Not so Jolly’s a Christmas?

Richard Wyatt

This was spotted in the windows of the Milsom Street store today.

Jolly’s is closing. The business had been given a long lease by B&NES, who own the building, but now it seems they could be getting a new tenant.

Word is that an independent family-owned department store may be taking over. Also, that the Council are going to have to spend a fair bit of money on refurbishment and restoration.

According to another source, Jolly’s staff were told a week ago that it’s the landlord’s decision to close the store down.

The business has been under threat for some time.

Back in 2018, it’s new Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley was calling for a rent reduction from B&NES for the business to remain viable.

The street’s flagship store has a long history, and any permanent closure would have a real knock-on effect on other smaller businesses around it.

Jolly’s in Bath is one of Europe’s oldest department stores. James Jolly set up a linen drapery store in Deal, Kent during the 1810s. The business thrived, and by 1823 he opened a seasonal store in Bath for his son Thomas.

I have approached Sports Direct and B&NES for comment.

Published by Richard Wyatt

Freelance Journalist, broadcaster, columnist and local historian. Director of Bath Newseum. Married and lives in Bath. Interested in local history, architecture and visual display in museums and urban spaces.

10 Comments

  1. It will be a very sad day for Bath and Bathonians if Jolly’s closes. Let’s hope B&NES Council sees sense, which is highly unlikely.

  2. I had felt that in recent years they were trying to pitch themselves at a younger market, for example in the ranges of shoes they sold. (Or maybe it was just me getting older?)

    Their last refurbishment seemed to add little and I’ve never forgiven them for removing the beautiful double staircase between the first and ground floors.

  3. I visited the other day and the customer toilets were closed until further notice. The Ladies Powder Room used to be a feature of good department stores. I felt the store had had its day in comparison to what it used to be and am not surprised, though very sad, to read this. It has been the fate of good independent department stores for some time.

  4. Bath without Jolly’s? Almost impossible to comprehend. Like Fred without Ginger! And a substantial retail space to fill, if Milsom St itself is not to suffer. But I admit to being as much to blame as the next man, for buying too much online and not supporting local businesses nearly enough. And this is the outcome. And it won’t be the last!.

  5. Oh no! Not goodbye Jolly’s??
    No doubt McD’s will be offered the premises… or perhaps Aldi or Lidl, to match the new burger-joint soon to open top of Milsom St.

    Milsom St used to be one of the very best & exclusive shopping streets in UK, and it won awards for this.

    Why does BANES not see economic sense, reduce rental fees to retain classy outlets, instead of allowing cheap smelly burger joints to move in to these historical buildings?
    Milsom is turning into another Southgate.
    What’s happening to Bath?
    It’s depressing.

  6. Jolly’s died many years ago. It now barely qualifies as a department store.

    1. While being a shadow of its former self, it is still a good department store and the only one we have in Bath.

  7. The reason for not reducing rents is standardly that they have to be at a ‘market rate’ compared to similar places, although I do wonder what Milsom St is being compared to. In any case the market clearly can’t sustain current rates, or there wouldn’t be shops standing empty all over the place, which don’t bring in any rent at all.

    The independent family-owned store might be Fenwick’s?

    1. Let’s HOPE it will be Fenwick’s 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞

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