Bookstores in Colchester
If you judge a town by its bookshops, Colchester, England gives you 49 to judge by. That's 49 bookshops mapped around Colchester, 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 Colchester (within about 40 km), built from OpenStreetMap's community-maintained data. Names you'll run into include Waterstones and Second-Hand Bookshop, plus Friends of Hylands. If a bookshop's missing from Colchester's list, it probably just hasn't been mapped yet.
The Colchester bookstore lineup
49 mapped within about 40 km:
Waterstones
Bookstore
Waterstones — Bookstore. Also worth knowing about Waterstones: it has a website with more detail.
Second-Hand Bookshop
Bookstore
Second-Hand Bookshop is Bookstore.
Friends of Hylands
Bookstore
Friends of Hylands — Bookstore.
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 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
House of Joy
Bookstore
House of Joy is Bookstore on 37 Crouch Street, Colchester.
37 Crouch Street, Colchester, CO3 3EN
TGJones
Bookstore
TGJones is Bookstore on Thoroughfare, Woodbridge. TGJones also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa 08:30-17:30; Su 10:00-16:00; it has a website with more detail.
Thoroughfare, Woodbridge, IP12 1AQ
Hours: Mo-Sa 08:30-17:30; Su 10:00-16:00
Byron the Bard
Bookstore
Byron the Bard — Bookstore, found on Water Street in Sudbury.
Water Street, Sudbury
Second-hand Bookshop
Used bookstore
Second-hand Bookshop is Used bookstore.
Woodbridge Books
Bookstore
Woodbridge Books is Bookstore on 66 Thoroughfare, Woodbridge. Woodbridge Books also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Mo-Fr 09:30-17:00; Sa 09:30-16:30; it has a website with more detail.
66 Thoroughfare, Woodbridge, IP12 1AL
Hours: Mo-Fr 09:30-17:00; Sa 09:30-16:30
Treasure Chest Books
Bookstore
Treasure Chest Books is Bookstore on Cobbold Road, Felixstowe.
Cobbold Road, Felixstowe
Stillwater Books
Bookstore
Stillwater Books — Bookstore, found on 36 Hamilton Road in Felixstowe. Also worth knowing about Stillwater Books: it has a website with more detail.
36 Hamilton Road, Felixstowe, IP11 7AN
The Works
Bookstore
The Works — Bookstore, found on Hamilton Road in Felixstowe. Also worth knowing about The Works: it has a website with more detail.
Hamilton Road, Felixstowe
TGJones
Bookstore
TGJones is Bookstore on 64 Hamilton Road, Felixstowe. TGJones also notes on the map: it has a website with more detail.
64 Hamilton Road, Felixstowe, IP11 7DN
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
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
Between The Lines
Bookstore
Between The Lines — Bookstore, found on High Street in Great Bardfield.
High Street, Great Bardfield
Oldspeak bookshop
Bookstore
Oldspeak bookshop — Bookstore, found on Ringers Yard in Long Melford, Suffolk. Also worth knowing about Oldspeak bookshop: the map lists its hours as We-Sa 09:30-16:30; Su 11:00-15:00; it has a website with more detail.
Ringers Yard, Long Melford, Suffolk, CO10 9JG
Hours: We-Sa 09:30-16:30; Su 11:00-15:00
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 46-48 Buttermarket in Ipswich. Also worth knowing about The Works: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa09:00-17:30; Su 10:00-16:00; it has a website with more detail.
46-48 Buttermarket, Ipswich, IP1 1BT
Hours: Mo-Sa09:00-17:30; Su 10:00-16:00
Waterstones
Bookstore
Waterstones — Bookstore, found on 15-19 Buttermarket in Ipswich. Also worth knowing about Waterstones: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa 09:00-17:30; Su 10:00-16:00; it has a website with more detail.
15-19 Buttermarket, Ipswich, IP1 1BQ
Hours: Mo-Sa 09:00-17:30; Su 10:00-16:00
The Open Road Books
Bookstore
The Open Road Books is Bookstore.
Waterstones
Bookstore
Waterstones — Bookstore. Also worth knowing about Waterstones: it has a website with more detail.
TGJones
Bookstore
TGJones is Bookstore on High Street, Haverhill.
High Street, Haverhill
The Nook Readers
Bookstore
The Nook Readers is Bookstore.
The Book Cellar
Bookstore
The Book Cellar is Bookstore. The Book Cellar also notes on the map: the map lists its hours as Tu-Su 10:00-16:00.
Hours: Tu-Su 10:00-16:00
The Works
Bookstore
The Works — Bookstore, found on 15 Station Road in Clacton-on-Sea. Also worth knowing about The Works: it has a website with more detail.
15 Station Road, Clacton-on-Sea, CO15 1TD
Maldon Books
Bookstore
Maldon Books is Bookstore on 21 High Street, Maldon.
21 High Street, Maldon, CM9 5PE
The Book Annex
Bookstore
The Book Annex — Bookstore, found on 18 in Harwich.
18, Harwich, CO12 3DS
Bodgeners
Bookstore
Bodgeners is Bookstore.
