CORSHAM: It’s Christmas How It Used To Be
In the town centre you’ll discover great shopping, great food and great service. It’s Christmas how it used to be. There are vintage gifts and goodies from Previous; the latest Lego, Star Wars and super hero toys at Corsham Toy Shop; foodie delights from Woody’s Deli; the best local meat (don’t forget to order your turkey) from Toby Haynes Family Butcher (a former winner of the Countryside Alliance’s Best Butcher in the South West); beautiful clothes and accessories from Ampersand; a proper Corsham Bookshop; jewelled delights at Coppins; amazing flowers at Theodora’s and Daisy Chain; art at The Corsham Gallery and other galleries and antique shops in the town, and so much more… Why go anywhere else when you can find something for everyone on your list here, and without the crowds? Plus, the town’s three car parks all have two hours free parking (three hours for those with a Blue Badge) so there’s time for lots of shopping!
And when the retail therapy’s all too much, there’s a wide range of restaurants, cafes and pubs to pop into too. Watch the world go by from the window of the award-winning Methuen Arms; enjoy a glass of mulled wine in the great pubs, including the quirky Flemish Weaver; treat yourself to a slice of home-made cake in the upstairs Corsham Café with its views of the High Street or there’s Grounded, No 3 The Deli or Mother and Wild for coffee and great food.
To get really festive, start your celebrations by making a wish and hope it comes true. Corsham Town Council’s Wishing Tree will be open for business on Saturday 30 November, from 10am-1pm. Visit the tree in the Chapel Garden to write your wish and it will be popped into a Christmas bauble, hung on the tree and then Father Christmas will pick it up next time he’s passing. There’s no charge, but there will be a collection for charity.
Then, on Friday 6 December, the Christmas Lights go on in Corsham and Father Christmas will be making a special visit and making a note of what everyone wants to find on Christmas morning in his free grotto! The Switch On features a Christmas market, entertainment, live music, fairground rides for younger children and lots, lots more. The fun starts at 3pm when the Market opens, followed by music at various locations around the High Street from 4pm and the lights going on at the Town Hall at 6pm. You can also see the entries in the Christmas Window competition as you wander the town centre – this year’s theme is Christmas Pantomimes – and visit St Bartholomew’s Church’s Christmas Tree Festival, from 6-15 December, featuring trees decorated by local businesses, community groups, local societies and schools. It’s always a magical sight. This year’s theme, We Three Kings, is sure to see some beautiful, and surprising, decorations.
Corsham also has a great reputation for the Arts – the famous Bath Academy was based in the town, and Bath Spa University has a campus here – and that reputation is only enhanced by the activities at The Pound Arts Centre (poundarts.org.uk). This December, among other events, families can enjoy Little Robin Red Vest on 14th, Rock the Tots on 16th, Christmas Wonder Gigs on 18th, A Winter’s Tail on 19th when Ratty is trying to get everything ready for her woodland friends, a Frozen Sing-a-Long on 21st and Father Christmas Storytelling on 23rd., And if you’re the slightest bit crafty, there’s a range of workshops for adults and children to enjoy too.
For anyone who wants to walk off Christmas calories, or blow the cobwebs away, the parkland around Corsham Court, the town’s stately home just off the High Street, is something of a hidden gem. The town’s a Walkers are Welcome member too, so muddy boots aren’t a problem when you need refreshments and a sit down. And if you’re with your four-legged pal, lots of the shops and pubs are dog-friendly too.
Whether you buy it, cook it, make it or just want to wander in a winter wonderland along a High Street described by John Betjeman as one of the prettiest of its kind in England, there’s so much to enjoy in Corsham – it really is the perfect place for a family-friendly, traditional start to the festive period.
For more information on all Corsham has to offer go to visit-corsham.co.uk or corsham.gov.uk
