Shopping in Bath

About

Bath is blessed with beautiful architecture, spa and sporting venues, theatres and museums; all nestled in a lush green valley. There’s food for every palate, world class festivals as well as a vibrant shopping scene that is not to be missed! 

It’s a delight to shop surrounded by such splendid Georgian style. The city centre is easy to navigate; on every street corner you will find retailers large and small, one-of-a-kind independent shops and well-known high street names. Head up the main street (from Southgate Street to Milsom Street) and venture off left and right to discover retail treasures. You can also admire flowers, cheese, ironmongery, silver and leatherware at Upper City.

An antidote to online shopping, Bath is easily walkable and the discerning visitor will appreciate exploring and discovering. They can see, feel and try on items and enjoy the in-store customer experience. The city’s excellent selection of independent retailers offer quality personal service.

There are beautiful book shops to browse, original arts and craft shops that inspire and Bath is a destination for fine, contemporary and traditional jewellery. The city enjoys the very best fashion trends, skin care and beauty products. The list is endless. Plus, with the Roman Baths and Fashion Museum in the centre, it’s the perfect place to pick up a souvenir for a loved one back home.

Lose yourself along the maze of fascinating alleyways and scenic passages all filled with stores selling confectionery, gifts, fashion and trinkets. Take a trip to Walcot Street and browse through the independent shops at the Artisan Quarter. Vintage clothing, art, antiques, homeware and designer furnishings; it’s got the lot! Don’t miss the popular flea market every Saturday overflowing with rare finds.

The Guildhall Market in the city centre provides a traditional English shopping experience and Bath Farmer’s market at Green Park Station, the first of its kind in the country, is a foodie’s delight each Saturday morning.

If you’re looking for high street brands head to SouthGate home to Urban Outfitters, Boots, Pandora and Hollister or venture up the city to Milsom Street where you’ll find the UK’s oldest department store.  And there’s a host of fine cafés, restaurants for a coffee break or lunch stops in every area.

During the festive season the streets near Bath Abbey come alive with the annual Bath Christmas Market, always aglow with festive chalets and accompanied by the sounds of carol singers; the Christmas market is one of the best in the country!

If you want to live like a local, have a chat with a Bathonian or one of the Bath Welcome Ambassador and they will be sure to recommend their favourite shops. They always know best when it comes to off-the-beaten-track finds.

 

             

The Main Thoroughfare - Milsom Street to Southgate Street

This is the main thoroughfare of Bath and it runs through the city from the bus station at Southgate Street all the way up to the achingly stylish Milsom Street. It is the perfect promenade where you will find style, fashion and designer names as well as one of the oldest department stores in Europe.

Milsom Place

Visit Milsom Place, a smart retail area between Milsom Street and Broad Street with high quality shops. Enjoy the dining and drinking options with a taste of the sunshine in the beautiful courtyards.

Westgate St, Green St, Quiet St, Cheap St and New Bond St

These streets branch from the main thoroughfare and are filled with retail delights providing superior customer service. Don’t miss the stylish shops, perfumeries and skincare boutiques.

The Lanes - The Corridor/ Northumberland Place/Union Passage

There a wonderful gems to discover in these lanes including Bath’s smallest pub, bustling cafés and unique shops. The Corridor is one of the first examples of an indoor shopping arcade.

Margaret’s Buildings

Enjoy the independent art, clothing and book shops of Margaret's Buildings, a lovely spot nestled between Georgian splendours - The Royal Crescent and The Circus.

Bartlett Street

An intriguing street of independent shops and Bath’s largest antiques centre.

George Street 

An exciting Georgian terrace with a host of tasty lunch and dinner venues, vibrant bars and late night spots.

