Bath Rugby announces amended plans for new stadium

Bath Rugby has submitted amended plans for a new state-of-the-art stadium at The Rec, the club's historic home since 1894. 

The amended application reflects valuable feedback from the public, key stakeholders, and B&NES, addressing technical points identified since the initial submission last year. A planning committee is targeted in the New Year.

The new stadium design boasts significant improvements, including lowering the heights of the West and East Stands. These enhancements are not just aesthetic; they aim to elevate the matchday experience while preserving the unique character of the surrounding area.

"This submission is another important milestone for the club and the city. We’ve listened closely to the community and our stakeholders, as well as the numerous statutory consultees that are invited to comment on planning applications, and we are committed to delivering a stadium that not only meets the needs of our fans but also respects the rich heritage of Bath," said Tarquin McDonald, Chief Executive of Bath Rugby.

Read more about the plans at bathrugby.com

Residents are invited to share their comments about the amended plans; the window for public consultation is open until Saturday 8 February. Click here to have your say. 

Have you checked out our January issue?

Our January issue features a collection of great reading by our team of wonderful writers as well as beautifully presented advertising by Bath's best businesses.

On our cover is author and Bath Spa University lecturer Samantha Harvey whose novel Orbital won the 2024 Booker Prize – in our interview with Samantha she describes her aspiration to create a ‘space pastoral’, using meditative descriptions of the Earth from space. To help you on your 2025 journey we also talk to 10 figures from different sectors of the city, with commentaries ranging from how businesses should never stand still to the value of breathing deeply.

There’s also an interview with genetics professor Tim Spector who tells us about his groundbreaking work on transforming everyday meals into gut-friendly, health-promoting experiences. Local journalist and presenter Ali Vowles meets Phil Taylor, Vice Chancellor at the University of Bath, asking him about what the future holds for the university. There is also a big splash of wedding inspiration for any newly engaged couples keen research their options.

So while the weather outside may still be frightful, there’s plenty to read and to do in and around Bath!

Every month we deliver 15,000 copies door to door, but if you don't get a copy at home then you can pick up a copy at many places around town and from our floor stands at: Waitrose, Sainsbury's [Green Park], M&S Foods in Twerton, Tesco in Weston Village, and at The Holburne Museum. 

Click here to enjoy the digital version of our current issue! 

And if you would like to have a copy sent in the post every month, then we offer a postal subscription for just £35 for 12 issues, £20 for six issues or buy a copy for just £4.95. UK mainland prices. For Euro and World zone subscription prices – click here to subscribe on our website. 

Recipe by Melissa Blease

Cullen Skink

Full-flavoured, filling and comfortingly creamy, Cullen Skink easily tops the upper echelons of the world's Finest Fish Soup charts and comes second only to haggis as Scotland's most iconic dish, making it perfect for a Burns Night celebration on Thursday 23 January - or indeed, a perfect cosy supper on any chilly winter evening.

Ingredients (serves 4)

500g smoked haddock fillets
350ml vegetable stock (or water)
1-2 bay leaves
40g butter
1 large shallot, peeled and sliced
1 large leek, sliced
1 stick of celery, sliced
1-2 carrots, peeled and chopped into small dice
400g waxy potatoes (eg. Charlotte potatoes), chopped into small dice
300ml whole milk
A large bunch of fresh chives, snipped
To serve: single cream and oaty brown bread

Method

Place the haddock fillets (skin side down) in a large shallow pan. Add the vegetable stock (or water) and gently bring to the boil. As soon as the liquid boils, take the pan off the heat and set to one side.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and gently sweat the onion, leek and carrot, covered, for 6-8 minutes or until soft but not coloured. Add the potatoes and continue to cook for a further couple of minutes, stirring continuously.

Lift the poached fish onto a plate and strain the poaching liquid into the soup pan with the vegetables. Add the milk, bring to a simmer and cover and cook for 12-15 minutes or until the potatoes are really tender, stirring regularly. Meanwhile, remove the skin from the poached fish, flake the flesh into chunky pieces and set to one side. 

When the potato mixture is ready, remove the pan from the heat and blitz the soup with a hand-held blender (or mash with a potato masher) until smooth but still retaining a bit of texture; aim for a chunky broth. Season to taste with black or white pepper (you probably won't need any salt as smoked fish is quite salty) and add the fish back to the pan, along with a generous handful of snipped chives. 

Gently heat through before serving in warmed bowls topped with generous drizzles of single cream, more snipped chives and plenty of oaty brown bread and butter on the side.

Vino Down Under

After a couple of weeks of weather cold enough to make your toes fall off, we're all dreaming of sunnier climes. This weekend, we're heading south of the equator where the blazing summer heat and diverse topography grows a unique range of grapes...

