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Widcombe, Bath

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Coordinates: 51°22′34″N 2°21′07″W / 51.376°N 2.352°W / 51.376; -2.352
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Widcombe
Widcombe is located in Somerset
Widcombe
Widcombe
Location within Somerset
Population5,770 (2011.Ward)[1]
OS grid referenceST754642
Unitary authority
Ceremonial county
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townBATH
Postcode districtBA2
Dialling code01225
PoliceAvon and Somerset
FireAvon
AmbulanceSouth Western
UK Parliament
List of places
UK
England
Somerset
51°22′34″N 2°21′07″W / 51.376°N 2.352°W / 51.376; -2.352

Widcombe is a district of Bath, England, 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;[2] the two places have historically been connected (refer to the Lyncombe article).

History

[edit]

Widcombe was part of the hundred of Bath Forum.[3][4]

In 1877 Halfpenny Bridge, a pedestrian toll bridge, across the River Avon from Bath Spa railway station to Widcombe collapsed with the loss of about 10 lives amongst a large crowd going to the Bath and West Agricultural show.[5][6][7]

Architecture

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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.[8] 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 manor house 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,[9] and the gardens are on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England.[10] 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.[11] The house is surrounded by several hectares of sloping gardens, below Prior Park, which are terraced and include a rock garden and grotto.[12]

Widcombe Crescent is a terrace of 14 Georgian houses built in 1808 by Thomas Baldwin, and designated a Grade I listed building.[13]

Canal

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Widcombe is where the Kennet and Avon Canal meets the River Avon. Bath Locks are a series of locks, just south of Pulteney Bridge, which climb through Widcombe. Alongside the bottom lock[14] is a side pond and pumping station which pumps water up the locks to replace that used each time the lock is opened.[15] 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.[16] The new chamber has a depth of 19 ft 5ins, making it Britain's second deepest canal lock.[17] Just above the 'deep lock' is an area of water enabling the lock to refill and above this is Wash House Lock (number 10),[18] and soon after by Abbey View Lock (number 11), a grade II listed building[19] by which there is another pumping station and in quick succession Pulteney Lock (12) and Bath top Lock (13).[20] Above the top lock the canal passes through Sydney Gardens where it passes through two tunnels[21][22] 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.[23] Many of the bridges over the canal are also listed buildings.[24][25][26][27][28][29]

Southcot

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Southcot Burial Ground is a small former cemetery, now owned by the Bath Preservation Trust, who manage it for its wildlife and heritage.[30]

Geography

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References

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  1. ^ "Ward population 2011". Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  2. ^ Bath and North East Somerset Council District Council Elections
  3. ^ Reverend John Collinson (1791). The History and Antiquities of the County of Somerset. Vol. 1. p. 97. ISBN 978-1-171-40217-6.
  4. ^ "Somerset Hundreds". GENUKI. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  5. ^ Sly, Nicola (2010). A grim almanac of Somerset. Stroud: History Press. pp. 85–86. ISBN 9780752458144.
  6. ^ "Kennet and Avon canal's history made into audio story". BBC. 12 November 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  7. ^ Nanette South Clark (17 May 2010). "The Fall of the Widcombe Bridge over the Avon -- June 6, 1877". An Engineer's Aspect. Archived from the original on 24 February 2015.
  8. ^ Tyte, William (1898). History of Lyncombe & Widcombe, with Personal Recollections of the Parish in the Thirties. Bath Chronicle and Bath Pictorial Offices.
  9. ^ Historic England. "Crowe Hall (1395762)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
  10. ^ Historic England. "Crowe Hall (1000548)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
  11. ^ Edwards, Adam (12 March 2010). "Property in Somerset: Crowe Hall for sale". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 14 March 2010. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
  12. ^ Historic England. "Grotto below south terrace at Crowe Hall (1405720)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
  13. ^ Historic England. "Number 1 to 14 (444033)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012.
  14. ^ Historic England. "Bath Bottom Lock (442708)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 19 October 2012.
  15. ^ Historic England. "former engine house (442710)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012.
  16. ^ Historic England. "Second Lock (442716)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 16 November 2007.
  17. ^ "Deepest Canal Locks in England". Pennine Waterways. Archived from the original on 12 October 2007. Retrieved 2 October 2007.
  18. ^ Historic England. "Wash House Lock (442711)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 13 October 2007.
  19. ^ Historic England. "Abbey View Lock (442714)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 10 October 2007.
  20. ^ Historic England. "Top Lock (442717)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 2 December 2007.
  21. ^ Historic England. "Tunnel under Beckford Road (442754)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 27 November 2007.
  22. ^ Historic England. "Tunnel under Cleveland House and Sydney Road (442751)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 13 October 2007.
  23. ^ Historic England. "Cleveland House (443799)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 12 October 2012.
  24. ^ Historic England. "Footbridge Adjoining Top Lock (442749)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 16 November 2007.
  25. ^ Historic England. "Footbridge adjoining Wash House Lock (442712)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 18 November 2007.
  26. ^ Historic England. "Footbridge over Canal (442752)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 14 October 2007.
  27. ^ Historic England. "Canal Bridge (444245)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012.
  28. ^ Historic England. "Bridge over Canal (442753)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012.
  29. ^ Historic England. "Canal Bridge (Pulteney Gardens) (442713)". Images of England. Archived from the original on 22 November 2007.
  30. ^ Bath Preservation Trust Heritage open day at Southcot Burial Ground]
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