To Stonehenge, Avebury, and the Cotswolds
Romantic, Upscale French and English
The best city to visit within easy striking distance of London is Bath—just a 1.5-hour train ride away. Two hundred years ago, this city of 85,000 was the trendsetting Hollywood of Britain. If ever a city enjoyed looking in the mirror, Bath’s the one. It has more “government-listed” or protected historic buildings per capita than any other town in England. The entire city, built of the creamy warm-tone limestone called “Bath stone,” beams in its cover-girl complexion. An architectural chorus line, it’s a triumph of the Neoclassical style of the Georgian era—named for the four Georges who sat as England’s kings from 1714 to 1830. Proud locals remind visitors that the town is routinely banned from the “Britain in Bloom” contest to give other towns a chance to win. Bath’s narcissism is justified. Even with its mobs of tourists (2 million per year) and greedy prices, Bath is a joy to visit.
Bath’s fame began with the allure of its (supposedly) healing hot springs. Long before the Romans arrived in the first century, Bath was known for its warm waters. Romans named the popular spa town Aquae Sulis, after a local Celtic goddess. The town’s importance carried through Saxon times, when it had a huge church on the site of the present-day abbey and was considered the religious capital of Britain. Its influence peaked in 973 with King Edgar’s sumptuous coronation in the abbey. Later, Bath prospered as a wool town.
Bath then declined until the mid-1600s, wasting away to just a huddle of huts around the abbey, with hot, smelly mud and 3,000 residents, oblivious to the Roman ruins 18 feet below their dirt floors. In fact, with its own walls built upon ancient ones, Bath was no bigger than that Roman town. Then, in 1687, Queen Mary, fighting infertility, bathed here. Within 10 months she gave birth to a son...and a new age of popularity for Bath.
The revitalized town boomed as a spa resort. Ninety percent of the buildings you’ll see today are from the 18th century. The classical revivalism of Italian architect Andrea Palladio inspired a local father-and-son team—both named John Wood (the Elder and the Younger)—to build a “new Rome.” The town bloomed in the Neoclassical style, and streets were lined not with scrawny sidewalks but with wide “parades,” upon which women in their stylishly wide dresses could spread their fashionable tails.
Beau Nash (1673-1762) was Bath’s “master of ceremonies.” He organized the daily social regimen of aristocratic visitors, and he made the city more appealing by lighting the streets, improving security, banning swords, and opening the Pump Room. Under his fashionable baton, Bath became a city of balls, gaming, and concerts—the place to see and be seen in England. This most civilized place became even more so with the great Neoclassical building spree that followed.
These days, modern tourism has stoked the local economy, as has the fast morning train to London. (A growing number of Bath-based professionals catch the 7:13 train to Paddington Station every morning.) With renewed access to Bath’s soothing hot springs at the Thermae Bath Spa, the venerable waters are in the spotlight again, attracting a new generation of visitors in need of a cure or a soak.
Bath deserves two nights even on a quick trip. On a three-week British getaway, spend three nights in Bath, with one day for the city and one day for side-trips (see next chapter). Ideally, use Bath as your jet-lag recovery pillow, and do London at the end of your trip.
Consider starting your British vacation this way:
Day 1: Land at Heathrow. Connect to Bath by National Express bus—the better option—or the less convenient bus/train combination (for details, see here). While you don’t need or want a car in Bath, and some rental companies have an office there, those who land early and pick up their cars at the airport can visit Windsor Castle (near Heathrow) and/or Stonehenge on their way to Bath. (You can also consider flying into Bristol.) If you have the evening free in Bath, take a walking tour.
Day 2: 9:00—Tour the Roman Baths; 10:30—Catch the free city walking tour; 12:30—Picnic on the open deck of a tour bus; 14:00—Free time in the shopping center of old Bath; 15:30—Tour the Fashion Museum or Museum of Bath at Work. Take the evening walking tour (unless you did last night), enjoy the Bizarre Bath comedy walk, consider seeing a play, or go for a nighttime soak in the Thermae Bath Spa.
Day 3 (and possibly 4): By car, explore nearby sights. Without a car, consider a one-day Avebury/Stonehenge/cute towns minibus tour from Bath (Mad Max tours are best; see “Tours in Bath,” later).
Bath’s town square, three blocks in front of the bus and train station, is a cluster of tourist landmarks, including the abbey, Roman and Medieval Baths, and the Pump Room. Bath is hilly. In general, you’ll gain elevation as you head north from the town center.
