Topping & Company, one of the UK’s most beloved independent booksellers, is set to open the largest independent bookshop in the country in York in autumn 2025. The shop will span nearly 6,000 square feet across multiple floors in a historic building at 1A Museum Street, offering spectacular views of York Minster.
This new location will be Topping & Company’s fifth, joining their existing shops in Bath, Edinburgh, Ely, and St Andrews. Known for its unique and inviting atmosphere, the York bookshop will feature Topping’s signature handcrafted bookcases, rolling library ladders, and will house an impressive collection of over 75,000 titles.
Plans were approved for the Grade II-listed historic buildings’ transformation into the “country’s largest independent bookshop” despite some concerns previously about how the installation of a mezzanine floor could damage the fabric of the building and erode evidence of its original layout, BBC reports. Plans for the bookstore were backed by York’s Civic and Conservation Trusts.
The building was constructed in 1860 and originally housed the headquarters of York’s Poor Law Union. In recent years, it served as a tourist information centre before Visit York left four years ago.
Robert Topping, the company founder, said his son planned to move to York to run the store, which he said would be “the largest independent bookshop opened in the country in living memory”. The new store, which hopes to open in autumn, would create 30 jobs and offer 75,000 titles on its shelves.
In addition to its vast collection of books, the York store will also host a vibrant calendar of author events and book festivals throughout the year. The opening programme is set to be announced next year, offering even more excitement for local and visiting book lovers.
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Feature Image Credit: Toppings Books
