Good range of newspapers, magazines and cards. Has steps up to where the tills are, which makes it…read morehard to access if you have a disability. Right at the back there's a small selection of toys and stationery. Always has a good display of toys in the window to lure you in.

This store has a wide variety of products, split over two floors, and stocks most magazines, as…read morewell as stationary, CDs and DVDs, and now also has the main post office in Carlisle situated on the first floor. The staff are reasonably helpful, some more than others. It used to be quite easy to navigate around the store, but since the introduction of the post office, I have found the store to be rather disjointed and cluttered, and as a result don't shop in here as much as I did.

Smith's is on the up as a retailer. They now have a huge range of stationery. Good stock of…read moremagazines. Books on the 2nd floor often have special offers. However, the stairs will put off some, especially as it's where Carlisle's main Post Office is now. Get yourself a WH Smith clubcard, as they often have good special offers.

This is the best bookshop in Cockermouth by far. You can easily loose an hour here browsing the…read morebooks. It's a lovely independent shops, with surprising interconnecting rooms with more and more books. The fiction section at the front is very well stocked, and if they don't have what you are looking for they will order it in and post it to you if required. They have an excellent food and drink section and a good travel section what I like about this place is that you can browse uninterrupted, theres no real pressure to buy. The staff are really helpful and the prices are reasonable.

i love waterstones so much, the staff are so kind and the book selection is HUGE. the vibe of the…read moreshop is so cozy and really enjoyable. will be coming more often.

This is now a Waterstone's. Standard high street bookshop. Where this wins is the layout. Spacious…read moreairy store over 2 floors, with the bonus of Costa's cafe on the 2nd floor. Escalator or a lift to the 2nd floor, so it scores better than other shops for accessibility. Standard type of stock and lots of 3 for 2 offers. Not much else though.

Support your independent bookshop. Knowledgeable staff. Great source of discounted children's…read morebooks. I always use Bookends to order books in. They get them for you the next day, and I can order in advance over the Internet and collect them and pay at the shop. They have a loyalty scheme, so you can collect stickers in exchange for a voucher which you can use at Bookends or at Bookcase (their sister shop which sells second hand books and classical music CDs).

This book shop is situated betwen the Town Hall and the Cathedral and from the outside looks quite…read moresmall but looks can be very deceiving! Once you go inside you will find lots of books about Carlisle and the local area as well as books that have just been published too. There is a wonderful children's section that has lots of different and discounted books to choose from. They have a great children's section too. They also sell calendars and notelets and address books and other things that make ideal presents for those people who are sometimes hard to buy for. This floor is just the tip of the iceburg. Downstairs there are three more rooms crammed with books. You could spend ages just browsing around. the staff are very knowledgeable and very helpful. They are also good at stepping back and letting you look without feeling pressured into buying. I always come here for my books as I feel it is important to support your local independent book shop.

This bookshop is a higgledy piggledy maze of interesting books and other lovely stuff - even though…read moreit's quite small but you could probably easily spend a happy hour or so exploring it all and I think they do coffee as well. It's got a great range of green/ethical/wildlife books, a big cookery section, sheet music, unusual cards, wrapping paper and stationery, cute childrens toys and games (and usually several kids playing with them). Look out for evening events too.

Just another chain discount bookshop. However, this is good for buying presents, as you get more…read morefor your money. They also sell children's knick-knacks, and a basic selection of artists' materials upstairs. Around Christmas time lots of seasonal stuff is in, such as crackers and wrapping paper.

I love the ELC for the quality of their toys and their great prices. All the toys are educational…read moreand I like the way it is easy to understand the different age categories. Children are encouraged to play with the toys in the shop which is fab when you visit although sometimes difficult to get them back out again. The staff are really helpful. If you join their birthday club they send out money off vouchers.

You know that all the toys here hit the right buttons, for being educational, well-made or just…read moregood fun. They have playtimes on a Tuesday morning. The staff are friendly and helpful. You can pick up a great free magazine here as well as the ELC catalogue.