When in Oxford and in search of a quality art supplies selection, the Broad Canvas is pretty much…read moreyour only places to go, no literally, other than a few stores selling art stuffs here and there, the Broad Canvas is the only full art store in the centre of Oxford. I've always greatly appreciated the customer service and selection here, top notch, and I love finding new and interesting craft items. They have an extensive selection of everything for the brooding painter to the impoverished architecture student (yay student discount) and everyone in between. The only thing they are missing a significant selection of are fabric supplies, however this can be forgiven. Before checking anywhere else, always try the Broad Canvas.

Broad canvas is a super little shop. As an avid crafter, I love going there to see the latest…read morestamps, inks, and crafting supplies. Despite the small size of the shop, they cram in an awful lot of goodies- it is like an Alladin's cave, and so you need to allow yourself time to explore it thoroughly! They stock a wide selection of paints and other artists materials upstairs, and then the small staircase leads downstairs to the craft section. They sell some lovely toppers and are great inspiration for card-making and scrapbooking. The prices are quite expensive, but then sadly most craft shops are. A lovely shop and well worth a look for avid crafters as well as beginners.

This is a wonderful shop. They stock a huge range of fabrics - some of which cost as little as 2.99…read moreper metre. If you want to make curtains or cover furniture then this is the place to come. They stock mainly furnishing fabrics but also fleece, net and felt. And they have a couple of sidelines such as card making/scrap-book making supplies, beads and cutting foam to size. So the fabrics are good but the the service is amazing. I went in thinking about making a blind for a window. They had some material i liked but I only had the measurements for the actual window not for the amount of cloth I'd need. The guy there worked out how much I'd need, told me what else I'd need (tape, struts, cord, lining material) provided it, gave me some written instructions and when he discovered I'd never made a blind before pulled out from under the counter a plain blind for me to borrow so I could see what I was aiming out at, because, as he quite rightly said "it is sometimes hard to work out things out from written instructions". I've bought other things in this shop and the staff are always more than helpful. They really know their stuff and are very willing to share their expertise with you. I've made Thunderbird and bridesmaid costumes, beaded lizards, ribbons for young morris dancers, skirts and aprons with fabric and advice from this shop. They also run a curtain making service which they claim to be much cheaper than anything available with the Oxford ring road. I've not tried it but I'm willing to believe them. There is free parking nearby and buses from Oxford are very frequent (number 7a d 2). They are open 7 days a week.

Excellent place for getting offcuts or full length fabric. They have a wonderful range of beading…read moreetc,for decorating the fabrics and a vast range to choose from.Easy parking and friendly staff add to the easyiness of the visit

Great store, lots of variety. I bought too much in UK and needed an extra suitcase for the trip…read morehome and found a very nice on sale at a very reasonable price. Sales people were helpful and polite as would be expected in UK. Last time I was in Oxford ('08) I also bought a bag so it is my place to go for luggage type purchases, although they have other things as well.

Boswells is a GREAT department store where you can find so many varying things that you can do a…read morewhole load of shopping all at once. From bed linin to plates, from shampoo to hankies, from alarm clocks to pen knives.... it really does have everything. The kitchen dept. is pretty large doing some really unique cutlery, place mats and odds n bobs. At christmas time it also sells alot of christmas decorations and candy goods etc. The staff are helpful and their are quite a few tills which is good as it can be quite busy. The goods are cheaper than most other department stores and so for that reason alone are worth a browse!

After going into all the other well known shops that have stationery like whsmiths, post office,…read morewilkos I was directed to go to Barstows Stationery. It did take me a little while to find the shop (thank goodness for google maps!) but once I found it, the staff were very helpful with advising me what to buy and were very honest. They also didn't have an item that I needed for my project but were able to order it in for next day which was excellent considering I had already left it to last minute! I have definitely found my new go-to shop!!

Very rude people, cramped shop. Avoid if you can actually find it.read more

What a fabulous shop! I was utterly charmed from the moment I stepped through the doorway. The…read morestaff in the shop were unfailingly kind and patient with me as I tried out a variety of fountain pens. At the end of my visit, I walked away a wonderful new purchase and a smile on my face. I will happily visit this shop again when I am next in Oxford. Good customer service is an increasing rarity, but this shop has it in spades!

If I could live in a store, it would be this one. Amazing ranges of antiques, curios and gifts, and…read moreof course stationery supplies. As a calligrapher, I am especially partial to their amazing selection of inks! Best yet, the staff is friendly and enthusiastic about their products - they'll happily do a test run with inks so you can make a well-informed decision. Unfortunately, it does fill up with tourists a bit, making it harder to get service, but still worthwhile.