This Yorkshire holiday home lets you live out the dream of owning a bookshop

I’m less than 30 minutes into my first shift at Read and Rabbit – a small, independent second-hand bookshop in the small North Yorkshire town of Loftus – and I’ve just made my first sale. Like many bibliophiles, I’ve long fantasied about running my very own bookshop. It’s a romantic dream that’s been replicated everywhere from the romantic Hollywood encounters of Notting Hill to the anarchism of Black Books. So, when I heard about a new bookshop that had opened nearby which enabled book-lovers to cosplay as a bookseller for anywhere between a few hours to a few weeks, I was intrigued. Situated between the big skies and rolling landscapes of the North York Moors and the wild North Yorkshire coastline, it’s also perfectly placed to explore this beautiful slice of the North.

It works like this: visitors book the flat above the bookshop for a minimum of three nights. If they wish, they can choose to work a shift in the bookshop, serving customers and selling books. Marta Eleniak, the owner of the shop, is happy to provide an IRL induction for “guest booksellers”, but I opted to simply follow the detailed notes she left, which provide step-by-step instructions on how to open up, operate the card reader and log books sold.

While some readers may recoil at the prospect of working without pay on top of paying for accommodation, it’s one that holds huge appeal for book-lovers like myself. The Open Book in Wigtown, Scotland’s “home of books”, runs the only other similar scheme in the UK to huge popularity. After opening in 2014, it now welcomes guest booksellers from around the world and has a waiting list of two years. Read and Rabbit holds the accolade of being England’s first.

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On the day of my shift, opening up is easy enough. I enter the shop from the flat above, turn on the lights and unlock the front door. I’m ready for business.

My customers are a mixture of locals and visitors to the area. As a freelancer who is used to spending my day alone, chatting with them about their book preferences and lives is an absolute treat. The open sign has barely been turned when a woman on her way to church drops by for a chat and promises to let everyone know we’re open for business. She’s replaced by another local who leaves a selection of prints and cards his wife has painted to sell in the shop. Another person drops by with a donation of six books, and we discuss the mutual challenges of book hoarding.

The warmth and support of the local people is something Eleniak highlights when she calls in later on. As well as lifts, favours and donations from the community, Eleniak is also the recipient of a £4,000 visitor grant from the North York Moors National Park, awarded to fund projects that boost the local economy and improve visitor experiences; she put it towards decorating, bookshelves and lighting.

In addition to running a business, Eleniak also wants the shop to be a community hub and speaks about it as an antidote to loneliness. “I love talking to people,” she tells me. “The things I’ve discovered have been amazing – the conversations are sometimes like a therapy session. It really is good to talk.” Browsing bookshelves is always a pleasure, but it’s this element of the experience that strikes me most. The willingness of customers to make time to chat in a time-poor world feels both quietly radical and heartwarming.

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With my five-hour shift finished and the shop closed, it’s time to explore the local area – I’m thrilled to discover that the picturesque coastline stretching from Staithes to Saltburn-on-Sea is significantly quieter than that south of Whitby. I take a restorative walk starting from the bookshop that leads me out into fields, before emerging onto the cliffs. The coast here is home to soft, golden sand and I make my way down to the “secret” Cattersty Sands. The sun is shining, but there’s a dearth of people and a proliferation of sea birds.

An appetite aroused in me by the sea air, I head to the pretty seaside town of Staithes, famous for its steep, winding cobbled streets and fishing heritage, and beeline for the Cod and Lobster. This seafront pub, which has been washed into the sea four times, has been trading since 1823 and has a legendary reputation for fresh, local seafood. It doesn’t disappoint, and I tuck into a delicious monkfish wrapped in Parma ham and watch the sea.

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It’s almost time for bed, and I’m keen to rise early to visit the award-winning Willow Cake Shop, which is conveniently located across the road from Read and Rabbit and regularly sells out of baked goods (it’s a wise decision – the caramel cake is a revelation).

When morning comes, I don’t want to leave. My experience of running the bookshop has only served to intensify my alternative career dreams – and I’ve found it’s about more than just the books. The warmth of the visitors and the opportunity to engage in chit-chat – both trivial and enlightening – has been a pleasure and a reminder of the inherent value of community, the high street and the human need for interaction. In a world where everything can be ordered at the click of a button, a physical shop provides a much-needed service that isn’t confined to the items on the shelves.

“I’m acutely aware that there’s a lot of heaviness in the world and that a lot of people are finding things difficult,” Eleniak tells me. “And I think it’s really nice to have a place that gives people a bit of levity and joy and a nice interaction with someone.” Independent shops staffed by real people are places worth fighting for and something we humans need more than ever before. Let’s protect them at all costs – a visit here is a good start.

How to get there

Loftus is situated in the North York Moors National Park, 18 miles east of Middlesbrough and 18 miles north of Whitby. Regular buses travel between the two, with railway stations in Whitby and Saltburn-on-Sea, which is 3.5 miles away. It’s also located about 3.5 miles off the A171 road connecting Scarborough and Middlesbrough.

For more information on the North York Moors National Park, visit northyorkmoors.org.uk.

Where to stay

A stay at Read and Rabbit starts at £90 per night. More pricing options are available on the website readandrabbit.com.

Read more: How to have a literary-inspired stay in Yorkshire’s Bronte country