Inside Waterstones Gower Street in London
Here’s my review of London’s historic branch of Waterstones on Gower Street in Bloomsbury.
Known to be the largest bookshop in Europe that sells both new and used books, Waterstones Gower Street is based in a beautiful grade two listed building in Bloomsbury.
Here you’ll find five miles of books to browse, spanning across five floors - four of which are non-fiction. There’s thought to be around 200,000 titles available in the shop as well as records, board games and art supplies. They even host a yearly freshers fair, in addition to their regular schedule of authors talks, signings and book clubs.
The History of Waterstones Gower Street
Books have been sold in this space for more than 70 years, beginning when Una Dillon opened Dillon’s University Bookshop on the ground floor in 1956. The shop eventually expanded to include all five floors, and became a chain when it was purchased by Pentos in the 1980s.
Dillon’s University Bookshop eventually became part of Waterstones when they purchased Pentos in the 90s. In a nod to the bookshop’s heritage, the bustling cafe on the ground floor is named Dillon's Cafe.
The magnificent building itself was designed by famous architect Charles Fitzroy-Doll, who was active during the Victorian and Edwardian eras. The building was designed in a Franco-Gothic style, and began life in 1908.
It’s incredibly impressive and easily one of the prettiest historic bookshops in London!
I personally love browsing in this bookshop. Although it’s known to be the largest of its kind in Europe, the layout of the shop feels intimate, with many rooms to explore.
Waterstones Piccadilly is fantastic, but the shop floor is large and open while Waterstones Gower Street has a more homely feel. I popped in recently to buy a copy of The favourites by Layne Fargo, which they just so happened to have in stock.
How to Find Waterstones Gower Street
Located in the Bloomsbury area of central London, the nearest underground stations are Euston Square and Goodge Street - both of which are about a 5 minute walk away and are served by several lines.
Local London buses are also available.
The full address for Waterstones Gower Street is:
82 Gower St, London WC1E 6EQ
Opening Hours
The shop is open from 8:30am - 9pm Monday to Saturday, and 12pm - 6pm on Sundays.
The opening times for Dillon’s Cafe may differ from the general bookshop opening hours.
Have you visited Waterstones Gower Street? Leave a comment and let me know what you thought.
More Blog Posts
Waterstones Piccadilly Bookshop Review
Inside London’s Oldest Bookshop, Hatchards