Homesense has a real hotch potch (proper phrase?) of household furniture and items available to…read morebuy; from the extremely tacky to the rather tasteful you never quite know what you're going to find. I was particularly impressed by their bedding selection; they had duvets by brands such Cath Kidston and Designers Guild selling for around only £30, which is quite incredible (though absolutely infuriating for me as I've just spent a fortune on Designers Guild bedding from the brands website). Additionally they had a massive selection of photo frames, in wide range of varieties, in my opinion these would make great gifts for those it's trick to by for. I wasn't to keen on the actual furniture available in Homesense (mainly just small chairs). The quality just did not appear quite good enough, and many of the pieces looked rather tacky. I was surprised to find that they also sell a small range of specialty foods. Nothing to grand, mainly pasta, olive oil, and Italian biscuits, but they're brands that you won't find in your local supermarket. I've really only touched the tip of the ice berg, Homesense just sells so much! It rather reminds me of TK Maxx, you need time and patience, but you could come away with some real bargains!

Incredibly well hidden away, a real little treasure. Outside they sell very traditional garden…read morefurniture, such as bird baths, picnic tables, and a rather unusual garden shed. Inside the Potting shed sells many little household items and gifts which are pretty, practical, or a combination of both. I personally fell in love with the vintage ladybird learn to sew kits and little boys will love all the Beano goodies. I can't further express how easy it is to miss this place, If it hadn't been recommended it would have been so easy to miss. REALLY worth checking out, whether you live (it's worth the journey).

Went here a two weeks ago as a treat for my daughter who had been very unwell , we really enjoyed…read morelooking around the lovely things for sale but decided to go for a coffee and was very surprised at how unfriendly the staff were there wasn't one smile amongst them all despite me smiling at them i found them to be rude and unwelcoming and won't be going there ever again very disappointing indeed.

I visit Prior Park most weeks, it is a lovely garden centre, well stocked with a wide variety of…read morequality plants. It's not the cheapest place to buy, but then you get what you pay for sometimes, also it is well staffed with people who are usually able to assist with your queries. Prior Park is more than just a garden centre - there is a good pet section (including stocking more unusual items, such as foodstuffs for reptiles), a really nice food section with reasonably priced organic and local food, and all sorts of homewares, including plenty of unusual gift ideas. What I visit weekly for though, is its excellent cafe. There is an indoor seating area with air conditioning, or you can sit outside on a sunny terrace. Again, not the cheapest in town, but the quality of the food and drink is very good; they always have a range of scrumptious cakes, plus a standard snack menu of sandwiches, toasties and jacket potatoes. There is usually a home made soup of the day, plus a couple of main course options. I had pea and mint soup yesterday and it was delicious, so good that I passed my compliments to the chef. It's a good venue to meet people for coffee; a real bonus is that there is ample free parking for customers, which is a rare and precious thing in central Bath!

This is the South-West's largest purpose-built garden centre, and is now a tourist and leisure…read moredestination in its own right. It was voted UK Garden Centre of the Year in 2007 by the Garden Centre & Retail Association. It was recently taken over by the Wyevale group. They sell everything imaginable in the gardening sphere, and secured a real coup by being the first garden centre in the UK to be permitted to sell the Wollemi Pine to the public. (For non-botanists, this is a rare pine thought to be extinct, but rediscovered in Australia in 1994: fewer than 100 adult trees survive in the wild, so it is being propagated around the world). This reflects their reputation as a high-quality plant nursery, and is about as high a commendation as you could get. The retail section also sells a wide range of other gardening and outdoor merchandise, from books, cards, ornaments, scented candles and crockery to pets and pet supplies, garden furniture, hot tubs, outbuildings and machinery. There's also a cafe-restaurant, and an extensive play area for children, which includes a large mock-up of a pirate ship. As you'd expect (given its location on the A38, close to to junction 22 of the M5), there's extensive car parking, but the centre also provides a free bus on Thursdays from Cheddar via Weston-super-Mare - details on the web-site.

Plesantly surprised the food was very good and I would come here again. The portions were a good…read moresize and it is a lovely atmosphere.