Broad Street & High Street 

Broad Street and High Street run parallel to the main thoroughfare and are filled with home furnishings, fashion and independent shops. Don't miss the Bath Guildhall indoor market, the oldest shopping venue in the city where a colourful group of twenty stallholders trade in this jewel of a building in the heart of the city,

Walcot Street

This is Bath's 'Artisan Quarter' where you’ll discover a treasure trove of unique stores offering everything from vintage clothes to designer homeware and interesting craftwork to delicious food. Home to Bath Aqua Glass, the traditional glassblowing & stained glass studio. The London Road and Walcot areas have been the main part of Bath's Artisan Quarter since the 1960s.  Don't miss the popular Saturday flea market, including a unique variety of clothes, antiques, books, crockery, collectables and more.

Abbey Green

A backdrop for many films, this historic, cobbled square in the heart of Bath is home to the much-treasured London Plane tree as well as tea houses, sweet shops and other treasures. Sally Lunn's famous buns can be found in nearby North Parade.

Pulteney Bridge

The top photographer’s hotspot. One of only four bridges in the world to have shops on both sides. Cross the bridge to Great Pulteney St, the widest and grandest road in Bath.

Orange Grove

Adjacent to the splendid Bath Abbey is Orange Grove, originally the church yard and now home to restaurants and shops. Step down to Parade Gardens riverside park, a perfect spot for picnics and be entertained by the summer bandstand concerts. From here, you can see The Rec, the iconic Bath Rugby ground across the river.

Kingsmead Square

This square enjoys an attractive mix of restaurants and cafés to enjoy al fresco under the shade of the London Plane tree. The neighbourhood also hosts a variety of home interiors stores.

Green Park Station

Home to many of Bath’s flourishing regular and speciality markets and adjacent to a major supermarket. There's a very popular Farmer's Market every Saturday morning and Bath is proud to say this was the first in the country.

SouthGate 

SouthGate shopping area is home to the major high street shops and restaurants. It's the first stop for those stepping off the bus or the train and the spot where you'll find the Apple Store, Timberland, All Saints, Hotel Chocolat and more. Take a moment to enjoy the Secret Garden and seasonal planting and decorations.

Bath Christmas Market 

Discover the Magic of Bath Christmas Market each winter. The award-winning Bath Christmas Market spreads magical merriment across the city. With around 150 twinkling chalets spread out around Bath Abbey and across the city’s picturesque Georgian streets, it’s the ideal place for a spot of Christmas shopping. From unique homeware to personalised presents, Christmas decorations, handcrafted jewellery and more, you’re guaranteed to find something special for your loved ones. It is the chalets and the individual stallholders who make the market so special. Predominantly, they come from the South West and an impressive 99% of all products are either handmade by the stallholders’ own hands, in Britain or abroad with Fairtrade certification. When you shop at Bath Christmas Market you are supporting wonderful small business owners. This award-winning market takes place from 28 November to 15 December 2019.

Markets 

Bath has a variety of markets. The Guildhall indoor market is open Monday to Saturday. Green Park Station has a small collection of cabins selling organic groceries, wine, fresh meat and dairy, clothing, flowers, street food and more each weekday and a midweek market on Wednesdays. On Fridays and Saturdays the Antique & Flea Market arrives on Walcot Street and on Saturdays the Farmers Market comes to Green Park Station. The Artisan Market of food and crafts is in Queens Square on the first Saturday of each month and the Bath Flea Market the first Sunday of each month in Green Park Station. Abbey Market takes place the third Sunday of each month in the Abbey Green neighbourhood and BathVA Vintage & Antique Market appears in Green Park Station on the last Sunday of the month.

Street Entertainment

Public entertainment is an everyday occurrence in Bath. There have been performances in public places in every major culture in the world, dating back to antiquity and certainly for centuries in Bath. Performers may do acrobatics, singing, fire skills, juggling, magic, mime, living statue, musical performance or street art such as sketching and painting. It's all free to watch although the buskers do appreciate gratuities. During the Christmas season the streets are filled with the sounds of choirs and pianists. One of the most popular evenings of free entertainment in Bath is Party in the City for the launch of the Bath Festival in May. Look out for more impromptu performances around the time of each festival, particularly the highly entertaining Comedy Festival.