A TINTERN book shop has called on the community to “use them or lose them” in a bid to revive footfall on the village’s high street.

Stella and Rose’s Books, which was established in 1991, largely sells second-hand, rare and out-of-print books. The stock is largely non-fiction, collectible and unique, however there is also a literature section and a children’s section.

Now, partners of the business are urging the local community, and visitors from Monmouthshire and the Forest of Dean to visit the store to make their literary purchases, or risk losing another community asset.

Christella Tomaszewski, Senior Partner of Stella and Roses Books said: “The village is dead. There’s very few visitors.

“When we first moved here, there was a general store, a Post Office, an antique shop, and it was a little, thriving community. Over the years, it’s all disappeared - except us. We are still here.”

The team explained that while footfall in the village is low, Tintern Abbey still attracts many tourists - but they don’t venture further, and this could be down to a lack of community spots.

Maria Goddard, Partner of Stella and Roses Books said: “We don’t see many locals and no-one walks from the Abbey.”

Christella added: “There used to be visitors when we had the antiques store and Post Office as there was something to come down for, and despite the wonderful scenery here, footfall has really gone down.”

The partners’ expert knowledge in their field is invaluable, something which you do not receive using online sellers like Amazon or eBay. With Christmas looming, the partners say they might have something in store to act as the perfect gift.

You can find the shop on Monmouth Road in Tintern. More information can be found on its website, Facebook and Instagram pages, or you can email [email protected].