Gallerist Rosa Park’s insider guide to Bath

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I spent 10 years in Bath, which is the longest I’ve lived in one place. I was born in Seoul but moved to Vancouver with my family when I was eight. I cut my teeth in fashion and beauty marketing in New York before moving to Bristol to do a masters in literature. Not long after, I took a trip to Bath, the next city over: it was a foggy day, and I remember chomping on a Bath bun – they’re very dry and not particularly delicious – and being absolutely charmed by the city. My jaw dropped when I got to the Royal Crescent and wondered who lived there. I moved here after completing my studies.

Rosa Park in Sydney Gardens, Bath
Rosa Park in Sydney Gardens, Bath © Billal Taright

The city is elegant and timeless, and has influenced all aspects of my life and work. It’s evident in the visual language of Cereal, the magazine I founded with my partner, Rich, and in the programming and identity of Francis, the gallery I established here in 2018. I now live in LA, where I’ve opened a second gallery, but I shuttle back and forth. Hand on heart, I prefer Bath. Unlike LA, where you get in your car to drive two blocks, Bath is made to be walked around – I miss meandering and pottering.

Park in Sydney Gardens
Park in Sydney Gardens © Billal Taright
Fruit crates at Landrace
Fruit crates at Landrace © Billal Taright

A walk I always do without fail is from Sydney Place, where I have a flat, to Sydney Gardens – the only remaining Georgian pleasure garden in the UK, I believe – and up to Bathwick Fields, which is part of the Bath Skyline Walk. It feels like you’re deep in the countryside; in spring you can forage for wild garlic in the nearby woodland, and in the autumn get pears, quince and apples from the orchard. There’s one bench I always sit on that has the most beautiful view of the city. 

What I love most about Bath is that there aren’t a lot of environmental stressors: the buildings look the same by law, so there is an underlying foundation that’s predictable and familiar. It makes me feel calm – and I’m not a calm person. My first stop is always Landrace – it’s my favourite bakery in the world, and has a lovely restaurant and wine bar upstairs. I go there for bread, pastries, breakfast and coffee – although I also get my coffee from Society Café and Colonna. Christmas begins when I’ve had my mince pie and picked up my panettone. 

Upstairs at Landrace
Upstairs at Landrace © Billal Taright
Park at Upstairs at Landrace
Park at Upstairs at Landrace © Billal Taright

The handful of other restaurants I like all serve modern British food – it’s tougher to find diversity in cuisine here. The Beckford Bottle Shop & Bistro serves your typical small sharing plates. Down the road is its sister restaurant, Beckford Canteen, which is good for lunch and dinner. Walcot House is very reliable: it’s big, so you can normally get a reservation, and the quality of the food is wonderful – they always tell you the name of the farm the ingredients come from. And while I’m not a pub gal, if I ever fancy a Sunday roast I go to the Marlborough Tavern. 

Inside Topping & Company Booksellers
Inside Topping & Company Booksellers © Billal Taright

Bath has some of the best independent bookshops. My favourite is Topping & Company – it looks right out of a movie with rolling staircases and piles of books. They offer complimentary tea and biscuits, which I enjoy while browsing cookbooks (even though I don’t cook). I also love Persephone Books, which reprints mainly women writers, the children’s book section at Mr B’s Emporium, and Bath Old Books for anything second-hand: it’s run as a co-op and is very old-school – they offer handwritten receipts.

Baked cod at Beckford Canteen
Baked cod at Beckford Canteen © Beth Doherty
Park in Sydney Gardens
Park in Sydney Gardens © Billal Taright

There are also some amazing design stores including Berdoulat and 8 Holland Street – how wonderful that there’s a guesthouse above. And I love the Atelier Ellis showroom, which is repainted every season to present its new colours. Cassandra, its founder, recently created a custom red colour for the walls of the gallery.

My flat is across the road from the stunning Holburne Museum, so I will always pop in – of course, my American friends only know it as Lady Danbury’s house in Bridgerton. I’ve really enjoyed the museum’s programme since its director Chris Stephens arrived; he’s bringing in more modern artists, such as Henry Moore and Mr Doodle, a multidisciplinary artist from Bristol. 

I think if I were to go to Bath 30 years from now, it would still be the same: like any city, it changes, but it never lets go of its core truths. 

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