While Australia may have once been famed for its bags of cheap Chardonnay and Shiraz known as 'goon', in recent years the country has propelled itself to the forefront of winemaking innovation, providing us with some of the most interesting wines on the market.

Take a wine tour of the Land Down Under, and click the links to discover the exciting wineries behind the bottles:

Western Australia: 2019 Chenin Blanc by Corymbia winery | £16.65

South Australia: 2016 Red Art Shiraz by Rojomoma | £18.85

Victoria: 2021 Chardonnay by Rob Dolan | £19.50

Tasmania: 2022 'Tupelo' Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewürztraminer by Stargazer | £22

New South Wales: 2022 Backyard Riesling by Mayfield Vineyard | £16.65

Visit greatwine.co.uk to discover these and more Australian wines

Panerai Luminor Quaranta™ BiTempo Goldtech

Founded in Florence in 1860, Panerai has become synonymous with Italian design and Swiss precision. Once the exclusive supplier of diving instruments to the Italian Navy, Panerai began creating watches for the civilian market in 1993 and is now revered by fashionistas and horophiles alike for its luxurious and innovative timepieces. The Luminor Quaranta™ BiTempo Goldtech exemplifies this legacy, combining heritage and modernity in a refined 40mm ( quaranta ) case.

The case, crafted from Panerai Goldtech™—a unique and robust alloy of gold, platinum and copper, boasts a distinctive red hue and resistance to tarnishing. Inside, the P.900/GMT automatic caliber ensures precision and reliability, delivering a 3-day power reserve. This movement, with its slim profile and stop-second function, ensures precise timekeeping and highlights Panerai’s engineering excellence.

Offering dual-time functionality, the watch is ideal for those who frequently track multiple time zones. A luminous blue-tipped GMT hand enhances visibility in low-light conditions, while the larger date display ensures effortless readability. The iconic cushion-shaped case and Panerai's iconic crown-protecting bridge provide both style and water resistance up to 10 bar (~100 meters). The sun-brushed black sandwich dial, complete with luminous hour markers, is both chic and elegant, while through the sapphire crystal case back the intricate inner workings of the movement can be fully appreciated.

Designed with versatility in mind, the Luminor Quaranta™ BiTempo Goldtech PAM01641 comes with a black alligator leather strap and an interchangeable black rubber strap, both secured by a brushed Panerai Goldtech™ buckle - such adaptability makes the watch suitable for any occasion, both an elegant dress watch that looks great in formal settings to a casual, everyday sophisticated look. Simply exquisite. £21,900

Click here to find this and more from the Panerai range at mallory-jewellers.com

Geo Mix Button Tank from White Stuff | £55

Bold geometrics in dazzling blue and white (with a zingy pop of yellow for good measure). When it comes to making a statement, this knitted tank is not messing around. We love it layered up with jeans and a classic shirt.

Click here to see it online or visit White Stuff at 8/9 New Bond St, Bath BA1 1BE

Chanel announces SS25 makeup collection

No combination is off-limits with Chanel's new makeup collection. The idea of giving freedom to create technicolour makeup looks is what led the CHANEL Makeup Creation Studio and Cometes Collective member, Ammy Drameh, to design the Spring-Summer 2025 Collection. 

In this sparkling, playful collection, lively colours cheerfully clash with one another or smoothly combine in a tone-on-tone look. Ever unpredictable, these daring shades are the expression of a timeless style that is invariably chic and refined. 

Pictured below, clockwise from left: Jeux de Lumières Multi-Use Eyeshadow and Highlighter Palette (£75); Rouge Coco Baume in Tender Peach (£36); Le Vernis in Artiste (£29); Twin set of Ombre Essentielle in Mauve Sucré (£36) and Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Mauve Intense (£27).

To shop this selection and more from the Spring-Summer 2025 Collection visit chanel.com

Hay Parade Table Lamp from Holloways of Ludlow

The Hay Parade Table Lamp is a petite but striking light. With an organic, sculptural form and gently geometric shape, it makes for an interesting ornamental piece, regardless of whether it is illuminated. Crafted from mouth-blown glass, this elegant lamp is dimmable and available in a series of sizes and colours. Prices vary, visit store for details.

Visit the Holloways of Ludlow store – Holloways of Ludlow, 37 Milsom Street, Bath BA1 1DN – to shop.

hollowaysofludlow.com

The New Year Sale at Take Charge Bikes is still on!

This Riese & Müller Swing4 Silent is a traditional roadster e-bike that offers riders something extra: the Swing4 takes you as comfortably around town as out into the fields and forests. Its suspension fork and suspension seatpost ensure excellent riding comfort, while its powerful Bosch Performance Line motor packs a real punch with its 500 Wh carrier battery. And, thanks to the optional baskets for the carrier and handlebar, you’ll be stylishly equipped for whatever you need to carry.