Harwich, CO12 3DS
The Book Annex
Bookstore
The Book Annex — Bookstore.
Harwich, CO12 3DS
The Works
Bookstore
The Works — Bookstore, found on 27-28 High Chelmer in Chelmsford. Also worth knowing about The Works: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa 09:00-17:30; Su 10:30-16:30; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
27-28 High Chelmer, Chelmsford, CM1 1XB
Hours: Mo-Sa 09:00-17:30; Su 10:30-16:30
Phone: +44 1245 265903
The Nose
Bookstore
The Nose — Bookstore, found on 28 Newgate Street in Walton-on-the-Naze.
28 Newgate Street, Walton-on-the-Naze, CO14 8AL
Oxfam Bookshop
Bookstore
Oxfam Bookshop — Bookstore, found on 94 High Street in Chelmsford. Also worth knowing about Oxfam Bookshop: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa 09:00-17:00; Su 10:30-15:30; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
94 High Street, Chelmsford, CM1 1DX
Hours: Mo-Sa 09:00-17:00; Su 10:30-15:30
Phone: +44 1245 345028
Caxton Books and Gallery
Bookstore
Caxton Books and Gallery — Bookstore, found on 55 Connaught Avenue in Frinton-on-Sea.
55 Connaught Avenue, Frinton-on-Sea, CO13 9PP
Butterfly and Bee
Bookstore
Butterfly and Bee — Bookstore, found on Connaught Avenue in Frinton-on-Sea. Also worth knowing about Butterfly and Bee: it has a website with more detail.
Connaught Avenue, Frinton-on-Sea, CO13 9PN
TheWorks.co.uk
Bookstore
TheWorks.co.uk is Bookstore. TheWorks.co.uk also notes on the map: it has a website with more detail.
Waterstones
Bookstore
Waterstones — Bookstore, found on 76 High Street in Chelmsford. Also worth knowing about Waterstones: the map lists its hours as Mo-Sa 09:00-17:30; Su 10:30-16:30; a phone number is listed — worth a call before a special trip; it has a website with more detail.
76 High Street, Chelmsford, CM1 1EJ
Hours: Mo-Sa 09:00-17:30; Su 10:30-16:30
Phone: +44 1245 268737
Red Lion Books
Bookstore
Red Lion Books — Bookstore, found on 125 High Street in Colchester.
125 High Street, Colchester, CO1 1SZ
Waterstones
Bookstore
Waterstones — Bookstore, found on High Street in Colchester. Also worth knowing about Waterstones: it has a website with more detail.
High Street, Colchester
Second hand bookstore
BookstoreRun by National Trust
Run by National Trust, Second hand bookstore is Bookstore.
The Colchester Bookshop
Bookstore
The Colchester Bookshop — Bookstore, found on 7 Trinity Street in Colchester. Also worth knowing about The Colchester Bookshop: it has a website with more detail.
7 Trinity Street, Colchester, CO1 1JN
Wivenhoe Bookshop
Bookstore
Wivenhoe Bookshop — Bookstore, found on 23 High Street in Wivenhoe. Also worth knowing about Wivenhoe Bookshop: it has a website with more detail.
23 High Street, Wivenhoe, CO7 9BE
Colne Bookshop
Bookstore
Colne Bookshop — Bookstore, found on 51 High Street in Wivenhoe.
51 High Street, Wivenhoe, CO7 9AZ
The Idler
Bookstore
The Idler — Bookstore, found on 37 High Street in Ipswich.
37 High Street, Ipswich, IP7 5AF
WHSmith
Bookstore
WHSmith is Bookstore.
What the map tells us about bookstores in Colchester
12 of the 49 list their opening hours on the map, which is genuinely useful — bookshops keep civilised hours, so the listed ones are usually reliable.
25 have websites listed. Worth a look for events — readings and signings get announced there first.
There's a cluster: 3 of them sit on High Street, so you can string those into one walk and drive between the rest.
The Colchester bookstore crawl
Plot these on a map and the day plans itself: Waterstones, Second-Hand Bookshop, Friends of Hylands, The Works, The Works on The Meadows, Foyles on 86 Bond Street, House of Joy on 37 Crouch Street, and TGJones on Thoroughfare. That's 49 stops on the Colchester bookstore crawl. 41 more are listed below.
Bookstore tips for Colchester
Browsing in Colchester? A little strategy helps:
- Check the bargain carts outside at Waterstones. Sidewalk carts are the shop's clearance rack. A dollar a book, and the turnover is fast.
- Don't judge by the window display at Second-Hand Bookshop. The front table is marketing. The back shelves are the shop's real taste. Walk the whole floor.
- Check condition before you pay. Used books: check for missing pages, water damage, and cracked spines. A quick flip-through takes ten seconds.
- Check the events board. Book clubs, writing groups, story times — bookshops are community centres that happen to sell books.
Good to know
We searched about 40 km around Colchester — 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 Colchester can take a while to appear. Spotted a closure among the 49, or a bookstore we missed entirely? The map is the source of truth here — one OpenStreetMap edit corrects it for everyone.
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 49 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 Colchester: 49 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.