Raxworthy Opticians and Hearing Care celebrates move to new Christchurch location

A historic Dorset optical practice is celebrating moving to a new location – after spending almost seven decades in its previous home.

Raxworthy Opticians and Hearing Care, which is part of the Leightons group, moved to new premises on Christchurch’s High Street on 14 November.

The practice was founded in 1950 and had been at its previous location, in Bargates, since 1955.

It joined Leightons Opticians and Hearing Care in 2020.

The practice will continue to offer a range of eye care services, including eye examinations, frames, lenses, glasses repair, dry eye assessment, contact lenses, Optomap and OCT imaging, and free hearing assessments and tinnitus consultations.

The celebrations were attended by the Mayor of Christchurch, councillor Avril Coulton, who cut the ribbon to mark the occasion.

Malcolm Coombs, the practice’s branch manager and a dispensing optician, said: “We’re really excited to have moved to the new practice on High Street, just a five-minute walk from our old home, where it’s the same great team, providing the same great care but with a great new look.

“Over the years, our experts have helped generations of patients with their eye and hearing care at Bargates, and we can’t wait to continue to do so for many more years to come in our new home.”

Ryan Leighton, CEO of Leightons, said: “Bargates has been a fantastic home for the last seven decades, however the move to a larger High Street premises provides an amazing canvas for us to enhance care and the breadth of services we provide.”

He added: “Early feedback on the new practice from new and existing patients in Christchurch has been really positive, so we’re looking forward to the next chapter in the story of Raxworthy, proudly part of the Leightons family.”