About us

Established over 30 years ago, we are a family business specialising in books on all aspects of natural history, gardening, botany and beekeeping.

We have a thriving and loyal customer base for our catalogues, postal sales and website. Catalogues are available free-of-charge either as a good old-fashioned book catalogue or as an attachment to an email.

We work from my home in the centre of Hay-on-Wye and a store room 150m away. If you would like to view books, please call us and we can arrange a suitable time.

We offer a very wide range of books from field guides to academic tomes and on to finely illustrated and antiquarian books.

We have always sold books in our specialist subject areas and did so until the end of September 2011 from a shop in Hay-on-Wye.  In 2006, my wife Claire and I joined my father and mother-in-law, Chris and Catherine Arden in their well-established business.  The sudden and tragic death of my wife Claire in 2009 meant all our plans changed.  Over the last couple of years we decided that I would carry on the business and Chris and Catherine would retire.

Buying

We are always interested in purchasing large or small collections in our specialist subject areas.  We are quite happy to view collections here in Hay-on-Wye and can travel to view.

Chris in the shop

Darren Bloodworth
C.Arden (Bookseller)
The Flat
Cranbourne House
The Pavement
Hay-on-Wye
HR3 5BU

Tel: 44 (0)1497 820 471
Fax: 44 (0)1497 822 544

Business hours

- Mon. to Fri. 9.30am-5.00pm
- Visits to view books can be arranged
- Answer-phone out of business hours