The bathroom is heaven for shopaholics

People have been telling me for years that in addition to its UNESCO World Heritage status, its Roman baths, its Georgian terraces, and its Jane Austen associations, Bath is a great place to shop. I love shopping, so naturally I was looking forward to my visit to this charming town in Somerset, about 120 miles west of London.

Hidden treasures

Thankfully it didn’t disappoint, but it took me a while to find Bath’s shopping groove.

First, I had to dismiss the hype about Milsom Street. Apparently in 2010, thousands of Google Street View users voted this attractive series of Georgian buildings as ‘Britain’s best fashion street’. Since, with fewer than a handful of exceptions, it lines up end-to-end with high street chain stores, the kind you can find in most British cities and many shopping malls, this really has very little sense. If you are a true grocer and only have time to go to Milsom Street, you will miss out on the best shopping in Bath can be.

Instead, put on a pair of comfortable walking shoes and head out to explore this compact city on foot. Don’t be afraid to wander down an alley, explore a small square, or a winding road. That’s where some of the most original independent shops hide and where you’ll find Bath’s retail treasures.

An explorer’s harvest

I spent about half a day doing nothing more than looking around me. It was worth it in terms of the many shops full of covetable goodies that I found. With an open mind, a few hours of leisure, and the willingness to turn that next corner, walk that extra block, you can probably find even more. Keep in mind, though, that unlike other famous shopping areas where all the cool boutiques are crammed into a few key streets, Bath’s interesting boutiques are more scattered around the city center, one or two here, one there. .

Eliminating them is part of the game. Here are some streets that I found worth exploring and what I found on them:

1. Milsom Place – This is a pretty but fairly self-conscious little pedestrian area accessed from either Milsom Street or Broad Street. It has some of the best chain restaurants, Carluccio’s, Jamie’s Italian, with an Italian restaurant attached. A good excuse to wander around this compound is Traffic People at number 26. Not entirely unique (the group has three stores in East and South East London), this non-London outpost is a particularly good place for women, floaters and women. However, the hyper-XXI century clothing. Youth dresses, skirts, shirts, shorts and accessories at remarkably reasonable prices. Quadrien number 16 is a home accessories store worth your time, specializing in modern and designer home accessories. It is a major distributor of Alessi products. While you’re at Milsom Place, take a look at what’s going on in some of the “pop-up” stores. This is Bath’s way of providing opportunities for new designers and manufacturers in an environment where they are surrounded by established retailers. During my visit, I liked the accessories and home furnishings at Fig and the original shoes at Chanii B. By the time you visit, there may be a host of new players.

1. Northumberland Place This strange little collection of lanes, accessed from Bath High Street, features sandwiches, travel agencies, pop-ups, and some pretty nice jewelers – Gold & Platinum Studios, which make custom-made items. Also some precious jewels from the goldsmith and designer-creator Nicholas Wylde. There are several other jewelers in this maze of streets and also Bath’s smallest pub, the Coeur de Lion. I bought a designer-style bag, almost but not entirely dumb for a stall tenner, without even a pang of guilt.

1. Broad Street – This is a sleeping person. It seems little, but it has some great stores. Try Boho at # 13 for handpicked boutique clothing and accessories. Nice little shop.
2. Green Street – Head here for gourmet shopping. The Tasting Room is a wine, whiskey and food gift merchant supplying some of the best restaurants in the UK. You can try before you buy, try some pairings, have some tapas or a full meal with your wine of the week in the Café / Bar upstairs. Sadly, The Bath Sausage Shop which was next door at number 7, closed after 20 years in Bath in 2014.

1. Quiet Street – Found some great looking fluted glass jars for next to nothing at Kitchens, a huge kitchenware store at number 4-5. If you like to rummage through kitchen appliances, linens, and kitchen utensils, this place is fun. And it has been around forever.
2. Margarets Buildings – Climb the Royal Crescent to enjoy the views and then turn to Margarets Buildings (named after a short street) to visit several major private art galleries and luxury handbag maker Liz Cox. All very elegant and made in England.

1. George Street : Between the restaurants and bars, there are a few shops that are worth the climb up the hill. Try Prey, in the buildings of York, for extravagant fashion and home accessories. A few steps later, at number 6, you will find Instant Vintage, a charming little boutique that sells vintage-inspired clothing and accessories at moderate prices.
2. Abbey Green Once you’re in Abbey Green, a small square south of Bath Abbey off York Street, you’ll be dangerously close to full-blown tourist territory, souvenir shops and postcard shops galore. But this square is worth finding just to gasp at the beautiful banana, planted in 1790, that overlooks it. Simply amazing. Once there, you’ll find a traditional sweet shop on one corner, and plenty of nearby places to wet your whistle while you take a break from your shopping.