Who are we?

Walter Henry Chope was born in Bideford on September 9th 1871, and in 1898 at the age of 27 he opened the doors for the first time to number 13 The High Street, a costumier and draper’s shop. Chopes was thus founded and soon became established at the heart of a then busy market town and port…. And it stayed that way for a full century. Then in 1998, Chopes’ centenary year his family descendants opened a bookshop and named it to commemorate the founder of the original business.

Walter Henry’s Bookshop was an immediate success, with welcoming atmosphere and original bow fronted windows, it soon became established attracting customers from across the region; the High Street had a new shop and it was here to stay.

Now approaching a decade of trading, Walter Henry’s continues to grow, going from strength to strength. The consumers thirst for fact, fiction and knowledge requires continuing innovation to keep us ahead of the highly competitive book retail industry, and in such a market, our small independent bookshop continually strives to meets its customers growing needs and expectations. We do this by offering a personal service that is second to none, remaining focused on value, variety and going that extra mile whilst never losing our relaxed, stress free environment, which so many book enthusiasts love, returning year after year. We are continually evolving to meet the needs of our customers both old and new. We are a part of Bideford’s history and its future.

Whether you are looking for the latest bestseller or that specialist research title, Walter Henry’s provides unparalleled service. With a 24 hour next day order service, access to US distributed titles and the tenacity to search out the most elusive of books, as well as an extensive range of Local books, Walter Henry’s is there for you.