Places in Bath area revealed
Oldfield Park is officially Bath’s best-connected community.
Its schools, doctors’ surgeries, food shops and transport links are all within easy walking distance, ONS statistics say.
And at its centre is Moorland Road - a thriving high street packed with independents.
But is the data true? Do people living in this area of the city feel ‘connected?’
Felix Ajala and his son Jacob had popped onto the high street for an after-school treat.
Felix said Oldfield Park was “absolutely” well-connected. “Moorland Road is the heartbeat for a lot of people living within this part of Oldfield,” he said.
“You are guaranteed to bump into friends. Most of the local amenities are here. It has independent shops and local produce it’s lovely.
“I have just picked my son up from school and we’re going to get his sister and go for hot chocolate and cakes.”
A 78-year-old man who has lived in Oldfield Park for 32 years stopped to speak to us. He did not wish to be named, but told us how the connectivity of the area kept him there.
He said: “It’s one of the reasons that at my age I’m still here. It makes life easier for us oldies.
“My GP is just down the road, as is the dentist. I shop around here whenever I can because these local shops are wonderful. I hate the idea of moving,” he added.
Newer residents are equally struck by how connected the community is.
Sarah Dore is the new manager at Stokes Greengrocer. She summed up her experience in one word: “lush.”
She has lived in other parts of Bath and the surrounding area but nothing compares to Oldfield she says. “I moved in this September. The community has been amazing,” Sarah said.
“This has been the most welcoming area I have ever lived in.
“We have lots of lovely customers who come in just for a chat.
“It’s easy to jump on a bus to get anywhere. I walk into town and back and it only takes 10 minutes.
“I haven’t got a bad word to say about it - except for the parking.”
Some of the independent shops on Moorland Road have survived for decades, thanks to a loyal following.
Simon Francis now runs his father’s old shop, Francis DIY. He says the close knit community around Oldfield Park “definitely helps business.”
“Moorland has a bit of a following,” he said, pointing to the popular ‘Moorland Road is amazing’ Facebook group.
“It is a close knit community.
“A lot of people want to go here rather than in town. “We have been here forever. We were originally in Bear Flat but moved here in 1988.”
Another newcomer is The Oyster Shell which opened last October.
Katherine Croxford, working behind the counter, has lived in
Oldfield Park all her life.
“I grew up here,” she explained. “There’s been a lot of different shops turning over. But I like how it’s still busy. It’s good to see new businesses coming in and locals supporting them.
“We get a lot of regulars who come back every week.”
We spotted Danielle Lucas and her daughter Hazel buying their vegetables at Stokes Greengrocers.
She explained how she can walk everywhere - from doing her shopping to visiting her GP.
She said: “It’s very easy around here. I have lived in other places in Bath and around here is definitely the easiest area to get around.
“Everything is within walking distance. It is so close to town and there is a short cut to walk down.”
Raluca Mitran, co-owner at The Vegan Cafe, told us about how she had been having this conversation with customers “just the other day”.
“It is very important to have everything central where locals can go shopping and have a coffee afterwards,” she said. “For example we have a vegan place beside a chicken place and a pizza place.
“There is the bank and post office. Then you have two big supermarkets here - there is everything you need.
“You get regular people all the time. I think everything being concentrated in one place gets locals to choose this place rather than going to the city centre.”
Co-owner Roy Newport agreed that the area has a “good community spirit” and said that the free parking for an hour also helped.
Raluca also pointed out that the family-run nature of many of the shops was a big draw.
“There is a high concentration of independents here and people like to support that,” she said.
“We all know each other and help each other. It is a very tight community among shop owners.
“But for how long? Moorland Road more than ever needs support from locals - the city centre has tourists, but we rely on regulars.”
The Vegan Cafe opened six months ago and after a thriving start has seen fewer customers than expected through the quieter months.
Joshua Cook at The Grumpy Baker said: “We get a good amount of parents and we have a good community vibe.
“We also get a good number of business owners - everyone knows each other on the street.”
Sue and Pete Clinick have lived in Oldfield Park since the mid-70s. They do their shopping in Moorland Road because “it doesn’t make sense to go anywhere else.”
“I must admit we have always felt it is the best part of Bath,” they said.
“We think we have got the best view as we look over Georgian Bath.”
Although generally well-connected they said the bus service “isn’t great” and could be too crowded.
It appears this may be being addressed, however, with more double decker buses appearing on the route.
The statistics
A study based on official figures, published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), ranked every one of 32,844 neighbourhoods in England based on how long it takes an average person to reach primary and secondary schools, GP surgeries and food shops, plus major railway stations and major airports.
Oldfield Park came out on top for Bath and North East Somerset.
On average it takes six minutes to get to a primary school and eight minutes to a secondary on foot or by public transport, and seven minutes to both by car.
Getting to a GP will take five minutes on average by walking or public transport, or seven minutes by car or bike, while it’s 29 minutes to hospital by foot or public transport or 18 minutes in a car.
Bristol airport is an hour away by public transport or 48 minutes in the car, while the nearest hub station, Bristol Temple Meads, is 27 and 40 minutes travel respectively.