Bristol has a long-established record-shopping scene, shaped by second-hand dealers, independent labels, specialist dance music shops and venues that sell records alongside live performances. Its shops are spread across several neighbourhoods rather than concentrated on one street. This guide groups the city’s current Vinyl Directory listings by area, helping collectors plan a visit and find the kind of music they want.
For second-hand crate digging, Gloucester Road and Cheltenham Road are particularly useful. The city centre has specialist metal, dance music and collectable vinyl shops alongside Rough Trade. Bedminster, Old Market, Clifton and Redfield provide further reasons to explore beyond the centre. Use the interactive Bristol map below to locate individual shops; follow the links for fuller profiles and contact information.
Bristol record shop map
The map shows record shops currently listed for Bristol. Select a marker to view an individual shop. Opening hours and stock can change, so check with the retailer before travelling.
13 record shops on this map
Explore the shops
- Collector Cave 184 Cheltenham Road, Bristol, City of Bristol BS6 5RB
- Prime Cuts Bristol 85 Gloucester Road, Bristol, City of Bristol BS7 8AS
- Idle Hands 20–21 Lower Park Row, Bristol, City of Bristol BS1 5BN, UK
- Friendly Records 59 North Street, Bedminster, Bristol, City of Bristol BS3 1ES, UK
- Cherry Waves Vinyl 254 Church Road, Bristol, City of Bristol BS5 8AF, UK
- Black City Records 16 Trenchard Street, Bristol, City of Bristol BS1 5AN, UK
- Astro Vinyl 68 Park Row, Bristol, City of Bristol BS1 5LE, UK
- Plastic Wax Records 222 Cheltenham Road, Bristol BS6 5QU, United Kingdom
- Wanted Records 43 High Street, Bristol BS1 2AT, United Kingdom
- Specialist Subject Records First Floor Exchange, 72-73 Old Market Street, Bristol BS2 0EJ, United Kingdom
- Longwell Records Clifton Arcade, Boyce’s Avenue, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 4AA, United Kingdom
- Rough Trade 3 New Bridewell, Nelson Street, Bristol, BS1 2QD
- The Centre For Better Grooves 33 Gloucester Road, Bristol, BS7 8AA, United Kingdom
City centre: Park Row, Trenchard Street and High Street
Central Bristol offers contrasting shops within a relatively compact area. Astro Vinyl at 68 Park Row is a smaller shop centred on used records, CDs and tapes, with funk, soul, jazz, reggae and hip-hop among its interests. Nearby, Black City Records at 16 Trenchard Street concentrates on heavy metal, including death metal and underground releases, alongside CDs, tapes and merchandise. The difference between the two makes this part of the city worth exploring even if you have a particular genre in mind.
On Lower Park Row, Idle Hands specialises in dance and electronic records, reflecting Bristol’s connection with bass music and independent electronic labels. Wanted Records, at 43 High Street, is a destination for second-hand and collectable vinyl, including jazz, psychedelic rock, funk, soul, reggae, folk and music from Africa and Latin America. It previously traded in St Nicholas Market before moving to its current shop.
Rough Trade Bristol on Nelson Street offers a different approach: current physical releases, a bar, an events programme and a live room. Although part of a wider retail group rather than an independent single-shop business, it remains a useful central stop for new releases and artist appearances.
Gloucester Road and Cheltenham Road: second-hand browsing
For visitors whose main aim is to spend time browsing used vinyl, this is one of Bristol’s strongest areas. Plastic Wax Records, at 222 Cheltenham Road, has traded since 1978 and stocks a large selection of used LPs, singles, CDs and cassettes. Its broad musical coverage and long history make it a natural starting point for record collectors. Collector Cave at 184 Cheltenham Road combines pre-owned vinyl with CDs, cassettes and vintage collectables.
On nearby Gloucester Road, Prime Cuts operates from a basement beneath RePsycho at number 85. Its changing second-hand stock rewards unhurried digging through crates. The Centre for Better Grooves, at number 33, shares premises with Paul Roberts Hi-Fi and offers records spanning jazz, soul, funk, reggae, hip-hop, rock and other genres. The proximity of these shops makes the Gloucester Road and Cheltenham Road area particularly suitable for visiting several record retailers on one outing.
Old Market: punk, hardcore and independent releases
Specialist Subject Records is on the first floor of Exchange, the music venue at 72–73 Old Market Street. The business is both an independent label and a shop, with a strong focus on punk, hardcore, indie and metal. Its stock includes vinyl, CDs, tapes and publications associated with smaller labels and independent artists. The location within a working music venue makes it a distinctive part of Bristol’s record-shopping landscape.
Bedminster and South Bristol
Friendly Records is at 59 North Street in Bedminster. With new releases and second-hand selections, it provides a neighbourhood alternative to the more concentrated central shopping areas. North Street also has independent cafés, shops and other businesses, so a visit can form part of exploring Bedminster and Southville.
Clifton Village
Longwell Records occupies a shop in Clifton Arcade on Boyce’s Avenue. Founded in 2015, the business previously traded in Keynsham before moving to Clifton in January 2026. It offers new and used vinyl in a historic arcade setting, with listening facilities and a changing selection. Clifton is separate from the central and Gloucester Road clusters, so allow additional time if visiting it as part of a larger trip.
Redfield and Church Road
Cherry Waves Vinyl is a family-run shop at 254 Church Road, selling new and pre-owned records as well as CDs and tapes. Located in the eastern part of Bristol, it gives collectors a reason to look beyond the better-known city-centre and Gloucester Road routes. It moved to Church Road in 2021 and serves the surrounding Redfield and St George area.
Choosing where to browse
Second-hand and collectable records: Plastic Wax, Wanted Records, Prime Cuts, Collector Cave and Astro Vinyl are useful starting points. Electronic and dance music: Idle Hands has a specialist focus. Metal: Black City Records is the dedicated destination. Punk and independent releases: Specialist Subject combines a shop and record label. Current releases and events: Rough Trade Bristol hosts live activity as well as selling physical music.
These suggestions are guides to each shop’s usual focus, not guarantees of particular records in stock. If you are looking for a specific pressing, contact the shop directly. Some retailers buy collections, but purchasing policies and availability vary.
Planning a Bristol record-shopping trip
One approach is to explore Gloucester Road and Cheltenham Road as a dedicated second-hand browsing trip, then visit the centre separately for specialist shops around Park Row, Trenchard Street, Lower Park Row, High Street and Nelson Street. Old Market can be combined with a city-centre outing, while Bedminster, Clifton and Church Road are better treated as additional neighbourhood stops. Use the map for locations and directions rather than assuming all shops are a short walk apart.
This page is maintained as part of Vinyl Directory’s UK record shop listings. Locations and details are reviewed periodically, but businesses may move, alter their hours or close. Shop owners can contact Vinyl Directory to request corrections and updates.
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