detail.
Romford, RM1 3RL
WHSmith
Bookstore
WHSmith is Bookstore on Hartmann Road, London.
Hartmann Road, London, E16 2PX
Phlox Books
Bookstore
Phlox Books — Bookstore on 159 Francis Road. Also worth knowing about Phlox Books: the map lists its hours as Mo off; Tu-We,Sa 10:00-18:00; Th-Fr 10:00-20:00; Su 10:00-17:00; it has a website with more detail.
159 Francis Road
Hours: Mo off; Tu-We,Sa 10:00-18:00; Th-Fr 10:00-20:00; Su 10:00-17:00
Tayba
Bookstore
Tayba is Bookstore on High Road Leyton, London.
High Road Leyton, London
Noor Ul Islam Bookshop
Bookstore
Noor Ul Islam Bookshop is Bookstore on 82 High Road Leyton, London. Noor Ul Islam Bookshop also notes on the map: a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip.
82 High Road Leyton, London, E15 2BP
Phone: +44 20 8519 1300
Al Barakat Islamic Bookshop
Bookstore
Al Barakat Islamic Bookshop is Bookstore on 126 High Road Leyton, London.
126 High Road Leyton, London, E15 2BX
TGJones
Bookstore
TGJones is Bookstore.
Waterstones
Bookstore
Waterstones — Bookstore, found on West Thurrock Way in Grays. Also worth knowing about Waterstones: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa 09:30-20:00; Su 11:00-17:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
West Thurrock Way, Grays, RM20 2ZG
Hours: Mo-Sa 09:30-20:00; Su 11:00-17:00
Phone: +44 1708 869858
The Works
Bookstore
The Works — Bookstore, found on West Thurrock Way in Grays. Also worth knowing about The Works: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa 09:00-21:00; Su 11:00-17:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
West Thurrock Way, Grays, RM20 2ZP
Hours: Mo-Sa 09:00-21:00; Su 11:00-17:00
Phone: +44 1708 867097
Harts Books
Bookstore
Harts Books — Bookstore on 26 King Street.
26 King Street, CB10 1ES
Faizan e Islam Book Centre
Bookstore
Faizan e Islam Book Centre is Bookstore on 357 Lea Bridge Road, London. Faizan e Islam Book Centre also notes on the map: a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
357 Lea Bridge Road, London
Phone: +44 20 8518 7167
The Book Shop
Bookstore
The Book Shop is Bookstore.
T G Jones
Bookstore
T G Jones is Bookstore on 200 High Road. T G Jones also notes on the map: it has a website with more detail.
200 High Road
The Works
Bookstore
The Works — Bookstore, found on 200 High Road in Loughton. Also worth knowing about The Works: it has a website with more detail.
200 High Road, Loughton, IG10 4LF
The Works
Bookstore
The Works — Bookstore on Unit 13b. Also worth knowing about The Works: it has a website with more detail.
Unit 13b
The Works
Bookstore
The Works — Bookstore. Also worth knowing about The Works: it has a website with more detail.
Harris & Harris Books
Bookstore
Harris & Harris Books — Bookstore, found on 3a High Street in Sudbury. Also worth knowing about Harris & Harris Books: it has a website with more detail.
3a High Street, Sudbury, CO10 8NY
The Works
Bookstore
The Works — Bookstore. Also worth knowing about The Works: it has a website with more detail.
WHSmith
Bookstore
WHSmith is Bookstore on Edison Way, Braintree. WHSmith also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Su 07:00-20:00.
Edison Way, Braintree, CM77 7AP
Hours: Mo-Su 07:00-20:00
Dominion Bookshop
Bookstore
Dominion Bookshop is Bookstore.
Between The Lines
Bookstore
Between The Lines — Bookstore, found on High Street in Great Bardfield.
High Street, Great Bardfield
WHSmith
Bookstore
WHSmith is Bookstore on West Thurrock Way, Grays. WHSmith also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Th 09:30-21:00; Fr-Sa 09:00-21:00; Su 11:00-17:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
West Thurrock Way, Grays, RM20 2ZG
Hours: Mo-Th 09:30-21:00; Fr-Sa 09:00-21:00; Su 11:00-17:00
Phone: +44 1708 869175
The Works
Bookstore
The Works — Bookstore, found on Old Market Place in Sudbury. Also worth knowing about The Works: it has a website with more detail.
Old Market Place, Sudbury, CO10 1RA
Waterstones
Bookstore
Waterstones — Bookstore, found on 10 North Street in Sudbury. Also worth knowing about Waterstones: it has a website with more detail.
10 North Street, Sudbury, CO10 1RB
CFY Book Shelf
Bookstore
CFY Book Shelf — Bookstore.
The Works
Bookstore
The Works — Bookstore, found on 23 Broad Walk Mall in Harlow. Also worth knowing about The Works: it has a website with more detail.
23 Broad Walk Mall, Harlow
The Works
Bookstore
The Works — Bookstore. Also worth knowing about The Works: it has a website with more detail.
The Works
Bookstore
The Works — Bookstore, found on 108-110 High Road in Ilford. Also worth knowing about The Works: it has a website with more detail.
