Wellesley’s Roche Brothers Market

Directions to

Roche Brothers Supermarket, 165 Linden Street, Wellesley

Linden Street is a handy jumping off spot for exploration of Morses Pond, the western-most reaches of Wellesley’s Cross Town Trail (aka the now-abandoned Cochitutate Aqueduct), and the woods contiguous with both. “Morses Pond”, according to material lifted from a Recreation Department application for Community Preservation funds, “is the Town's most visible and significant natural resource.” It’s “a shallow 103 acre eutrophic pond serving as a public water supply and aquatic habitat, whose three principal tributaries (Jennings Brook, Bogle Brook, and Boulder Brook) drain a watershed of more than 5,300 acres. Water leaving the pond discharges to Paintshop Pond, Lake Waban and ultimately to the Charles River.” Most visitors to the Pond probably use the Town’s swimming beach and are unaware of the adjacent trail network but Hey!, somebody’s got to use them. That’s us!

Linden Street is a very busy place whose parking lots are often full to bursting; Roche Brothers may be the worst offender of all. Even so the supermarket is a prominent landmark and, who knows, you might get lucky. We’ll meet there even if it’s necessary to park across the street or next door and walk to the store.

To get to Roche Brothers the safe thing to do is ask MapQuest for driving directions to “165 Linden Street” in “Wellesley”. Risk takers can, however, try this:

From Route 128/95

Drive Route 128/95 to Exit 22-21B in Wellesley (Route 16 West Wellesley/Grove Street), climb the exit ramp and aim for 16 West/Wellesley.  Stay sharp ... though you’ve left Route 128 you haven’t actually reached the Exits yet. Look for Exit 21B (Route 16 W/Newton Lower Falls/Wellesley), take it when the opportunity presents itself, and turn right onto Washington Street (Route 16) when the exit road intersects it.  Continue about 2.5 miles on Washington Street, gritting your teeth at all the lights, to Kingsbury Street. Turn right on Kingsbury and quickly left onto Linden Street. Drive Linden Street roughly 0.3 miles to the vicinity of Roche Brothers Market; it’ll be on the left. Park as close you can to it and meet us in front of the store.

MapQuest estimates 25 minutes driving time from Bedford for those pursuing this route. We program 40 minutes to allow for traffic and lights.

From Weston Town Hall and points on or near Route 20

Best bet is probably to take School Street from the Boston Post Road or Route 20 to Wellesley Street, approximately 0.5 miles, turn right on Wellesley Street, and follow it all the way (5.1 miles) to Linden Street. Upon crossing into the town line Wellesley becomes Weston Street and, just as it prepares to rise up and over the MBTA commuter rail tracks, Linden Street goes off to the left. Continue a long block to the lights at Crest Road and jog left/right onto Linden. Roche Brothers is about two blocks down the road on the right.

From Weston’s Town Hall this should take about 15 minutes.

From Wellesley

You’re on your own.

Good Luck !!!