Keel Row Books

Keel Row Books in Whitley Bay is a specialist rare and collectable bookshop with real old-school bookish gravitas, and dogs are welcome inside. It focuses on first editions, signed copies, antiquarian books, maps, photographs and ephemera, so it feels more treasure-hunt than casual paperback rummage. The shop relocated to Park View in 2023 and now occupies a beautifully restored former pharmacy with two floors of books to explore.

For visitors who love proper independent shops with depth and character, this is a lovely one to nose around. Open Tuesday to Saturday 10am-5pm (closed Mondays and Sundays), it brings a quieter, more curated feel than a general bookshop, and makes a good stop for anyone who enjoys books with history, heft and a bit of collector-daydream energy.

The dog-friendly welcome means nobody needs to do the pavement-waiting shuffle while one person browses. It's a useful wet-weather stop for book lovers with dogs in tow, and the calm atmosphere suits patient paws happy to sniff around quietly while their humans hunt for treasures.