Topping and Company announces opening in Museum Street

Independent booksellers Topping & Company will open a large new bookshop in the former Tourist Information Centre on the corner of Museum Street and Blake Street.

At just under 6000 square feet, the company says the venue will become the largest independent bookshop in the country.

Topping & Company Booksellers are independently led by the booksellers in each bookshop, it says are united by a common belief in stocking an unparalleled range of books, and looking after readers.

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The retailer says it is the only booksellers of their size to still emphasise the importance of giving each bookshop the power to choose their own stock, with booksellers running and making buying decisions for each section.

The new home for their bookstore dates back to around 1860, beginning life as the offices of the York Poor Law Board of Guardians.

The site of the new bookshop (Image: Pic supplied)

The building, which features a stone staircase and 11-bay front has been owned and restored by York Conservation Trust since 2010. The trust leased it to City of York Council for use as a tourist information centre until 2020.

It becomes the fifth bookshop for Topping & Company, who have previous experience of working sensitively with historic buildings. The retailer has other shops in Bath, Edinburgh, St Andrew and Ely, which opened in 2002.

Topping and Company say their new bookshop will be an exciting addition to York’s literary scene with handcrafted bookcases, its signature rolling library ladders, and space for over 75,000 titles on the shelves.

The book shop will offer an exceptional browsing experience, with complimentary pots of fresh tea and coffee, reading groups, and plenty of friendly, bookish advice and recommendations.

Topping & Company are well known for their extensive, year-round book festival programme.

The York bookshop will host an array of author events - from novelists, journalists, and historians, to celebrities, and chefs. The opening programme will be announced next year.

Robert and Louise Topping opened their first bookshop in Ely in 2002, alongside Hugh and Cornelia Topping who were aged 11 and 8 respectively.

Cornelia and her husband George - born in York – are now leading the Edinburgh bookshop. Hugh’s wife, Saskia Topping, whom he met whilst working together in the Bath bookshop, will be heading up and running York, assisted by Hugh.

York will open in Autumn 2025.

Readers can follow the progress of building a new bookshop and be the first to know about author events by subscribing to the newsletter at www.toppingbooks.co.uk/events/york and their social media @toppingsyork.