Regional Focus • West Country & Somerset

Bath & The Somerset Artisan Quarter

A collector's expedition through Bath’s Georgian crescents, Bartlett Street antique vaults, Frome artisan markets, and Shepton Mallet showgrounds.

By Helena Sterling-Croft, Senior Decorative Arts Historian

Directory Ref: SOM-04 • 6 min read

Celebrated for its golden Bath stone architecture, Roman thermal baths, and Jane Austen heritage, the city of Bath forms the cultural anchor of Somerset antiquities. The region excels in Regency convex mirrors, giltwood console tables, Victorian lustreware, and antique garden ornaments.

Georgian city architecture and stone bridge in Bath

Figure 7.1: Pulteney Bridge and the Georgian limestone facades lining the river Avon in historic Bath.

1. Bartlett Street & The London Road Corridor

Situated just off the Royal Crescent, Bartlett Street is the core of Bath's dealer network. The Bartlett Street Antique Centre hosts specialist stalls dealing in estate jewelry, silverware, portrait miniatures, and Georgian glass decanters. Further along London Road, larger showrooms feature Regency dining furniture and 19th-century oil paintings.

2. Shepton Mallet: The West Country Mega-Fair

Located 20 miles south of Bath, the Royal Bath & West Showground hosts the bi-monthly Shepton Mallet Antiques Fair. Housing over 600 indoor and outdoor stalls, it attracts collectors seeking West Country slipware pottery, Victorian glass domes, and garden urns.

3. Frome & St Catherine's Artisan Quarter

The nearby market town of Frome is famous for its cobblestone St Catherine's hill, packed with independent vintage textile dealers, retro lighting restorers, and architectural salvage yards specializing in reclaimed French zinc planters and cast-iron garden benches.