Blackwell's Bookshop, Oxford
Blackwell's on Broad Street is Oxford's best-known bookshop, opened by Benjamin Henry Blackwell in 1879 in a room just 12 feet square. Its basement Norrington Room, opened in 1966, was listed by Guinness as the largest single room in the world selling books, and it is worth a visit even if you are not buying.
Photos
Daniel Lezcano
From one room to a landmark
Blackwell opened his shop at 50 Broad Street on 1 January 1879. The business grew along the street and upwards, and the shop now runs over several floors, with an Art Bookshop opening further along at 53 Broad Street in 1968. It remains one of the most famous bookshops in Britain and a working shop used by students and visitors alike.
The Norrington Room
Opened on 16 June 1966, the Norrington Room is named after Sir Arthur Norrington, then President of Trinity College. It held around 160,000 volumes on two and a half miles of shelving, and the sheer scale of the space as you come down the stairs is the reason many visitors call in.
Using it on a visit
Broad Street is at the heart of the university, so Blackwell's sits beside the Sheldonian and opposite the Weston Library. The Bodleian and Radcliffe Camera are a couple of minutes' walk away, the Oxford Official Walking Tours leave from nearby, and the King's Arms on the corner of Holywell Street is a classic pub stop. Allow half an hour simply to wander the floors, and longer if you have a list.
Highlights
- Founded in 1879 on Broad Street
- Norrington Room, opened in 1966
- Once in Guinness as the world's largest single room selling books
- Several floors of new books
- Next to the Bodleian and Radcliffe Camera
Good to know
- Free to browse
- Separate Art Bookshop further along Broad Street
Frequently asked questions
Sources: blackwells.co.uk · en.wikipedia.org