Blackwell's on Broad Street is one of the great bookshops of the world. Founded in 1879 by Benjamin Henry Blackwell, the shop has occupied the same premises since opening and has expanded steadily — sometimes through extraordinarily creative solutions to the lack of space. The original shop at 50 Broad Street is connected to a warren of rooms, staircases, and annexes that spill through the building.
The Norrington Room, dug out beneath Trinity College next door and opened in 1966, is the centrepiece: a vast subterranean space with banks of shelving covering a floor area of approximately 10,000 square feet and holding around 160,000 books. The academic and humanities sections are particularly strong, which makes sense given Blackwell's long relationship with the university. The shop also hosts regular author events and lectures, and the Broad Street window displays are among the best-curated in any bookshop in Britain.