108-110 High Road, Ilford, IG1 1DS
The Works
Bookstore
The Works — Bookstore, found on Rose Gallery in Greenhithe. Also worth knowing about The Works: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa 09:00-21:00; Su 11:00-17:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
Rose Gallery, Greenhithe, DA9 9ST
Hours: Mo-Sa 09:00-21:00; Su 11:00-17:00
Phone: +44 1322 370566
The Works
Bookstore
The Works — Bookstore, found on 3 Armada Way in London. Also worth knowing about The Works: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa 09:00-20:00; Su 11:00-17:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
3 Armada Way, London, E6 7ER
Hours: Mo-Sa 09:00-20:00; Su 11:00-17:00
Phone: +44 2074 766 592
TGJones
Bookstore
TGJones is Bookstore on High Street, Haverhill.
High Street, Haverhill
The Works
Bookstore
The Works — Bookstore, found on Potter Street in Bishop's Stortford. Also worth knowing about The Works: it has a website with more detail.
Potter Street, Bishop's Stortford, CM23 3UH
Mondo Comico
Bookstore
Mondo Comico — Bookstore, found on South Street in Bishop's Stortford.
South Street, Bishop's Stortford
WHSmith
Bookstore
WHSmith is Bookstore on 29-31 Town Square, Basildon. WHSmith also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Fr 08:30-17:45; Sa 09:00-17:45; Su 10:00-16:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
29-31 Town Square, Basildon, SS14 1BA
Hours: Mo-Fr 08:30-17:45; Sa 09:00-17:45; Su 10:00-16:00
Phone: +44 1268 520367
The Works
Bookstore
The Works — Bookstore, found on 96 Town Square in Basildon. Also worth knowing about The Works: the map lists its hours as Mo-Tu, Th-Sa 09:00-17:30; Su 10:00-16:00; We off; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
96 Town Square, Basildon, SS14 1BX
Hours: Mo-Tu, Th-Sa 09:00-17:30; Su 10:00-16:00; We off
Phone: +44 1268 520381
Quinto Bookshop
Bookstore
Quinto Bookshop is Bookstore on 679 High Road Leyton, London. Quinto Bookshop also notes on the map: it has a website with more detail.
679 High Road Leyton, London, E10 6RA
Waterstones
Bookstore
Waterstones — Bookstore, found on Eastgate Shopping Centre in Basildon.
Eastgate Shopping Centre, Basildon
Waterstones
BookstoreRun by Waterstones
Run by Waterstones, Waterstones is Bookstore, found on 49-55 High Street in Southend-on-Sea. Also worth knowing about Waterstones: it has a website with more detail.
49-55 High Street, Southend-on-Sea, SS1 1HZ
Books-on-Sea
Bookstore
Books-on-Sea is Bookstore on 23 Alexandra Street, Southend-on-Sea. Books-on-Sea also notes on the map: it has a website with more detail.
23 Alexandra Street, Southend-on-Sea, SS1 1BX
The Works
Bookstore
The Works — Bookstore, found on High Street in Southend-on-Sea. Also worth knowing about The Works: it has a website with more detail.
High Street, Southend-on-Sea
WHSmith
Bookstore
WHSmith is Bookstore on 193 High Street, Epping. WHSmith also notes on the map: it has a website with more detail.
193 High Street, Epping, CM16 4BL
Waterstones
BookstoreRun by Waterstones Booksellers Limited
Run by Waterstones Booksellers Limited, Waterstones is Bookstore, found on 182 High Street in Chatham. Also worth knowing about Waterstones: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa 09:00-17:30; Su 10:00-16:00; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
182 High Street, Chatham, ME4 4AS
Hours: Mo-Sa 09:00-17:30; Su 10:00-16:00
Phone: +44 1634 828929
What the map tells us about bookstores in Chelmsford
24 of the 99 list their opening hours on the map, which is genuinely useful — bookshops keep civilised hours, so the listed ones are usually reliable.
58 have websites listed. Worth a look for events — readings and signings get announced there first.
There's a cluster: 4 of them sit on High Street, so you can string those into one walk and drive between the rest.
The Chelmsford bookstore crawl
The efficient Chelmsford bookstore crawl strings these together: Oxfam Bookshop on 214 High Street, Waterstones, Waterstones, Second-Hand Bookshop, The Works on 45-46 The Mall, Waterstones on South Street, Friends of Hylands, and Waterstones on West Village — 99 stops, one logical order. 91 more are listed below.
Bookstore tips for Chelmsford
A few things worth knowing before you work through Chelmsford's bookstores:
- Check the sale shelf rhythm at Oxfam Bookshop. Shops clear shelves on cycles. Ask when the next cull happens — that's when the bargains land.
- Poetry lives in bookshops at Waterstones. Poetry barely exists online as a browsing experience. The poetry shelf in a real shop is a different world.
- Check condition before you pay. Used books: check for missing pages, water damage, and cracked spines. A quick flip-through takes ten seconds.
- Don't overlook the classics wall. Every shop has one. Cheap editions of the books everyone claims to have read — your chance to actually read them.
Good to know
We searched about 40 km around Chelmsford — that covers the town itself plus the surrounding communities you'd reasonably drive to. Listings come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by local volunteers, so a brand-new bookstore in Chelmsford can take a while to appear. If you spot one of the 99 that's closed, or a great bookstore we missed, the fix is to update the map itself — that's where this guide reads from.
We don't list prices — they change constantly and vary by edition. What we list is the where: real shops, verified by real mappers, in alphabetical order with no favourites.
If you run one of the 99 listed here and something's wrong — a closure, a move, new hours — the fix is the same: update the shop on OpenStreetMap and the correction flows through to this page on the next daily refresh.
Bookstore listings for Chelmsford: 99 mapped from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Photos from Wikimedia Commons contributors; individual photo credits appear in captions. Listing data was last refreshed automatically — verify hours before visiting.