About - The Grapes, Bath

History of 14 Westgate Street

Originally built as a townhouse for the wealthy to take the waters, 14 Westgate Street is one of the few remaining Elizabethan buildings left in the city. The first tenant, Richard Gay was Mayor of Bath at least five times, as well as an MP, a coroner and other important positions at the time. In less than a century however, the wealthy decided to move above the squalor and pollution of the centre, preferring instead to start to occupy what are now Bath’s famous crescents higher up on the hills surrounding the city.

By 1694, the house is depicted as one of the cities principle lodging houses run by a Ms. Pocock, hence the name of our BnB today, Pococks Lodgings where the rooms are now named after other notable female residents of Bath. At some time over the course of the next century, the house was broken up further with numerous businesses being run from here and was certainly a vinters by the mid C18th, with the first known recording of The Grapes appearing in 1792.

14 and 15 Westgate Street_Michael Paul Lewis copy

Who we are

We first stumbled across The Grapes in 2018. Jonny was doing his brewery rounds and as soon as he told me about the boarded-up pub on Westgate Street, we booked an appointment with the agent straight away. Closed for years and critically close to becoming a fried chicken franchise downstairs with student flats above, we spent months securing a long-term lease — determined to keep it as a pub and bring back the lodgings upstairs.

Then came the graft. The place had been completely gutted after years of neglect: ceilings down, dead birds in the chimney breasts, and nothing but a transformer and some site lighting to work by. Every day, we chipped away — fixing, scrubbing, restoring — until it finally felt like ours.

We opened the doors in August 2019, just in time for a brief spell of normal before the world shut down. The proceeds from Bath’s Christmas Market that winter helped carry us through the pandemic.

Now, The Grapes is everything we hoped for: a proper freehouse with music at its heart, a creative community hub, and a place where locals, students, artists and travellers gather over good drinks and great conversation.

And we’re only just getting started – Jonny and Ellie

Meet the Team

Ellie (yes, there’s another one) Burton is the heartbeat of The Grapes. As our General Manager, she keeps everything moving — from the daily buzz behind the bar to booking every gig that rolls through the door.

By night, she’s the bodhrán player at our Folk Thursdays and stage manager for The Bandstand at Glastonbury. By day, she’s the freshly minted master’s graduate in Events Management who built the lively music scene we’re known for.

She’s also the reason you’ll find sours, rotating craft cans and brilliant local ales on the pumps. If it tastes great, feels local, and pairs beautifully with vinyl, Ellie probably put it there.

Reach Ellie at: hello@thegrapesbath.co.uk

Charlie Harding looks after everything you read, click, scroll or share from us. She’s also Bristol’s beloved Bedsit Bonne Vivante, which means she knows how to tell a story and make it sound delicious. Want to collaborate, swap an idea or chat about stories? Charlie’s your point of contact.

Reach Charlie at: marketing@thegrapesbath.co.uk

Join the Team (Maybe…)

We’re a tight-knit crew at The Grapes — a mix of full-time legends and brilliant part-time minds (academics, artists, musicians… you get the vibe) who’ve genuinely made this place their second home.

These days, we’re lucky to have low staff turnover — and even see former team members return when they miss us. So, while we’re not actively recruiting right now, we’re always happy to hear from someone genuinely keen to be part of what we do.

🔸 Top tip: If you’re just looking for a cheeky three-month gig before heading back to halls — probably not for us.
🔸 But if you’re hard-working, unfazed by lively nights in a city centre pub, and think you’d fit in with our eclectic little bunch — we’d love to hear from you.

Fill out THIS FORM and attach your CV. If there’s a space at the bar with your name on it, we’ll be in touch.