One of my favourite places to visit is the beautiful City of Lincoln. Steeped in medieval history the city also holds one the largest Christmas markets in Europe. Those who come especially for this special occasion, will see Lincoln Castle come to life with a colourful array of  international stalls, but don’t wait until then to visit.

Living and working in Lincoln is Joff Gainey, who has taken  the brave step into the wonderful world of independent bookselling, with a special emphasis upon supporting both local and independent authors.  If you’re the type of person who loves to browse the shelves for a good book whilst enjoying a great coffee, then this is just the place for you.

Where is the café I hear you cry?: At 47 Steep Hill, Lincoln.

The BookStop Café has a chilled atmosphere where discerning readers can sit and read. The shelves are stacked with new and used books so you can lose yourself for a while whilst at the same time enjoy the added bonus of nibbling delicious cakes – Heaven!

How do I know all this? Well, that’s easy, it’s because it’s the first place I head off to when visiting Lincoln.

This café  is a hidden gem. There aren’t many places you can visit where you get to read to your hearts content without constant interruptions. There is soft music playing in the background and the lighting is bright enough for you to read but at the same time low enough for you to enjoy the ambiance of the café.

There are books galore! You can even grab a copy of the ‘Magic’ trilogy there!

If you’re heading to the café from the direction of the Castle (going down Steep Hill) there are some pretty impressive buildings to look at along  the way. To the left of the Castle is of course Lincoln Cathedral. Completed in 1092 it was rebuilt after a fire but was destroyed by an unusual earthquake in 1185. When completed the central of the three spires was widely accepted to have succeeded the Great Pyramids of Egypt as the tallest man-made structure in the world.

There’s also the quaint little shops on Steep Hill to browse through!  

You can’t beat a little shopping! You will find that whilst you are walking down Steep Hill a few selective shops have some  very unusual and unique gifts. For those of you who love to grab a bargain, there are, of course, some fabulous antique shops to discover too!

The BookStop Café is open daily 10 am – 5 pm. The building is cloaked in history and according to many references, known as ‘Aaron the Jew’s House’ (where Aaron of Lincoln, who died in 1186, lived. The building has been a shop for many years and the cafe’ gets its tea from tea importer Imperial Teas who resides upstairs. For more information about The Bookstop Café please contact Goff via: http://bookstopcafe.com

Happy Reading!