Last week I set off on a little adventure ā five days, 500 miles, a car boot that got progressively fuller, and a heart set on books, geocaches, and whatever else the journey might throw at me.
Monday ā Shrewsbury
The trip began in Shrewsbury, a town I absolutely love and will return to time and time again. The crooked streets and timber-framed buildings always make it feel like stepping back in time.
I wandered into Pengwern Books, a warm and welcoming indie shop where I could have happily spent the entire afternoon. Instead, I restrained myself and just browsed the shelves. I also popped into a few charity shops, but nothing bookish caught my eye.
Instead, I took my Kindle down to the River Severn, leaned back against a slanted tree, and read The God in The Woods while people wandered by. It was a simple, peaceful way to ease into the trip before checking into my hotel for the night.
Books bought: 0
Tuesday ā Hay-on-Wye
Next stop: Hay-on-Wye, the legendary town of books – But before I set off, I called into the Starbucks on Hereford Road in Shrewsbury (Services) and dropped off Just Another Missing Person by Gillian McAllister, leaving it on a table for a stranger to find. Hopefully someone’s picked it up by now, though nothing has popped up on BookCrossing yet!
Once parked in Hay, I swapped a few books in my tote bag to donate at the Castle Honesty Bookshop, then set off in search of book heaven. Honestly, itās impossible not to get lost in its labyrinth of second-hand shops.
Addyman Books had me wandering themed rooms like a kid in a sweet shop.
Richard Boothās Bookshop felt more like a cultural hub than a store ā part cafĆ©, part theatre, part heaven.
My favourite though? Murder & Mayhem ā of course the crime shelves pulled me in.
The real surprise of the day? Alan Carr! He was in town filming Interior Design Masters for the BBC. At one point he was dressed as a bookworm. Surreal doesnāt even cover it ā Iād gone hunting for paperbacks and instead bumped into a celebrity! I didnāt manage to get a photo of the bookworm costume, but I did snap him outside Gay on Wye, and later inside wearing a crown.
Books bought: 6
Wednesday ā Wandering the Cotswolds
The next leg took me through the rolling hills and postcard villages of the Cotswolds. Every village looked like it belonged on a chocolate box and the more remote villages had the most beautiful churches, with not a person in sight!
But back to books – The whole reason for my trip… Tucked away in Stow-on-the-Wold was the Borzoi Bookshop. Itās small but beautifully curated, the sort of place where you know every single book has been chosen with care.
I did buy two books from a charity shop in Moreton-in-Marsh, but then I travelled to two Phone box Libraries and found my third book there before checking into my cute little AirBnB for the night. The grounds of this little place were adorable and my hosts were fantastic.
I ended the evening with cheese, wine and more of my book but ended up nodding off after 2 pages š
Books bought: 2
Phone box Library: 1
Thursday ā Beautiful Bath
By Thursday I rolled into Bath, and it was everything I hoped for. The city is steeped in literary history ā you canāt walk far without stumbling over something Jane Austen-related.
My two must-visits were Mr Bās Emporium, which is as quirky and colourful as its reputation suggests, and Topping & Company, with its endless shelves and sliding ladders that made me feel like Iād walked into Belleās library.
I might have spent longer in there than intendedā¦
I also went looking for The Ghost Merchant by Ben Andrews, which I’d seen online at Waterstones, but quickly realised it was self-published, and not stocked in store. Gutted I couldn’t grab a copy on the spot (and not wanting to leave empty handed), I bought it on Kindle instead and then treated myself to Tress of The Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson – My first Sanderson novel and one I am very excited to start!
The rest of the day was spent wandering, coffee in hand, geocaching as I went.
By evening I was shattered, so I retreated to my hotel with a takeaway from Thaikhun, a quirky little Thai restaurant Iād spotted earlier. The food was outstanding ā hot, fast delivery, even cutlery included! Iād definitely eat there again.
Books bought: 3 (4 if you include the Kindle purchase)
Friday ā Home Again
By Friday it was time to head home, but not before a coffee stop and a quick dash into Guildhall Market to browse the massive second-hand bookstall. I also wandered a few streets Iād missed the day before and wrapped up some unfinished Adventure Labs.
By midday it was hotel check-out, then back to the car ā stacked with books (so much for ājust a fewā), a notebook full of geocache finds, and the unforgettable story of bumping into Alan Carr dressed as a bookworm.
It wasnāt just a road trip ā it felt like a proper little reset. 13 new books, countryside wanderings, hidden treasures, and the occasional surprise. Exactly the kind of adventure I needed.
From one happy little bookworm,
Goodnight x
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