Fifty years ago, two local families acquired derelict land at Prior Park Road at Widcombe and secured planning permission to create a garden centre.
Prior Park Garden Centre’s Managing Director John Leach
The families – the Mannings and the Clarksons – still own the business that opened in autumn 1974 as The Fred Daw Garden Centre.
Back then there were two members of staff under the direction of Fred Daw, the recently retired Director of Parks in Bath, who was known as ‘Mr Bath in Bloom’.
The garden centre back in 1974
After leaving university where he had studied horticulture, John Leach was working at a garden centre in Thornbury when he heard about the opening in Bath.
He recalls that the land purchased had been in two sections, part old market garden and part abandoned allotment, covered in brambles.
The business started with just a wooden chalet shop with one telephone on the counter.
Now managing director, John is still actively involved in the business that he has helped grow.
An autumnal display at the garden centre
Trees planted around the two-and-a-half acres site all those years ago have matured to become a wonderful backdrop to what is now Prior Park Garden Centre.
John still goes in most days, regularly seeing customers who have been visiting since the early days.
The centre now employs more than 30 staff and is a place to both shop and relax.
In addition to Bath’s greatest selection of plants and everything you need for gardening, it stocks a huge selection of gifts and has a pet and aquatic centre, a farm shop selling local produce, and the Secret Garden Cafe? which serves breakfasts, light lunches and afternoon teas.
Next week a new canopy at the centre is being dedicated to the late Gavin Cooper who had been garden centre manager for six years when he died unexpectedly in December 2022.
