Sherlock & Pages
Sherlock & Pages in Frome is an independent bookshop specializing in nature writing, conservation, and environmental sustainability. It serves as a magical (and a little mischievous) hub for those passionate about reconnecting with the natural world.
Perfect For
Anyone seeking books that inspire a deeper connection with nature, those interested in locating meaning in their lives, and anyone looking to support independent book shops.
Why You’ll Love It
Nestled in the heart of Frome, Sherlock & Pages is a tiny bookshop — of just 1500 titles — with a big ambition. Co-founder Luke Sherlock has said “My dream as a person is to have the most beautiful, soulful bookshop surrounded by stories and community.”
True to his promise, together with his partner Agathe Cavicchioli, he has created somewhere magical — and sometimes mischievous — that holds a carefully curated collection of books that mostly celebrate nature, but also bring in other areas such as conservation, folklore, history and pilgrimage.
This truly charming book shop invites you to embark on journeys — sometimes physical, sometimes of the mind and spirit, all while fostering a deep connection to the natural world.
What Makes It Special
Nature-Centered Collection – Specializing in books about nature, conservation, and environmental sustainability, Sherlock & Pages offers readers a chance to reconnect with some of the best writing about the natural world.
Community Reach – In a town that believes in maintaining its independent spirit, Sherlock & Pages foster a sense of community and shared values. They are always happy to recommend the latest titles or beloved reads when you stop by. But don’t worry if you’re not local, you can also check out their YouTube Channel
Personal Touch & Advocacy – The people behind it have created not just a platform for cherished reads, but also for the story of the joys and difficulties of running a bookshop. Making literal space in the world for the things we love can be extraordinarily hard and rewarding. Their campaigns, and honesty, around this have highlighted how important it is to support the independent spaces in our community because when we don’t, we lose them too.
The Story Behind It
Luke Sherlock and Agathe Cavicchioli, both with backgrounds in climate action and sustainability, founded Sherlock & Pages in October 2023. After experiencing an intense bout of climate anxiety, Luke sought to create a positive space for community building and discussion on conservation, including what’s past and what’s to come.
Their shared passion for nature and literature led them to establish a sanctuary where readers can explore themes of nature, conservation, and history, anything that helps us connect with the world around us in restorative ways.
The shop's tagline, "Long Live the Hedgerows," reflects its dedication to conservation and the natural world.
The If Lost Take
We love Sherlock & Pages because it’s more than just a bookshop—it’s a beacon for environmental consciousness and a kind of nature-led self-exploration. It’s clear focus feels refreshing, as it brings together stories that inspire action and reflection, encouraging us all to become stewards of the world around us, even if that means that we just start noticing it again.
Something Else We Love
Luke has also created an avid following on Instagram through his account @englishpilgrim for his pilgrimages to churches, and has written his own book on the subject: Forgotten Church: Exploring England’s Hidden Treasures.
Some Practical Details
Frome, Somerset, UK
P.S.
If you visit, make sure to pop next door to independent shop Seed and the gorgeous florist Bramble & Wild.
Lost at Home: Prompts for thriving while social-distancing
We’ve put together a quick guide for how to maintain your mental wellbeing while social-distancing.
We all have the same basic needs — even when we’re stuck at home. While If Lost Start Here generally focuses on the *places* we go to meet these needs, we’re pivoting and reassessing to find ways to meet them from home. From finding community and connection to discovering your own creative potential, we’ve collected some of our ideas for thriving while social distancing. Have something to add? Feel free to share ideas in the comments below! This is in no way an exhaustive list! (And of course, please share with anyone who may need a boost of inspiration!)
The Interval
As humans we’re obsessed by time, with running through our days while also being in the moment. We’re a little confused about it. To get a more balanced, holistic view head to San Francisco’s The Interval.
“Fostering long-term responsibility.”
As humans we’re obsessed by time, with running through our days while also being in the moment. We’re a little confused about it. To get a more balanced, holistic view head to San Francisco’s The Interval, a unique blend of a café, salon, museum, and the home of The Long Now Foundation. Here time is very much slowed down and experienced for what it really is: infinite. Well that’s the hope anyway: Those books you’ll find on the floor-to-ceiling height shelves contain the wisdom to rebuild civilization.
The Interval is playing the longest of long games. Mechanical prototypes for a 10,000 year clock (yep, that blows our mind too) sit next to more contemporary, transient art exhibitions. Even the menu of bespoke drinks and food is time-inspired (see the perfectly named cocktail I’ve Grown to Love Life Too Much). But this is no gimmicky, temporal theme park. Rather this is a location that is thoughtfully (and maybe essentially) holding space for the idea that the long view matters.
This is made manifest most clearly in the program of conversations and lectures with scientists, technologists, creatives and entrepreneurs across subjects that take in climate, astronomy, psychology, the arts, any discipline really that intersects with an idea of the long-term (an approach that maybe encompasses everything, or should at least if we’re wise about it). Recent talks, available to watch online, have included primatologist Elizabeth Lonsdorf talking about how evolution and human behavior can be understood through studying primates, former NASA astronaut Ed Lu speaking to the importance of mapping our solar system, and historian Caroline Winterer on the idea of “deep time”, the billions of years we humans struggle to get our heads around.
You’ll find The Interval on one of our favourite sites in San Francisco, Fort Mason Center—which itself has evolved and shifted over its lifespan from military base to its latest iteration of culture center. Nab the coveted nook room for a coffee or drink, and you’ll also get a spectacular view of the city’s prized bay and the famous bridge that marks it entrance—testaments themselves to the natural and human forces that have shaped this region’s recent history. Then feel the awe of it all, the years past and those to come, while sipping on an in-the-moment latte and pulling one of those books, like Jorge Luis Borges’ Funes the Memorious or Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber, from the shelves. Then just be here right now.
To find out more: Website www.theinterval.org/ Twitter @interval / Facebook @longnowinterval / Instagram @theinterval