The Corridor

The Corridor is a historic shopping arcade in Bath, Somerset, England, widely regarded as one of the world's earliest retail arcades. It was designed by the architect Henry Goodridge and built in 1825, following the fashion for covered shopping arcades that had arisen in Paris in the late 18th century and been popularised in London by the Burlington Arcade. The Corridor thus belongs to the first generation of purpose-built commercial arcades, a building type that would go on to shape retail architecture across Europe and beyond. The arcade is a Grade II listed structure and retains much of its original architectural character. It is covered by a glass roof, and its High Street end features a Doric colonnade. Marble columns stand at each end of the arcade. At its centre is a musicians' gallery adorned with a wrought-iron balustrade and gilt lions' heads and garlands, a decorative feature that recalls the arcade's role as a social as well as commercial space. Number 7 in the arcade was the photographic studio of William Friese-Greene, a pioneer of motion pictures, adding to the site's cultural significance. As a retail venue, The Corridor has housed a succession of shops and businesses within its covered walkway, offering a sheltered shopping environment in the centre of Bath. Its position in the city made it a notable commercial thoroughfare, and it remains a recognised landmark of Bath's Georgian and early Victorian built heritage. The arcade's history includes a dramatic episode: on 9 December 1974, a telephone warning alerted police in Bath that a bomb was shortly to explode in the Corridor. The subsequent blast at 9.10pm, caused by a 5 lb bomb planted by the Irish Republican Army, inflicted huge damage and forced the Corridor to undergo a major renovation programme. No one was hurt in the blast. The arcade was subsequently restored and continues to operate as a shopping arcade in Bath.

The Corridor was built in 1825 in Bath, Somerset, England, to a design by the architect Henry Goodridge. It was one of the world's earliest retail arcades, created at a time when the fashion for arranging shops in covered arcades had arisen in Paris in the late 18th century and had been taken up in London with the Burlington Arcade. The Corridor followed that trend, bringing the arcade building type to Bath. The arcade was constructed with a glass roof, a Doric colonnade at the High Street end, and marble columns at each end. At its centre was a musicians' gallery with a wrought-iron balustrade and gilt lions' heads and garlands. Number 7 in the arcade served as the photographic studio of William Friese-Greene, a pioneer of motion pictures. The building is Grade II listed, recognising its architectural and historic importance. Over the decades it functioned as a shopping arcade, housing a variety of retail businesses within its covered walkway. On 9 December 1974, a telephone warning alerted police in Bath that a bomb was shortly to explode in the Corridor. At 9.10pm a 5 lb bomb planted by the Irish Republican Army detonated, causing huge damage. No one was hurt in the blast. The damage forced the Corridor to undergo a major renovation programme, after which it was restored and continued in use as a shopping arcade.

• 1974

  On 9 December, a 5 lb bomb planted by the Irish Republican Army explodes in the Corridor at 9.10pm, causing huge damage and forcing a major renovation programme; no one is hurt.

• 1825

  The Corridor is built in Bath to a design by architect Henry Goodridge, becoming one of the world's earliest retail arcades.

Historic Grade II listed retail arcade and architectural landmark in central Bath.

• Retail arcade units

  Shops housed within the covered, glass-roofed arcade.

1. 1The Corridor, Bath - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
2. 2The Corridor - Wikidatawikidata.org