Bath

I suppose it would be just easy to say I love Bath. And I really do. It’s not a hard place to love either. I’ve probably visited and revisited about 10 times in my life…living from 1.5hrs to now just an hour away, it makes a day trip much more doable. It can get hustle-bustle but it’s not London-kind-of-busy, there’s still plenty of parts to it that leave you feeling like you’ve walked around a city but in a more relaxed way.

As you may (or may not) know, Bath is in the South West of England in Somerset and was founded by the Romans who used the natural hot springs as a thermae spa. It has plenty of green spaces alongside the crescents and terraced houses that are built up into the surrounding hills and also in and around Bath. I’m yet to find a route in by car that doesn’t feature breath-taking views of the landscape. If you are driving, it’s a genuine joy to weave your way through the Georgian houses on the way to the city centre. As I have been a few times and it is a city, this blog post is a bit longer, but I think it deserves it!

Walkers

Prior Park, which is centrally located in the city has dreamy landscaped gardens, created by Ralph Allen in the 1700’s. One of the standout features is the Palladian Bridge which is only one of 4 of it’s kind in the world and really something to look at.
Alexandra Park is also really lovely on a summer’s day or on a crisp Autumn day; it’s right at the top of Bath and sometimes overlooked because of this but it has such lovely views of the city, that if you come back to walk the parks, it’s good to venture out, especially if you have kids or dogs or you want to burn off some energy for the day!
It will be likely hard to miss the Parade Gardens, which can be easily viewed from the city. For a small fee (£2 per adult) you can head into these Grade II listed gardens and walk the circular pathway or take in the view of the River Avon and Pulteney Bridge and weir or enjoy some live music at the bandstand in the summer.

The greenery in Bath really is dotted about, so if you are walking around, it’s good to come across these parks and pleasure grounds throughout.

One on my list to do one summer day, is the Bath skyline walk. I always think skyline walks end up being well worth the effort. This is a 6 mile walk through woodlands and meadows and plenty of opportunities to grab scenic pictures.
Royal Victoria Park is also another one I’d like to visit (so called because an 11 year old Princess Victoria came to officially open it. Sadly she never returned: rumour has it that a local resident commented on the “thickness” of her ankles and she took umbrage at this…which I think is probably fair enough!). Here you’ll also find Botanical Gardens, a playground and mini golf and a Pavillion Cafe.

Shoppers

I know plenty of people who have come to Bath purely to shop til they drop! Southgate is quite notable area within Bath for it’s shopping facilities and the more high end shops can be found North of the city. And then there is everything in between; vintage shops down little side streets, independents, a department store, boutique shops…really it is quite a place to shop. The indoor Guildhall Market and various other antiques and farmers markets are all places that will easily while away your hours. Some stand out shops for me are : Bath Aqua Glass which sells handmade gifts all crafted in Bath. Me and my sister once went to the glass blowing studio and watched the craftsmen in action. We also blew our breath into our own bauble’s; a nice memory to take home and a bauble that makes an appearance on our Christmas tree each year. I’ve also come across this hilarious Fudge Kitchen shop (this is a chain where the staff they are employee are all purposefully outgoing, quirky and memorable. You can watch them make the fudge on-site, try different flavours and probably end up buying some too!). There is an absolutely stunning independent bookshop Topping & Company; if you enjoy books, there really is something for everyone in this former masonic hall/assembly room/Quaker Meeting House. Close by to this is Wood and Burr, with a beautiful selection of hand crafted wood designs. And for cheese-lovers, you have to factor in a trip to Paxton & Whitfield!! Ultimately though, when you are roaming about the shops, be sure to take a look beyond the shops at eye level through the side streets, as quite often you’ll catch a glimpse of a lovely view of houses and greenery in the background. There’s quite often a lot of street entertainment taking place in and around the city centre and at Christmas time, it’s a lovely time to visit, with the Christmas market, tree and projected holograms on to some of the buildings.

Drinkers

Like any city, you won’t be lacking in choice for pubs/drinking places. Personally, I have really enjoyed cocktails in the Botanist which has a beautiful central bar (best viewed from the gallery above! and the Architect, which is incredibly positioned for the river and is part of what used to be the Empire Hotel (I’d also love to eat here one day). Be at One never fails to disappoint and is located close to the station; it gets lively and busy pretty quickly if that’s your vibe. Close to that is Graze, which has a lovely rooftop terrace, and a wide selection of drinks where at Christmas time, it’s especially lovely looking out over the decorated tree (one of them!). I’ve also visited the Art Bar for cocktails, which is very cool inside! And for a more traditional pub, me and my partner stopped in at The Huntsman; a great place to people watch.

I’d love to try, on recommendation:
The Hideout
The Dark House and well…many many others!! But I’ll probably just start with these and keep you posted of other good finds.

Cafes

It’s always a tough one to decide where to eat in Bath. Depending what day of the week you go, it’s advisable to book as things do seem to get booked up quickly during busy periods. Having said that, you could easily pop to a sandwich shop and buy something to eat outside and have just as nice a time.