The TI is in the abbey churchyard (Mon-Sat 9:30-17:30, Sun 10:00-16:00, pricey toll tel. 0906-711-2000—50p/minute, www.visitbath.co.uk). The TI sells various visitor guides and maps—survey your options before buying one (£1-1.50)—and can book rooms with no extra fee (booking tel. 0844-847-5256). If you’re a Jane Austen fan, ask about the walking tours that leave from the abbey square on weekends. Entertainment listings from the local paper are posted on the bulletin board.
The Bath Spa train station has a national and international ticket desk and a privately run travel agency masquerading as a TI. Directly in front of the train station is Bath’s brand-new SouthGate Bath shopping center. To get from the train station to the TI, exit straight ahead, walk two blocks up Manvers Street, and turn left at the triangular “square” overlooking the riverfront park, following the small TI arrow on a signpost. The bus station is west of the train station, along Dorchester Street.
For details on reaching my recommended Royal Crescent B&Bs from the train and bus stations, see here.
Festivals: The Bath Literature Festival is an open book in early March (www.bathlitfest.org.uk). The Bath International Music Festival bursts into song in late May and early June (classical, folk, jazz, contemporary; www.bathmusicfest.org.uk), overlapped by the eclectic Bath Fringe Festival (theater, walks, talks, bus trips; generally similar dates to the Music Festival, www.bathfringe.co.uk). The Jane Austen Festival unfolds genteelly in mid-September (www.janeausten.co.uk/festival). And for three weeks in December, the squares around the abbey are filled with a Christmas market.
Bath’s festival box office sells tickets for most events (but not for those at the Theatre Royal), and can tell you exactly what’s on tonight (housed inside the TI, tel. 01225/463-362, www.bathfestivals.org.uk). The city’s weekly paper, the Bath Chronicle, publishes a “What’s On” events listing each Thursday (www.thisisbath.com).
Internet Access: Ask your hotel or the TI for the closest Internet café. You can also get online at the Bath library (£1.20/20 minutes, slightly cheaper with free library membership, Mon 9:30-18:00, Tue-Thu 9:30-19:00, Fri-Sat 9:30-17:00, Sun 13:00-16:00, 19 Northgate Street near Pulteney Bridge, tel. 01225/394-041, www.bathnes.gov.uk).
Bookstore: Topping & Company, an inviting bookshop, has posters in its windows advertising frequent author readings, free coffee and tea for browsers, and tables filled with tidy stacks of carefully selected volumes (daily 9:00-20:00, near the bottom of the street called “The Paragon”—where it meets George Street, tel. 01225/428-111, www.toppingbooks.co.uk).
Laundry: The Spruce Goose Launderette is between the Circus and the Royal Crescent, on the pedestrian lane called Margaret’s Buildings. Bring lots of £1 coins for washing and £0.20 coins for drying, as there are no change machines (self-service: about £4-5/load, daily 8:00-20:00, last load at 19:30; full-service: £13/load, Mon and Wed-Fri 8:00-12:00 only; tel. 01225/483-309). Speedy Wash can pick up your laundry anywhere in town on weekdays before 11:00 for same-day service (£12/small bag, Mon-Fri 7:30-17:30, Sat 8:30-13:00 but no pickup, closed Sun, no self-service, most hotels work with them, 4 Mile End, London Road, tel. 01225/427-616).
Car Rental: Enterprise provides a pickup service for customers to and from their hotels (extra fee for one-way rentals, at Lower Bristol Road outside Bath, tel. 01225/443-311, www.enterprise.com). Others include Thrifty (pickup service and one-way rentals available, in the Burnett Business Park in Keynsham—between Bath and Bristol, tel. 01179/867-997, www.thrifty.co.uk), Hertz (one-way rentals possible, at Windsor Bridge, tel. 0843-309-3004, www.hertz.co.uk), and National/Europcar (one-way rentals available, £7 by taxi from the train station, at Brassmill Lane—go west on Upper Bristol Road, tel. 01225/481-898). Skip Avis—it’s a mile from the Bristol train station; you’d need to rent a car to get there. Most offices close Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday, which complicates weekend pickups. Ideally, take the train or bus from downtown London to Bath, and rent a car as you leave Bath.
Parking: Parking in the city center is difficult. Short-term street parking is available but pricey (about £2.50/hour, 2-hour maximum, buy pay-and-display tickets from machine). You’ll pay less per hour in long-stay lots. The new SouthGate Bath shopping center lot on the corner of Southgate and Dorchester streets is a five-minute walk from the Abbey (2 hours-£3, 8 hours-£10, over 8 hours-£12.50, cash or credit card, open 24/7); the Charlotte Street car park is also handy. For more info on parking, visit the “Tourism and Travel” section of www.bathnes.gov.uk/bathnes.
