Grade II listed riverside park drops entry fee

A popular city park is dropping its entry fees from April after a pilot helped attract more than 29,000 visitors over eight days.

It currently costs adults £2.50 to enter the Grade II listed Parade Gardens in Bath, which has views of Pulteney Weir and Bath Abbey, and £1.50 for children.

But after Bath and North East Somerset Council trialled free entry in October half term, it decided to remove fees from April until the end of the year.

A council spokesperson said it hopes this will make Parade Gardens "accessible and inclusive for everyone".

During the pilot, visitors were able to explore the gardens' colonnades – columns that sit below the city's Grand Parade – as well as an undercroft and vaults, and a medieval gateway.

Councillor Paul Roper said "hidden histories of the colonnades" were shared during the trial, which "captured public imagination".

"We plan to build on this interest by providing more exciting activities in the gardens later this year," he added.

The authority is planning to open the colonnades for visitors during the weekend of May 30 and June 1, alongside a food and drink outlet.

Councillor Tim Ball said the authority was "extremely proud of the iconic Parade Gardens".

The gardens are renowned for their "stunning flowerbed displays and magnificent views", he added.

The park is being opened up as part of a council regeneration scheme, called Bath Central Riverside.

The scheme was awarded £548,000 of grant funding from the West of England Combined Authority in 2023, alongside £232,000 of funding from the council.

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