As part of the Take Charge Bikes sale, the Riese & Müller Swing4 Silent is down from £4,032 to just £3,199!

Head over to takechargebikes.co.uk to discover the Riese & Müller Swing4 Silent and other big brands including  Bergamont Bicycles, Cube, Focus, Gazelle, and more.

Take Charge Bikes, 1 Victoria Buildings, Bath BA2 3EH

Curated by Daniel McCabe

Fare is a unique magazine that makes culinary tours of the world's most interesting cities. The latest destination is Taipei. Among many forays into Taiwan's capital city, the author of this issue, Aichu Hung, guides us through its oldest district and a treasure trove of traditional ingredients, Chinese medicine and Japanese colonial architecture, before journeying to the lush Yangmingshan National Park where cafes serve hungry hikers a range of mountain vegetables, warming soups and local chicken dishes. There’s a visit to a ‘sober day bar’ hidden in the streets of Zhongshan creating tea-based cocktails and much more in what I think is this magazine’s most fascinating issue yet. | £16

magalleria.co.uk

First screenings of A Complete Unknown at The Little

The critically acclaimed Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown hits our screens today.

Set in the influential New York music scene of the early 60s, A Complete Unknown follows 19-year-old Minnesota musician Bob Dylan's (Timothée Chalamet) meteoric rise as a folk singer to concert halls and the top of the charts – his songs and mystique becoming a worldwide sensation – culminating in his groundbreaking electric rock and roll performance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965.

The Little Theatre Bath is screening the film at various times over the coming week; book now at picturehouses.com/cinema/little-theatre-cinema

SANCTUARY, the debut novel by Tom Gaisford

What possesses someone to claim asylum in his own country?

Alex Donovan is a young refugee lawyer in crisis.  

Helping desperate clients reach safety is what gives his job meaning. But he now finds himself demoted, signed off sick for stress, and facing redeployment to the firm’s subterranean billing department. 

Then there is Amy, the woman he adores. The irresistible junior barrister seems to be drifting away from him. 

With little to lose and all to prove, Alex dreams up a madcap plan to restore his honour and secure Amy’s affection.

Sanctuary is available to pre-order now from local publisher cintopress.co.uk ahead of its release in April.

Image: Sam Weeks Stand 32

Tickets are now on sale for the Bath Art Fair

Bath Art Fair features original contemporary art work, ceramics, jewellery and sculpture from over 80 of the nation’s leading independent artists, all under one beautiful roof!

Advanced tickets and private view tickets are now on sale from bathartfair.co.uk/tickets.

Friday 21 – Sunday 23 February | Bath Pavilion, BA2 4EU | bathartfair.co.uk

Siesta Fiesta Bell Tents

Luxury Pop-Up Accommodation In Bath, Bristol and Surrounding Areas.

Siesta Fiesta Bell Tents offer boutique, luxury pop-up accommodation for weddings, events, festivals, birthdays, and special occasions. The beautifully crafted bell tents are not only perfect for creating warm, home from home, magical spaces for you and your guests but also, the dreamiest back drop to your wedding, whether it’s a romantic honeymoon suite, cozy guest Bell Tents, or stylish lounge Bell Tents and children’s play tents. Tailored to your vision, they offer both bare and fully furnished options, enhanced with thoughtful touches and the option of luxury breakfast grazing boards delivered right to your Bell Tent door. They’ll take care of the setup and pack down, allowing you to fully enjoy every moment.
Siesta Fiesta – Turning Moments into Memories.

Find out more at siestafiesta.co.uk

Visit our website for more wedding inspiration: thebathmagazine.co.uk

Aquasana in the Rooftop Pool at Thermae Bath Spa

Next Wednesday (22 January) explore mind, body and soul with expert teacher Bex Bridgford for a morning of Aquasana in Thermae's Rooftop Pool followed by a Thermae Welcome 2-hour spa session with use of towel and robe.

Aquasana includes classic yoga postures combined with gently tai chi and invigorating karate moves in the spa’s mineral-enriched waters. It works through flowing sequences that stretch and tone the body, increasing flexibility whilst relieving tension in an energetic and balanced full-body workout. This class harnesses the healing properties of the waters, leaving you feeling cleansed, rejuvenated and grounded.

Join them at 8am before normal opening hours, to enjoy exclusive use of the rooftop pool before other guests arrive.

Wednesday 22 January, 8am – 11.45am
Thermae Bath Spa, Hot Bath Street, Bath BA1 1SJ

Tickets cost £50 from eventbrite.co.uk; places are limited, so book early to avoid missing out.

NEXT WEEK | Phenomenal Women: Bestselling-author Eleanor Mills

Next Thursday Eleanor Mills – campaigner, founder, bestselling author and award-winning editor – will give a talk as part of the Gainsborough's Phenomenal Women series. 

