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Local Books – Non Fiction

Local Books

The local section has always been particularly important to us. Our High Street shop is in the very heart of Colchester, a City with a long, distinguished and fascinating past, a constantly inspiring and culturally vibrant present – and an exciting future. The signs welcoming visitors, used to proudly proclaim Colchester as ‘Britain’s oldest recorded town’. In 2022 Colchester was given City Status. Colchester has been fortunate to have some brilliant local historians who have written many excellent books chronicling Colchester’s amazing history. We aim to keep in stock all currently available titles about Colchester and the surrounding area. These include some of our top selling books year after year. There are general histories as well as many books focussing on different aspects of local history; from the Romans to the Victorians, and from trams to the trees of Castle Park, you’ll find a book to explore.

Around and about Colchester

Though Colchester has grown quickly in recent years, it retains much if it’s traditional charm and character. We are also fortunate because around the City are some of the most distinctive and beautiful countryside to be found any where in the country. From the Stour Valley made famous by Constable’s paintings to the deserted saltmarshes around the North Essex coast there is a variety of different landscapes to explore. And to help your exploration there are wonderful books to help you find out more.

This area has a rich tradition of nature and landscape writing. J A Baker’s ‘The Peregrine’, set in rural mid-Essex, is a classic of British nature writing and for many years Ronald Blythe chronicled the changing seasons from his farmhouse on the Essex Suffolk border.

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Explore Local

Local Books

Jumbo

Find out about Colchester’s iconic landmark – the largest surviving victorian water tower in the country. It was nick named ‘Jumbo’ in 1882 as a term of derision!

RADICAL

Essex has always been a place of new ideas, pioneering communities, innovative social experiments and bold new architecture.

Blackwater

The Essex river Blackwater flows for 34 miles through picturesque villages and historic towns to the largest of all Essex estuaries at Heybridge near Maldon.

Longest Path

At 350 miles, the Essex coast is the longest in England. Not only that, but it is the most wild and least inhabited, boasts the most islands and more wild birds than any other.

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local authors well represented

Great place, good independent book shop with local authors well represented

P J Boyles

they often have book launch deals and author meet events......

Red Lion Books is an indie shop with a great selection of books for the public. They're curated section is equally fantastic, and they often have book launch deals and author meet events that are worth looking out for too. If you're looking for book recommendations, this is the place. You get the impression here that they actually read the books.

Jessica Brown

proactive in the book community, supporting established and newly published authors alike.....

This is a lovely bookshop which stocks a large variety of books. The staff are really friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. It is very proactive in the book community, supporting established and newly published authors alike. Plenty of events to interest anyone who loves reading.

Ian Hornett