The Corridor

The Corridor has been a prime destination for shoppers in the South West of England ever since the arcade was opened on 12 October 1825. This prominent retail site, situated in the heart of Bath, now benefits from Bath's World Heritage Site Status. Following in the steps of the fashionable shopping arcades of Paris, London’s Burlington Arcade (built in 1819) and The Corridor became Britain’s first examples of indoor, covered arcades. Over 10,000 people and local dignitaries attended the opening of the arcade which was designed and built by local architect Henry Edmund Goodridge.

Goodridge was the son of a successful Bath builder, James Goodridge. Henry developed his own style of architecture from his early Greek revival work to his later eclectic mix of Greek, Italian and Romanesque features which were inspired by his travels abroad.

On its completion in 1825, the residents of Bath could see how The Corridor showcased Goodridge’s neo-classical influences. The Grade II listed arcade featured at the High Street end, a Doric colonnade and arch with marble columns. A musician’s gallery with a wrought iron balustrade and gilt lions’ heads and garlands is in the centre of the arcade making it one of the most attractive of its kind in the world.

Steeped in history, The Corridor has had its fair share of famous traders. Back in 1849, J Breeze Esq, a Hire Cutter and Perfumer at No 4 The corridor placed an advert in the Bath Directory informing the “Gentry, notability and public in general” of his “many years of study and experience into the invention of Hair Dye which effectually changes red or grey hair in a few minutes to a beautiful black or brown and is warranted to stand in any climate”.

In 1875, you would have found at No 7 The Corridor, the photographic studio of William Friese-Greene. A Bristolian by birth, Friese-Greene began work with John Arthur Roebuck Rudge to develop the “Chronophotographic camera which was able to take up to ten photographs per second using perforate celluloid film. Many believe this and further developments by Friese-Greene made him widely recognised as the inventor of Cinematography. In 1951, a romanticised account of his life, staring Robert Donat was produced called The Magic Box.

Over the years, The Corridor has been home to a wide variety of stores, a mix which continues to the present day with visitors enjoying a wide range of high quality outlets such as Uttam Boutique (London) * The Jeans Boutique * Tee Shirt Print * Hush Puppies * Sebago * Tie Rack * Tigi * Whistlefish Gallery * Weird Fish * Vizion Hair Salon * Blacks * Which Watch * Superdry * Running Bath * Leonidas * Sanbei * Timpsons * Cornish Bakehouse.

If you are ever wandering through the arcade, think of the history, think of Henry Goodridge and most importantly stop and have a look at what is on offer to keep The Corridor thriving for another 185 years.