The Long View

Two used and antiquarian booksellers in Devonshire deserve attention.

In the village of Moretonhampstead, Roger Collicott Books specializes in used books, antiquarian books and manuscripts related to Devon and Cornwall. It is a tidy, well ordered store with an impressive variety of books given the narrowness of its focus. On my recent visit, the owner was busy packing books for mail-order shipment, which apparently constitutes a substantial portion of the business.

In Plymouth, there’s The Book Cupboard, on the Parade, the Barbican (the old city), three floors of out-of-print and used books on every imaginable topic, neatly organized and displayed. Its owners are helpful, going beyond merely pointing out a relevant section but actually searching in several places for my topic (Dartmoor prehistoric archeology). Their diligence was rewarded by my purchasing several items that they found. No Web site, by may be contacted by email: barbbook@btconnect.com .