I only use Francis DIY twice a year as it's on the other side of town to me…read more Ordered coal to be delivered, the staff are always happy and extremely helpful to arrange a convenient delivery time. AMAZING SERVICE

Without doubt the best hardware store in Bath, and indeed the surrounding area. A small shop packed…read moreto the rafters with all your hardware needs. If you need it, chances are they have it. Service is knowledgeable and always cheerful. A true gem of a store.

This is a well known family run furniture shop right in the heart of Bath city centre. Firstly, the…read morequality of items here is fantastic and they sell everything you might need for your home from mirrors and beds to dining tables and chairs all laid out over a couple of floor in an intimate showroom feel. The second most legendary thing about Silcox, Son and Wikes are the sales they have twice a year at Christmas and the Summer. People queue from the night before to grab a bargain such as a £1000 bed down to £100 which you can't beat! The service is excellent, always helpful and knowledgeable, and the furniture is timeless as well as contemporary and modern. Something for every household.

This place has a fantastic stock of original antique and reproduction fireplaces, including both…read morethe inserts and the surrounds - plus wood-burners. I found this shop when I was looking for a Victorian fireplace for my previous flat, and it was just the job: they had a fireplace with a cast iron shelf, so no need for a surround - exactly what I needed to bring my lounge back to its original glory. If you don't find exactly what you want, however, they can custom build surrounds to match your exact requirements, and they also offer a repair and restoration service if you have an original fireplace in need of some TLC. They offer a (fairly pricey) fitting service, which is convenient if like me you're no handy DIY expert.

Some fireplace places make you feel like a proper doofus every time you ask a question. Not Period…read moreFireplaces. What a friendly, genuine, helpful bunch. We're about to get a hearth, surround and woodburner from them, and use their installation service, plus get a small bedroom fireplace repaired and restored, and it's been a joy dealing with them so far - will update once all work complete. Update, Sep 2013. All the above work was completed to our total satisfaction and we've also had them restore a second cast iron fireplace - back to black, with a slight repair and replacement bars, it looks as good as new. Great service from a highly recommended company.

Organised chaos, a treasure trove of old tools and small implements, plants, garden furniture,…read moreornaments, trellises - hunt around in the undergrowth or behind the shed for weird items you never knew you needed until your visit. For instance, there are still some old cheese boxes knocking around at the back, real wooden ones that have now been superceded by plastic trays (for hygiene reasons - when was cheese hygienic??) - ideal for trendy storage or even stack a few of 'em and hey presto, instant book case for under 20 quid - put that in your Habitat pipe and try and smoke it. Excellent value for new metal garden benches - go further into Bath and find the same items at 20% more. Don't blink as you drive along the London Road A4 into Bath from the A46, or you'll miss it on the right, before you get to Morrisons, which is on the left. Excellent and worth stopping to browse or calling if you want any friendly advice about gardening or filling your garden up.

I bought some lovely bushes which were more than 5 tall, and the price I paid was amazing with free…read moredelivery! I had already looked online and been to another garden centre and the prices there were more than twice what I paid! Great place to go for unusual pots for the garden, it is a one off place and you could easily miss it on the London Road in Bath.

This is one of my favourite garden centres. Offering a huge range of items this garden centre is a…read moremust visit if you are in the area. I love to go at Christmas especially as they have about a million trees decorated and it really gets you in the mood. They sell whole range of christmas decorations at reasonable prices. The cafe is good value but usually very busy. They do everything from tea and a cake to Sausage and chips. Don't forget to visit Joshua's farm shop across the road which is lovely too.

The Otter Nurseries site occupies at least 100 acres including the growing area where at least a…read moremillion plants are grown each year so if you don't like 'BIG' this is not the place for you. However most people love the variety, and we are talking socks to sculpture and tea pots to tea roses. You need half a day to see it all. Two hours before lunch, which you should take in the very efficient restaurant of course, and an hour after will do you nicely. Great grub to eat and your order appears very quickly, probably due to the busy supervisor who is always checking things are going well. Very refreshing to see someone doing their job properly ! To describe the garden section as 'comprehensive' does not do justice. There seems to be such variety in everything from plants to ponds that most gardeners would surely find anything they needed. Easy free parking, disabled access, most presentations are under cover, staff knowledgeable and helpful. We have watched this business grow for twenty five years and the superb presentation and facilities now are the result of some excellent business decisions by the owner manager who is frequently seen chatting to staff and customers. Congratulations.