The Widcombe Association

What’s Available Locally

Widcombe is a thriving community with excellent facilities and services. On the south-eastern fringes of Bath city centre, the area is but a few minutes walk via the footbridge across the River Avon from the railway station, and boasts excellent eating and shopping, beautiful walks and spectacular scenery - not least the National Trust Prior Park Landscape Garden (picture) which well repays the effort required to walk up Ralph Allen's drive from Widcombe Parade.

Local Shopping

Widcombe Parade has a good selection of shops, from McColls, the convenience store, through Widcombe Health Foods and Widcombe Pharmacy to the more specialist shops, which draw clientele from all over Bath and the surrounding area. Around the corner in Prior Park Rd is the recently expanded , providing a vast array of trees and shrubs, garden and pet supplies, and a farm shop offering local fresh produce.

Top of Page

Niche Shopping

Widcombe has a high percentage of specialist shops - The Aga Shop supplying Agas and all the accessories; for new and second-hand high quality curtains & fabric; , a fireplace provider; Print Room for prints and framing; for locks, keys and alarm systems etc; Roundabout for high quality second-hand clothes etc for children and adults; ; supplying flowers, plants and shrubs, The Widcombe Gift Shop; She, the designer dress shop and . The recently-opened gallery exhibits works including ceramics, oils and photography.

A short walk westward will take you to St Mark's Rd where tucked away behind St Mark's Church you will find , where his many fascinating architectural models can be seen and purchased.

In the other direction in Pulteney Rd, is , supplying kitchens and appliances.

Top of Page

Widcombe – The Place to Eat

Widcombe Parade hosts two excellent bistro-style dining venues for lunch and supper, each with a different atmosphere and high quality cuisine.

is a bustling wine bar with scrubbed wooden tables and benches. The menu contains such dishes as baked red mullet and sea bass, with boulangère potatoes. There is also a good sized function room upstairs, ideal for a private party, dance or group activity.

has been converted from a traditional pub to a spacious, light, airy bar and restaurant with pleasant courtyard garden, serving choice dishes such as braised lamb shank with horseradish mash, or rib-eye steak with tarragon mustard butter.

As well as these restaurants, there are also the traditional pubs: in Widcombe Parade which serves a wide range of pub favourites, such as homemade beef, bellringer and thyme pie; plus snacks and filled ciabattas; and in Pulteney Rd which boasts real ales, home-made food, a beer garden and a skittle alley.

Widcombe is also well-known for the , a centre for, amongst other things, Somerset skittles, folk music, and M. Le Bon Bon's famous cabarets, which take place in the Lakeside Suite.

The Parade also has two take-aways - The Manhattan serves burger-type food and the Ruposhi is an Indian curry house.

offers locally produced cakes, sandwiches and snacks with your coffee; and has an outside terrace for Summer days. Lennies Deli and Coffee Shop offers fresh bread daily, cream teas, fine wines and coffee and filled rolls to eat in or take away.

More...

Within the Parade is also a doctors' surgery with a chiropodist, two dentists; two estate agents: , specialising in the management of student properties, and , who let and manage properties; a launderette, and hair stylists who boast, among other things, a relaxed atmosphere and good coffee. And if you're looking for a driving instructor based in Widcombe, try Widcombe Driving School on 444166.

Amongst specialist companies is , providing consultancy and software support to the legal profession.

Top of Page

 

Schools

Widcombe is home to excellent schools, in both state and private sectors. The state primary schools are Widcombe Infant School and . In the private sector, the Paragon School in Lyncombe Vale feeds the high-achieving , whose main building is Ralph Allen's old mansion in a wonderful position overlooking the city.


Churches

Just up Widcombe Hill from Widcombe Parade is St Matthew’s Church and a little further on, turn right along Church Street to find the original parish church of St Thomas à Becket. These two churches make up The Benefice of Widcombe.

St Thomas à Becket Church and

There is also the Widcombe Baptist Chapel in Pulteney Road and the Christian Science Church at the corner of St Mark’s Road and Claverton Street.

Community Services

St Mark’s Community Hall (a large converted church) in St Mark’s Road is used by a playgroup, as well as for various classes and a packed programme of events.

Widcombe’s local police Beat Officer is Gerry Monks and he is the man to contact about any incidents in Widcombe. He can be contacted on 01225 842496. If you observe a crime in progress, dial 999 but if you want to talk to Bath Police about a non-urgent matter the number is 0845 4567000.

More information can be found on the Avon and Somerset Constabulary website under ‘Widcombe Beat News’.

Top of Page

Last modified on 21st November 2008
Published by The Widcombe Association © 2008