Widcombe, Bath
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Widcombe is a district of
Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...
,
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
, immediately south-east of the city centre, across the River Avon. The electoral ward was merged with Lyncombe at the boundary changes effected at the elections held on 2 May 2019; the two places have historically been connected (refer to the Lyncombe article).


History

Widcombe was part of the
hundred 100 or one hundred (Roman numerals, Roman numeral: C) is the natural number following 99 (number), 99 and preceding 101 (number), 101. In mathematics 100 is the square of 10 (number), 10 (in scientific notation it is written as 102). The standar ...
of Bath Forum. In 1877 Halfpenny Bridge, a pedestrian toll bridge, across the River Avon from
Bath Spa railway station Bath Spa railway station is the principal station serving the city of Bath, Somerset, Bath in Somerset, England. It is on the Great Western Main Line, down the line from the zero point at between to the east and to the west. It is the busies ...
to Widcombe collapsed with the loss of about 10 lives amongst a large crowd going to the Bath and West Agricultural show.


Architecture

Widcombe Parade is a commercial street lined with a mix of Georgian and Victorian buildings located near the Halfpenny Bridge, with buildings dating back as far as 1750. The area has been through many changes over the years, altered to improve traffic movement, removing an entire row of terraced houses at the west end of Widcombe Parade with the development of Rossiter Road as part of the main thoroughfare skirting the city centre of Bath. St. Matthew's Church, built 1846–1847, with one of the tallest spires in Bath, is positioned to be viewed at the east end of Widcombe Parade. Widcombe Manor House is a
grade I listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were usually held the lord's manorial courts, communal mea ...
built in 1656. It is located on Church Street adjacent to St Thomas à Beckett Church. Crowe Hall is a Georgian house. It is a Grade II
listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
, and the gardens are on the
Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England #REDIRECT Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England {{R from move ...
. It was built around 1780 for Brigadier Crowe. It has had a succession of owners since who each adapted and renovated the building. A serious fire in 1926 destroyed a lot of the fabric of the building and further restoration was required. The house is surrounded by several hectares of sloping gardens, below
Prior Park Prior Park is a Neo-Palladian house that was designed by John Wood, the Elder, and built in the 1730s and 1740s for Ralph Allen on a hill overlooking Bath, Somerset, England. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building. The house was bu ...
, which are terraced and include a rock garden and
grotto A grotto or grot is a natural or artificial cave or covered recess. Naturally occurring grottoes are often small caves near water that are usually flooded or often flooded at high tide. Sometimes, artificial grottoes are used as garden fea ...
. Widcombe Crescent is a terrace of 14 Georgian houses built in 1808 by Thomas Baldwin, and designated a Grade I listed building.


Canal

Widcombe is where the
Kennet and Avon Canal The Kennet and Avon Canal is a waterway in southern England with an overall length of , made up of two lengths of Navigability, navigable river linked by a canal. The name is used to refer to the entire length of the navigation rather than sol ...
meets the River Avon.
Bath Locks Bath Locks () are a series of locks, now six locks, situated at the start of the Kennet and Avon Canal, at Bath, England. Bath Bottom Lock, which is numbered as No 7 on the canal, is the meeting with the River Avon just south of Pulteney Brid ...
are a series of locks, just south of
Pulteney Bridge Pulteney Bridge is a bridge over the River Avon (Bristol), River Avon in Bath, Somerset, Bath, England. It was completed by 1774, and connected the city with the land of the Pulteney family which the family wished to develop. Designed by Rober ...
, which climb through Widcombe. Alongside the bottom lock is a side pond and pumping station which pumps water up the locks to replace that used each time the lock is opened. The next stage of Bath Deep Lock is numbered 8/9 as two locks were combined when the canal was restored in May, 1976. A road bridge carrying the A36, constructed while the canal was in a state of disrepair passes over the original site of the lower lock. The new chamber has a depth of 19 ft 5ins, making it Britain's second deepest canal lock. Just above the 'deep lock' is an area of water enabling the lock to refill and above this is Wash House Lock (number 10), and soon after by Abbey View Lock (number 11), a grade II
listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
by which there is another pumping station and in quick succession Pulteney Lock (12) and Bath top Lock (13). Above the top lock the canal passes through Sydney Gardens where it passes through two tunnels and under two cast iron footbridges dating from 1800. Cleveland Tunnel is 173 feet long and runs under Cleveland House, the former headquarters of the Kennet and Avon Canal Company. This is now a grade II* listed building. Many of the bridges over the canal are also listed buildings.


Southcot

Southcot Burial Ground is a small former cemetery, now owned by the Bath Preservation Trust, who manage it for its wildlife and heritage.Bath Preservation Trust
Heritage open day at Southcot Burial Ground]


Geography


References

{{Bath Areas of Bath, Somerset Electoral wards in Bath and North East Somerset