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SIGHTS FOR THE SENSES<br />
Left: watercress risotto<br />
from At the Chapel; below:<br />
the gardens at Iford Manor<br />
furnishings, Francis Gallery, inspired by Donald<br />
Judd’s 101 Spring Street, offers a minimalist eye<br />
for objets d’art in a classical setting. Bibliophiles<br />
are in for a treat: Toppings is in bigger premises<br />
in a former Quaker Meeting house on York Street,<br />
and Mr B’s Emporium has a library concierge and<br />
a pot of tea always on the go to help browsers feel<br />
welcome. Winston Churchill thought it was a mark<br />
of a true gentleman to shop at Paxton & Whitfield<br />
(paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk), purveyor of cheeses,<br />
as old as the city itself. The cheddars are best tasted<br />
atop a dry Bath Oliver cracker, the same colour as<br />
the local stone. For undiscovered fashion labels<br />
and indie magazines try Found near Pulteney<br />
Bridge or The Loft, a lifestyle store offering ethically<br />
sourced craftsmanship unique to the locale.<br />
On the edge of the Mendips, the town of Frome<br />
puts bells and whistles on Bath’s bohemian<br />
hat. This non-conformist town has recently been<br />
lauded for its community spirit and Compassion<br />
Project that have helped alleviate loneliness<br />
and brought down hospital admissions. The<br />
medieval cobbled streets offer a unique artisan<br />
experience with vintage emporiums alongside<br />
share shops, co-working spaces and communal<br />
© AT THE CHAPEL<br />
fridges. Get the vibe at Rye Bakery in a split<br />
level revamped church, and on postcard pretty<br />
Catherine Hill, where Deadly is the Female sells<br />
1950s-style dresses once worn by Nigella<br />
Lawson, opposite the longest-serving shop selling<br />
Airfix model kits, a similarly charming throwback.<br />
Back in Bruton, the high street has also<br />
seen a recent spate of retail outlets selling<br />
heritage and craftsmanship, the most recent<br />
being Cabbages & Roses, the brainchild of a<br />
former Voguette, Christina Strutt. At the launch<br />
party, for instance, there was an expensive tartan<br />
C&R coat that is Anne of Green Gables meets<br />
Siouxsie Sioux, a look, with bovver boots, that<br />
is somewhere between granny chic and cottage<br />
core. It evidently strikes a chord in the heart of<br />
glam-rock crowds who descend on the medieval<br />
alleyways or bartons, the packhorse bridges,<br />
the narrow pavements of the Saxon town, and<br />
colonise this airy retail space for the weekend.<br />
MARIANNE CARTWRIGHT-HIGNETT<br />
BRISTOL AIRPORT TO BATH:<br />
19miles/31km; BRISTOL AIRPORT TO<br />
FROME: 29miles/47km; YEOVILTON<br />
AIRPORT TO BRUTON: 13miles/21km<br />
NetJets<br />
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