"Abandon despair, all ye who enter here", should be inscribed on top of the entrance to The Minster…read moreGate Bookshop. And yes, that's a positive take on the famous "Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate" of Dante's Inferno, for this place represents, in its entirety, the opposite to the Inferno's loss of hope. The Minster Gate Bookshop is a palace of wisdom, an oasis of knowledge, a refuge of hope and peace. When you walk up the stairs and see every single wall covered in the most magnificent old and modern tomes, you can't help but feel total and complete bliss. The selection of books in all floors is impeccable. It could take me or you days just browsing every shelf. I stumbled upon it on a visit to the Minster of York, the main attraction in town, but on a second visit the York Minster will be relegated to a secondary level of importance. My first stop will undoubtedly be The Minster Gate Bookshop!

A slanted, creaking world of antique books and maps can be found inches from the magnificent York…read moreMinster, tucked within a small alleyway. Having all at once the atmosphere of a bookshop, a museum, and an interesting relative's even more interesting house, the building provides a tranquil haven to become absorbed by fiction and history. The antiquarian volumes are breathtaking and cheaper editions can also be found for students stocking up for the new term. The History room is the loveliest, with an old desk and chair and battered old rug on the floorboards. The views out of the window are equally charming as the rooftops of the city reveal themselves like a Mary Poppins landscape.

Discount bookshop in the middle of "old York" which seemed a little out of place. But then, it was…read moresurrounded by other high street shops. What drew my eye was their selection of extremely cheap postcards. Where the other shops were selling for 50p each, this place was offering 3 for 50p. I bought a boatload to send back to friends in the States. (It's too bad the postage is still 97p each, lol) They had a good selection of discounted books and magazines too.

Beautiful little bookshop. I came in to look around and found a few Claire Keegan titles I can't…read morefind in the States. Plus, you had Jah Wobble's book (a signed copy)! Brilliant! I can't wait to come back!

We visited this bookstore today - and although it's small, it has an eclectic selection. Also; the…read moreinterior is charming, and the woman working there (owner-?) was very pleasant.

this is like a big newsagent, in town…read more the book selection is wellonly has the popular types or good for the students? has a good magazine section and video/dvd section upstairs. a costa coffee has been added, but i've never liked the costa coffes chains of coffee?? and it can't seem to shake the naff feel about it??? as everything seems over priced and nothing i see is of what i need???

This is quite a good Smiths in my opinion. They have lots of different books available. mainly…read morefiction. they also have a great section of books on York itself. well worth having a look! they also sell music CD's and dvd and of course magazines. They also have a Cafe but I havn't used it personally.

For anyone who isn't aware, Blackwell's specialise in academic books so I bought from them a few…read moretimes whilst at University. The store is nice and tidy but very quiet like a library and I kind of felt I had to creep around and not touch anything! I found Blackwell's really expensive compared to a lot of other book stores but I was given a free Blackwell's gift card from my University so obviously I was going to use it. I think if I was spending my hard earned cash instead then I would definitely go somewhere cheaper.

This place is absolutely amazing! The staff are super friendly, everything is eco friendly, and the…read moreatmosphere of the store is so peaceful. Great place to get gifts or buy stuff for yourself.

Shared Earth is a great place to buy gifts, although if I'm honest they don't stock much for your…read moreaverage guy. Everthing in the shop is ethical and environmentally friendly. They stock things like notebooks, photo albumns, cushions, throws, money boxes and re-useable shopping bags. They do a great range of jewellery and some fantastic wine glasses made from recycled glass bottles. Buy your gifts here and shop with a clear conscience. The staff are friendly and the shop has a relaxed, laid back atmosphere; they're used to people just browsing. It's not cheap, but not too dear either and you're paying for ethical goods.