▲▲▲Walking Tours—Free two-hour tours are led by The Mayor’s Corps of Honorary Guides, volunteers who want to share their love of Bath with its many visitors (as the city’s mayor first did when he took a group on a guided walk back in the 1930s). These chatty, historical, and gossip-filled walks are essential for your understanding of this town’s amazing Georgian social scene. How else would you learn that the old “chair ho” call for your sedan chair evolved into today’s “cheerio” farewell? Tours leave from outside the Pump Room in the abbey churchyard (free, no tips, year-round Sun-Fri at 10:30 and 14:00, Sat at 10:30 only; additional evening walks May-Sept Tue and Thu at 19:00; tel. 01225/477-411, www.bathguides.org.uk). Tip for theatergoers: When your guide stops to talk outside the Theatre Royal, skip out for a moment, pop into the box office, and see about snaring a great deal on a play for tonight.
For a private tour, call the local guides’ bureau, Bath Parade Guides (£75/2 hours, tel. 01225/337-111, www.bathparadeguides.co.uk, bathparadeguides@yahoo.com). For Ghost Walks and Bizarre Bath tours, see “Nightlife in Bath,” later.
▲▲City Bus Tours—City Sightseeing’s hop-on, hop-off bus tours zip through Bath. Jump on a bus anytime at one of 17 signposted pickup points, pay the driver, climb upstairs, and hear recorded commentary about Bath. City Sightseeing has two 45-minute routes: a city tour (unintelligible audio recording on half the buses, live guides on the other half—choose the latter), and a “Skyline” route outside town (all live guides, stops near the American Museum which is otherwise a 15-minute walk). On a sunny day, this is a multitasking tourist’s dream come true: You can munch a sandwich, work on a tan, snap great photos, and learn a lot, all at the same time. Save money by doing the bus tour first—ticket stubs get you minor discounts at many sights (£12.50, ticket valid for 2 days and both tour routes, generally 4/hour daily in summer 9:30-18:30, in winter 10:00-15:00, tel. 01225/444-102, www.city-sightseeing.com).
Taxi Tours—Local taxis, driven by good talkers, go where big buses can’t. A group of up to four can rent a cab for an hour (about £20) and enjoy a fine, informative, and—with the right cabbie—entertaining private joyride. It’s probably cheaper to let the meter run than to pay for an hourly rate, but ask the cabbie for advice.
Bath is a good launch pad for visiting Wells, Avebury, Stonehenge, and more.
Mad Max Minibus Tours—Operating daily from Bath, Maddy and Paul offer thoughtfully organized, informative tours that run with entertaining guides. Book ahead—as far ahead as possible in summer—for these popular tours. Their Stone Circles full-day tour covers 110 miles and visits Stonehenge, the Avebury Stone Circles, and two cute villages: Lacock and Castle Combe. Photogenic Lacock (LAY-cock) is featured in parts of the BBC’s Pride and Prejudice and the Harry Potter movies, and Castle Combe, the southernmost Cotswold village, is as sweet as they come (£32.50 plus £8 Stonehenge entry, tours depart daily at 8:45 and return at 16:30, arrive 15 minutes early, leaves early to beat the Stonehenge hordes). Their shorter tour of Stonehenge and Lacock leaves daily at 13:15 and returns at 17:15; may also leave at 8:45 and return at 12:45 in summer (£17.50 plus £8 Stonehenge entry). Most of their tours are limited to 16 people, though on busy days, the half-day tour might have up to 24.
Mad Max also offers a Cotswold Discovery full-day tour, a picturesque romp through the countryside with stops and a cream-tea opportunity in the quainter Cotswolds villages, including Stow-on-the-Wold, Bibury, Tetbury, the Coln Valley, The Slaughters (optional walk between the two villages), and others (£35; runs Sun, Tue, and Thu 8:45-17:15; arrive 15 minutes early). If you ask in advance, you can bring your luggage along and use the tour as transportation to Stow or, for £5 extra, Moreton-in-Marsh, with easy train connections to Oxford.
All tours depart from Bath at the Glass House shop on the corner of Orange Grove, a one-minute walk from the abbey. Arrive 15 minutes before your departure time and bring cash (it’s possible to pay with credit card only if you book online or by phone at least 48 hours in advance). Online or email reservations are preferable to calling (phone answered daily 8:00-18:00, tel. 07990/505-970, www.madmaxtours.co.uk, maddy@madmaxtours.co.uk). Please honor or cancel your seat reservation.
More Bus Tours—If Mad Max is booked up, don’t fret. Plenty of companies in Bath offer tours of varying lengths, prices, and destinations. Note that the cost of admission to sights is usually not included with any tour.
