Inside FOLDE Dorset - Bookshop Review
Here’s everything you need to know about Shaftesbury’s beautiful nature focused bookshop, FOLDE Dorset.
Located at the top of Shaftesbury’s iconic Gold Hill, FOLDE Dorset is a stunning independent bookshop that focuses on nature writing and arts and crafts.
Founded by Karen and Amber in 2020, FOLDE later opened as a physical shop in April 2021. The name is rather fittingly taken from the old English word ‘Folde’, which means ‘land, earth and ground’ while also representing books and community.
I visited the shop in spring 2024 as part of a day trip to Shaftesbury. Despite being a small town, Shaftesbury has two independent bookshops, making it an ideal destination for book lovers like myself.
Stepping into FOLDE Dorset for the first time, I could tell it was somewhere special. A small shop with a cosy atmosphere, I was welcomed by a friendly bookseller as I stepped inside and looked around.
FOLDE is one of those shops that has a homely, down to earth feel, with soft lighting and beautiful displays. It’s so special to visit bookshops that specialise in a specific genre, and Dorset definitely feels like the ideal location for a nature writing bookshop. The county has an unmatchable connection with nature, housing ancient woodlands, chocolate box villages and the fossil studded Jurassic Coast.
The shop itself stocks a wide range of books that feature nature as a central theme. These range from titles on walking and the local area, to memoir, information guides and self help.
How to find FOLDE Dorset
FOLDE is located in Shaftesbury, an Anglo Saxon market town in the north of Dorset. It’s easily accessible by car and train, and a car park is located just a few minutes walk from the bookshop.
The full address for FOLDE Dorset is:
1 Gold Hill House, 21 High Street, Shaftesbury, Dorset , SP7 8JE
Opening times
The bookshop is open daily from Monday to Saturday, from 10am to 5pm. They are closed on Sundays.
Things to do nearby
During any visit to Shaftesbury I would recommend visiting the cookery bookshop and cookshop The Kitchen Table. They stock a variety of food themed fiction and nonfiction books as well as cookware and ingredients.
There’s also a lovely Oxfam Bookshop that’s well worth a visit located in the town centre.
Other local attractions include the famous Gold Hill, which featured in a well known Hovis advert in 1973. The Gold Hill Museum is free to enter and contains a variety of exhibitions that relate to local history. There’s also plenty of other independent shops and local walks for visitors to explore.
Have a wonderful time during your visit to Shaftesbury, and make sure that you stop by FOLDE, Dorest!
More Blog Posts
Astley Book Farm - bookshop review