For 23 years Mills was a Senior Editor at The Sunday Times and Editor of The Sunday Times Magazine, and in August 2024 her book Much More to Come: Lessons on the Mayhem and Magnificence of Midlife was published by HarperCollins and became a Times Bestseller. She also founded Noon, a community of women in midlife rewriting the story of the lives of older women, and home of the 'Queenager' (a term she coined to rebrand midlife!). 

Tickets are £15 and include Prosecco and canapés. Click here to book your place.

Thursday 23 January, 5.30pm
The Gainsborough Bath Spa, Beau St, Bath BA1 1QY 

Tickets are on sale now for Bath Symphony Orchestra's Spring Concert

Bath Symphony Orchestra joins forces with Bath Bach Choir in March to perform Beethoven’s mighty Choral Symphony.

Bath Bach Choir will perform Ešenvalds’ setting of Longfellow’s poem A Shadow, which showcases his powerful use of rich and glorious melody.

Also on the programme is Liszt's Les Préludes that draws on a Lamartine poem on the theme of love and war, and Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man.

Saturday 8 March, 7.30 – 9.30pm | 1a Forum Buildings, St James Parade, Bath, BA1 1UG
For more details and to book your tickets visit bathsymphony.org.uk

Dr Ed Elias from the University of Bath invents
'game-changing' wheelchair fencing seat

Wheelchair fencing Paralympic gold-medallists Dimitri Coutya and Piers Gilliver have described an innovative wooden-frame training chair, designed by engineers at the University of Bath in collaboration with British Fencing, as a gamechanger for their sport.

The SwordSeat™ – a simple six-piece slot-together design which can be built using minimal tools for around £150 worth of plywood – aims to make wheelchair fencing affordable and accessible to many more clubs and participants.

It received its official launch at the beginning of the month during an event hosted by British Fencing at the Team Bath Sports Training Village, home to the Wheelchair Fencing National Training Centre. Two-time Paris 2024 champion Coutya and Tokyo 2020 gold-medallist Gilliver – who both train at the venue – were among the guests treated to a demonstration of the SwordSeat in action.

Gilliver, recalling the challenges he faced with equipment and accessibility when he first started wheelchair fencing, said: “The SwordSeat is a fantastic innovation. Wheelchair fencing frames are quite hard to source and the whole set-up can cost between £8,000 and £15,000. Something like this, which can be made with a simple piece of plywood and produced so cheaply, means more clubs can be welcoming to wheelchair fencers.”

Read more about the SwordSeat™ at teambath.com

Beckington, Frome

Offered for sale by Wentworth Estate Agents

A stunning family home and barn, situated on a sizeable plot in the heart of the picturesque village of Beckington. This handsome property boasts 4105 sq ft of internal accommodation spread over three floors in the main house, along with private driveway parking, walled gardens and barn ripe for conversion STPP.

On entering the property, you are met with the internal porch that leads through to the hallway and stairs to the first floor. At the front of the house, find the dining room with a feature fireplace and the study on either side of the hallway. At the rear of the ground floor there is a generous sitting room boasting a fireplace with inset log burner and a door leading to the kitchen breakfast room.

On the first floor you have three double bedrooms and a spacious gallery room. All three bedrooms are positioned to the front of the property with the two bedrooms at either end having period fireplaces, and the central bedroom having a walk in shower and sink unit. The gallery is a fantastic open space that an owner could reconfigure to suit their requirements. A door to the side leads to external steps taking you down to the ground floor, and the floor is complete with a W.C at the end of the hallway. 

The third floor offers the same accommodation again, a family bathroom and a large vaulted room which was used as a studio by the owner. The space on this floor is again extremely flexible offering a great square footage to suit a families needs.

To the front left hand side of the property there is driveway parking for one car. This leads to double gates opening into the low maintenance lower part of the garden and the barn. This is a gravelled area which provides further parking for multiple vehicles. The garden is bound by walls and there is a range of mature trees and hedging aesthetically positioned to soften the space beautifully. Steps take you up to the higher part of the garden where you have an ample level lawn area. There is also a patio dining area just off the kitchen.

The barn runs down the left hand boundary of the plot and has storage over three floors as well as workshops on the ground floor. The current owner had planning permission, which has now lapsed to convert the barn into two dwellings. It is substantial in size, and offers a fantastic opportunity for a multitude of uses for the new owner STPP.

The barn runs down the left hand boundary of the plot and has storage over three floors as well as workshops on the ground floor. The current owner had planning permission, which has now lapsed to convert the barn into two dwellings. It is substantial in size, and offers a fantastic opportunity for a multitude of uses for the new owner STPP.

Offers in excess of £1,400,000

To see more images and read through the details click here to see more on the Wentworth Estate Agents website.