I was talking to a fellow LEGO® fan the other day about how many “hidden gems” there were in the UK when it came to buying LEGO® sets. Long story short – here’s a list of independent LEGO® stores and retailers in the UK.
LEGO®’s brand stores are now much more prevalent these days – they have just opened their 17th branch in the UK in Southampton. I have fond memories of buying a lot of LEGO® sets from Geoff’s Toys in Loughborough, and Dominoes Toys in Leicester (sadly both now closed): but before then, there was Toys R Us (now defunct in the UK too) and smaller, family-run toy stores. It’s businesses in this last category I thought deserving of this list.
Criteria for our independent LEGO® stores list
A few criteria were in the back of my mind for this list of independent LEGO® stores:
- The business must be privately owned (i.e., not owned by a large corporation)
- The LEGO® shop must have a physical retail location – it cannot exist solely online
- A reasonable selection of LEGO® sets must be available to buy, all year round. Other toys may be on sale at the same venue
Our list of independent LEGO® shops in the UK
So, let’s get on with this list. If you know of an independent retailer who sells LEGO® sets and deserves to be on the list, let me know via playtime@bricksmcgee.com.
| Shop name | Website | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independent LEGO stores in London and the South of England | |||
| Benjamin Pollock’s Toyshop, 44 The Market, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 8RF |
pollocks-coventgarden.co.uk | This small toy store is located in Covent Garden market – well worth a visit if you’re nearby. A good place for a quick LEGO® fix if you’re in central London and don’t fancy queuing at the Leicester Square store! | |
| Bricktraders, 57 Catherine Street, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 5BN |
bricktraders.co.uk | One I haven’t managed to visit in opening hours yet! This local LEGO store is famous in local AFOL circles. | |
| Independent LEGO stores in the North of England (Yorkshire, Cumbria, North East England | |||
| Osborne’s Sports & Toys, 116 – 118A High Street, Rushden, Northamptonshire, NN10 0PE |
osbornes-rushden.co.uk | The first LEGO store in the UK to sell LEGO – and still running! | |
| Starlings of Holt, 12 High Street, Holt, Norfolk, NR25 6BQ |
starlings.co.uk | Recommended by @AtomicPastry. | |
| Wigwam Toys, 140 Preston Drove, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 6FJ |
wigwamtoys.co.uk | Recommended by @BrightonBricks. | |
| Independent LEGO stores in the North of England (Yorkshire, Cumbria, North East England | |||
| Bricks And Bits, 1 Dixon Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S6 4FYL |
bricksandbitstoyshop.com | Long-running LEGO retailer in the Sheffield area. | |
| Brick Shack Yorkshire, Dove House, Birds Royd Lane, Brighouse West Yorkshire, HD6 1JL |
Facebook page | Local LEGO-only retailers in West Yorkshire. | |
| JR Soulsby & Sons, Front Street, Rothbury, Northumberland, JR Soulsby & Sons |
Facebook page | A brilliantly old-fashioned toy store, with a reasonable selection of current LEGO sets. | |
| House & Home, 25 Market Place, Bedale, North Yorkshire, DL8 1ED |
Facebook page | Another strange one for Yorkshire – a hardware store with a brilliant toy department – including much LEGO! – upstairs. | |
| Minifigures & Bricks, Cliftongate Business Centre, The Fold Yard, Wigginton Road, York, YO32 2RH |
minifigsandbricks.co.uk | Long-established LEGO show near York. | |
| Towler’s, 66-68 Market Place, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, YO7 1LW |
– | This newsagent on Thirsk’s marketplace has a surprising range of LEGO sets available to buy. | |