Stanfords

Stanfords is a specialist bookshop of maps and travel books, and was established in 1853 by Edward Stanford. The store on its present location on Long Acre in Covent Garden, central London, first opened its doors in January 1901. In 1997 a second store opened in Bristol.

As having a reputation for its extensive collection of maps it is claimed to be "an essential first port of call for adventure and armchair travellers alike". Customers past and present include names as David Livingstone, Scott of the Antarctic, Ernest Shackleton, Florence Nightingale, Ranulph Fiennes, Bill Bryson, Michael Palin, and Sherlock Holmes.