Scarthin Books Reviews Summary

Bookshop Atmosphere

Pros:

• "A quaint and eccentric bookshop that would make Joe Goldberg go weak at the knees."
• "A magical bookshop, with rooms with such character."
• "An Aladin's Cave of books. Well laid out, awesome."
• "This quirky bookshop has several floors of new and used books on almost every topic and subject you could ask for."
• "A little gem of a bookshop, selling new, second hand and antique books."
• "The most magical bookshop I've ever visited."
• "It's like a bookish pilgrimage coming here."

Cons:

• "An old building with books found on different levels, which I feel is not suitable for certain elderly people."
• "The spaces to walk are quite narrow so not accessible at all for those in a wheelchair or requiring a walker to mobilise."
• "Some cramped aisles can make it tricky to manoeuvre but personally I think that adds to the charm."
• "Despite all of this it can be a bit of a nightmare if you like me have mobility problems."
• "I enjoyed visiting Scarthin books, but you have to be a skinny bean to get in to view some books!"
• "Not the place to take a baby or dog to."
• "Do not be fooled by this bookshops quaint and compact appearance; inside it is a labyrinth."

Staff and Service

Pros:

• "Staff are warm, friendly and informed."
• "The staff are incredibly knowledgeable."
• "Staff are extremely helpful and friendly."
• "All the staff are very friendly and helpful."
• "Friendly staff help to create a welcoming atmosphere."
• "ask for help if needed the staff are kind, knowledgeable and patient."
• "Very friendly staff, very easy to lose yourself there for a day."

Cons:

• "It can be a bit full and slow on the service so try and head for an early or late lunch."
• "What a disappointment and a lack of customer care."
• "Shame that the woman at the counter had a miserable face, bordering on angry especially as we'd gone out in horrendous weather to look around."
• "The astonishingly brusque girl on the till might be a temporary aberration, or perhaps part of the quirky charm, I was uncertain."
• "I was met with surly looks and shouts of 'there is a sign on the door!!'"

Café and Food Options

Pros:

• "The cafe serves lovely coffee and I had some banana and chocolate cake which was absolutely gorgeous."
• "Also the cafe is great, had the best scone."
• "And yummy vegan and vegetarian food in the café upstairs."
• "The cafe has countless vegan and gluten free options, serving fresh dishes and delicious cakes."
• "There's a cafe that sells vegetarian and vegan food upstairs which also has some gluten-free options."
• "Also has a nice vegan cafe serving vegan food ...cakes and drinks."
• "The vegan food in the vegetarian café stupendous."

Cons:

• "Limited availability of bacon drags it down to a 7."
• "Second, the cafe is small, surrounded by bookshelves and quite crowded."
• "Be aware that the café closes earlier then the book shop, I believe they only serve hot food and lunches between 12pm and 3pm."

Location and Accessibility

Pros:

• "Parking in the village is easily available."
• "The location is so lovely, overlooking the mill pond below."
• "Set in a fantastic location next to Cromford pond and with magnificent hills in the background."
• "And all this in the middle of a beautiful village that is itself a UN world heritage site."

Cons:

• "Limited on street parking on the very narrow one way street outside the shop."
• "Parking is a little limited, but worth the effort."

Book Selection and Availability

Pros:

• "Lovely old book shop, nice café definitely something for everyone who likes to pick up a book just wish there was a little more in the Sci-Fi section."
• "You would be hard pressed not to find what you are looking for ...but if that is the case they can order the book your looking for usually for collection the next day."
• "Great book shop, you need plenty of time in there as there are so many books to look at."
• "Brilliant bookshop on three storeys selling new and second hand books."
• "There is an absolutely amazing amount of choice to be had, across all of the floors, which have groups of different themes."
• "Books are stacked up to the ceiling including on the stairs."
• "Books from floor to ceiling, wall to wall, on everything you can think of."

Cons:

• "If you have no time and just in a hurry to buy a popular novel, this place won’t probably be able to deliver."