St Matthew's Church, Widcombe

St Matthew’s Church stands on Cambridge Place in Widcombe, a south-eastern district of Bath. Built between 1846 and 1847 by Bath City Architect George Phillips Manners, it overlooks the Widcombe Locks of the Kennet and Avon Canal. Across the road is the Church Room Institute, and nearby is the older St Thomas à Becket church. Nikolaus Pevsner called the building dull in his Buildings of England guides, noting its Dec style and tall broach spire. The spire holds six bells, four of which were cast before the church itself. The church once served as a parish hall after 1970s refurbishment. Meeting rooms and spaces were added for community and church events. In 2014 a new congregation began Sunday evening services led by a full-time Priest in Charge. The oldest bell dates from about 1500 and was made in Bristol. The building remains one of two Anglican churches in the parish. Inside, the nave and aisles provide a simple worship space. The south tower rises above the entrance, its spire visible from the canal below. The 1970s alterations created flexible rooms for meetings and gatherings. The church room across the street hosts additional activities. The evening service attracts local worshippers to this quiet corner of Bath.