Hold Fast Bookshop is an independent bookshop that floats on the water at Upper Dock Mooring, Leeds Dock. The shop sits inside Marjorie R, an iron coal barge built in 1946 by Harker Ltd for Hargreaves Transport Company to carry coal from Wakefield to Dewsbury. Chris and Victoria Bonner, who have lived on the boat for over 20 years, restored it and run the shop. In 2023, National Historic Ships UK named the boat Flagship of the Year.
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The shop is at LS10 1LJ, opposite The Canary Bar. If you come by train, you can take the Leeds Dock Water Taxi from the south entrance of the station, or walk in about 20 minutes. The walk takes you past Riveresque, across Leeds Bridge, and down Dock Street to the river walkway. If you drive, there is parking on Chadwick Street (LS10 1PJ). The shop is closed on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. It opens from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on Thursday to Saturday, and from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm on Sunday. Today is Tuesday, so the next chance to visit is Thursday.
Inside, you go down a steep ladder into a long room with shelves along the walls and in the middle. There is seating, and the ceiling is decorated with stained glass ornaments and bulbs hanging from a wooden branch. The hull has a cosy area with a fire. The sun deck has outdoor seating and potted plants. The wheelhouse holds a wide range of cacti and succulents, each with a yellow label. One of the labels, on a rose, reads 'Kevin's mom'. There is also a staircase built for ducklings, and gold letters above the entrance read 'Books, plants, and curiosities'. The boat is lined with 3 inches of foam to regulate the temperature and keep out pests.
The shop stocks classics, contemporary fiction, young adult titles and children's books. It also sells greeting cards and gifts, and accepts National Book Tokens. You can order almost any book by email or social media. Second-hand books are sold for the price of a coffee, and children's books are £1 each. A credit forward board lets customers leave discounts for others using stickers worth £1, £1.50 or £2. Books can also be bought through the shop's bookshop.org page for home delivery, although the shop takes a commission on those sales. The shop hosts author-led events and talks, and in June 2025 it took part in Independent Bookshop Week.
The shop has a 5/5 rating on Google Maps from 131 reviews. One reviewer calls it 'the most unusual and beautiful bookshop', and another says it is among the best unique bookstores in the world. The reviews show that the boat, the plants and the variety of stock are the features people talk about most.
Published Date
20 October 2026
