Bell Fine Art Winchester closes for good after 37 years

On June 30, Bell Fine Art on Parchment Street shut up shop after 37 years of business, much to the sadness of the local community seeing the loss of an independent shop.

Owner Lawson Bell, who has retired, wants to remind people they can still see and purchase the shop’s merchandise on its website.

He said: “We’ve had hundreds of people saying nice things about the shop. We’re very grateful.”

READ MORE: Bell Fine Art to close its Winchester shop after 37 years of business

The empty shop (Image: Matthew Cook)

He told the Chronicle that his other shop, London Contemporary Art on Denbigh Street in Pimlico, is still open and is doing well.

“I’m actually semi-retired,” he said. “I was quite surprised that people seemed to think that I was packing up [and moving to London] but I’m not going anywhere. I still live in Hyde.”

After a busy few months closing down the shop and tending to the business in London, Lawson plans to go on a road trip through France and Spain in August.

He owns the store, but is not sure what the space will be turned into. 

“As of yet we don’t know,” he said. “It’s with the estate agents – a few people have been interested.”

Parchment Street is currently home to a handful of businesses, including Piecaramba!, Toscanaccio and Cupboard of Health.

Forme, another long-established independent shop in Parchment Street closed last July.