There are 2x Sweet Little Things cafe’s in Bath and they are pure pink heaven. With decadent cakes and sweet treats, as well as sandwiches and wraps available, they adorn their prosecco with rose petals and it’s a very friendly place. The Green Rocket is a vegetarian-friendly award-winning cafe, that we enjoyed a really nice breakfast and coffee at, as well as admiring the huge mural on the back wall.
I couldn’t not mention Sally Lunn’s Bath Bunns at this stage! One of the oldest and most famous eateries, you have to go! And actually if you can’t get in (there is usually quite a queue), make sure you at least pop downstairs to their little museum to learn about the history and buy a bunn off the shelf to toast up and have at home (I also recommend buying the cinnamon butter that they sell too, it goes very nicely with it). They are so light and the recipe is kept a secret, so enjoy!
I also had a really lovely coffee, and in fact it’s become my go to coffee shop when I visit, called the Colombian Company. Very cosy inside, but a good place to begin before you start your Bath trip.

Restaurants
The Elder – now this is a real treat; we opted for the Tasting Menu which was INCREDIBLE. If you visit Bath with a special occasion in mind, I hope you’ll consider it. Not a single thing I could fault. Attentive staff, dark and decadent dining rooms sited in adjoining original Georgian houses, this game-focused restaurant was a true culinary experience.
If a stand-out Italian is your bag, I can fully recommend Sotto Sotto. It’s intimate and hard to get into; book early and head to this wonderful candlelit underground restaurant.

I’d love to try:
The Oak (Vegan)
The Pump Room restaurant (afternoon tea here is especially recommended)
The Circus Restaurant
Henry’s

Hotels

I’ve been lucky to stay at the Abbey Hotel which I highly recommend and the Indigo Hotel which was absolutely perfect. For the latter, we loved their interiors so much we have styled our bedroom on the room we stayed in and the staff were so willing to help us find the exact colours too! Both hotels were exceptional when it came to service and you will not be disappointed by either, I feel sure of this. I’ve included a few interiors of the Indigo, so you have an idea of what to expect.

I would also love to stay at these hotels one day:
The Macdonald Bath Spa
Royal Crescent Hotel
I’d also really love to try out staying at one of the many many boutique b&bs; with so many located within a Georgian house, you really will get that historical embrace from most places that you stay.

Sightseeing

Well here is where Bath really does come into it’s own. Where to begin; well to start us off, the Jane Austen Centre. You’ll be sure to know where it is as there is a lifesize model of Jane Austen outside the centre; inside it’s dedicated to her life and works. At this end of the city, you are also not far from the Royal Crescent which is a row of 30 terraced houses positioned in a sweeping crescent (definitely pop into No 1. Royal Crescent; a museum of how Georgian life would have been in the late 1700’s). It has the wow factor if you simply just walk around.

We have mentioned at the start about this being a Roman town, so a tour of the Roman Baths surely has to be in order. Take a guided tour or take it at your own pace and touch the warm thermae water. It may make you feel like you need more of that water…which is where The Thermae Spa comes in (booking in advance advisable!). Take 2 hours out of city life and explore several floors of steam rooms, saunas, thermae baths and – the rooftop pool as you can see from the link above, is really impressive and hard to leave, especially if you manage to book a slot that takes you from day to night. It does get busy and it does operate a no phones policy, which is great but be prepared that in lieu of the silence of people on their phones or taking selfies, you get a lot of chit chat. I still recommend it though! Whether you do visit or not, make sure you take a look at the Cross Bath which is opposite the Thermae Spa and a smaller area (and with it’s history, a sacred site). It’s available for swimming sessions in the mornings during the week as well as available for exclusive hire (which would be amazing!). When it’s not in use, you can take a look through the window (covered when in use) and have a glimpse.
The Pulteney Bridge is a bridge I’ve photograped several times now; it’s really lovely especially with the view of the weir in front of it. You can take boat trips that start from here too in the summer. If you are short on time, then the sight seeing bus really is a good way to take in the city and learn as you go.
One of the pivotal points in Bath Abbey; recommended to go inside and there is always something going on outside too, plenty of live music, where you can sit on the benches and enjoy.
I also love the Butterfly installation which is in the Southgate area; representative of freedom, this was created to raise awareness of Trauma Breakthrough, a charity that helps adult survivors of trauma and abuse.

Things I’m yet to look at:
The World Heritage Centre
Theatre Royal Bath
Tivoli Cinema
The Assembly Rooms
The Bath Postal Museum

Would I go back?
Yes, I feel like Bath is a place I want to tell as many people about as possible because it’s just so much fun! Depending on what you go there for, it’s anything from a day trip to a weekend to a long weekend. There’s so much to do and it really is one that you’ll walk away from, probably exhausted but definitely wanting to come back for more.

Thanks for reading! Check out my main blog for more places: http://www.wanderingwanderluster.co.uk