Book Swap

Denmead’s New Book Swap Cabinet Opens in the Heart of the Village

On Wednesday 4th June 2025, Greening Denmead welcomed members from The Men’s Shed, Fox and Hounds, Denmead Repair Café, and South Downs Funeral Services to cut the green ribbon and officially open Denmead’s brand new book swap cabinet.

This charming addition to the village is about more than just sharing a good read. It is a practical step towards waste prevention, one of the five core pillars that Greening Denmead champions, alongside helping nature, Warmer Homes, growing organic food and protecting our health during climate change.

The inspiration behind the cabinet stems from a simple but powerful idea: waste prevention starts not with recycling, but with stopping things going to waste in the first place. In our throwaway culture, items are often used briefly and discarded. But if we can change that, even just with books, we are already making a difference.

With no old red telephone box to repurpose, Greening Denmead teamed up with Denmead Men’s Shed, who kindly built a bespoke cabinet, South Downs Funeral Services who generously offered a tranquil corner of their beautiful garden as the cabinet’s new home and the Denmead and Hambledon Repair Cafe, and Fox and Hounds pub for their generous donations towards costs. The result is a peaceful and accessible spot in the heart of the village, open to all at any time.

Whether you are after a new holiday read, fancy something different to dive into, or have books at home you’re ready to pass on, the book swap cabinet is ready for you. Simply take a book, leave a book, no library card required. Please just add a mark to our tally to indicate how many books you've taken or left so we can track useage.

You can find additional book swap points at Denmead Community Centre and the Heath Room at All Saints Church. But if you have not yet visited the new cabinet, we would love you to stop by. You might just find your next favourite book and help cut down on waste while you are at it.