Scarper Tours runs a minibus tour to Stonehenge (£15, doesn’t include £8 Stonehenge entry fee, departs from behind the abbey; daily mid-June-Aug at 9:00, 12:30, and 16:00; mid-March-mid-June and Sept-Oct at 10:00 and 14:00; Nov-mid-March at 13:00; tel. 07739/644-155, www.scarpertours.com). The three-hour tour (two hours there and back, an hour at the site) includes driver narration en route.
Celtic Horizons, run by retired teacher Alan Price, offers tours from Bath to a variety of destinations, such as Stonehenge, Avebury, and Wells. Alan can provide a convenient transfer service (to or from London, Heathrow, Bristol Airport, the Cotswolds, and so on), with or without a tour itinerary en route. Allow about £25/hour for a group (his comfortable minivans seat 4, 6, or 8 people) and £150 for Heathrow-Bath transfers (1-4 persons). It’s best to make arrangements and get pricing information by email at alan@celtichorizons.com (cash only, tel. 01373/461-784, http://celtichorizons.com).
▲Pulteney Bridge, Parade Gardens, and Cruises
▲▲The Circus and the Royal Crescent
▲Georgian House at No. 1 Royal Crescent
▲▲▲Roman and Medieval Baths—In ancient Roman times, high society enjoyed the mineral springs at Bath. From Londinium—and throughout the empire—Romans traveled so often to Aquae Sulis, as the city was called, to “take a bath” that finally it became known simply as Bath. Today, a fine museum surrounds the ancient bath. With the help of a great audioguide, you’ll wander past well-documented displays, Roman artifacts, a temple pediment with an evocative bearded face, a bronze head of the goddess Sulis Minerva, excavated ancient foundations, and the actual mouth of the spring. At the end you’ll have a chance to walk around the big pool itself, where Romans once lounged, splished, splashed, and thanked the gods for the gift of naturally hot water.
Cost and Hours: £12.50, includes audioguide, £16 combo-ticket includes Fashion Museum—a £4 savings, family ticket available, daily July-Aug 9:00-22:00, March-June and Sept-Oct 9:00-18:00, Nov-Feb 9:30-17:30, last entry one hour before closing, tel. 01225/477-785, www.romanbaths.co.uk.
Crowd-Beating Tips: Purchase your ticket in advance online to avoid the long lines that typically form on Saturdays and every day in the summer. With voucher in hand, enter through the “fast track” lane, to the left of the general admission line. On any day, the least crowded time to visit is before 11:00. If you’re here in July or August, the best time is after 19:00, when the baths are romantic, gas-lit, and all yours.
Tours: Take advantage of the included, essential audioguide, which will make your visit easy and informative. In addition to the basic commentary, look for posted numbers to key into your audioguide for specialty topics—including a kid-friendly tour and insightful musings from American expat writer Bill Bryson. For those with a big appetite for Roman history, in-depth guided tours leave from the end of the museum at the edge of the actual bath (included with ticket, on the hour, a poolside clock is set for the next departure time, 20-40 minutes depending on the guide). You can revisit the museum after the tour.
Self-Guided Tour: Follow the one-way route through the bath and museum complex. This self-guided tour offers a basic overview; for more in-depth commentary, make ample use of the included audioguide.
Begin by walking around the upper terrace, which overlooks the Great Bath. This terrace—lined with sculptures of VIRs (Very Important Romans)—evokes ancient times but was built in the 1890s. The ruins of the bath complex sat undisturbed for centuries before finally being excavated and turned into a museum in the late 19th century.
Head inside to the museum, where exhibits explain the dual purpose of the buildings that stood here in Roman times: a bath complex, for relaxation and for healing; and a temple dedicated to the goddess Sulis Minerva, who was believed to be responsible for the mysterious and much-appreciated thermal springs. Cut-away diagrams and models resurrect both parts of this complex and help establish your bearings among the remaining fragments and foundations.
Peer down into the spring, where little air bubbles remind you that 240,000 gallons of water a day emerge from the earth—magically, it must have seemed to the Romans—at a constant 115°F.
Go downstairs to get to know the Romans who built and enjoyed these baths. The fragments of the temple pediment—carved by indigenous Celtic craftsmen but with Roman themes—represent a remarkable cultural synthesis. Sit and watch for a while, as a slide projection fills in historians’ best guesses as to what once occupied the missing bits. The identity of the circular face in the middle puzzles researchers. (God? Santa Claus?) It could be the head of the Gorgon monster after it was slain by Perseus—are those snakes peeking through its hair and beard? And yet, the Gorgon was traditionally depicted as female. Perhaps instead it’s Neptune, the god of water—appropriate for this aquatic site.
The next exhibits examine the importance of Aquae Sulis (the settlement here) in antiquity. Much like the pilgrimage sites of the Middle Ages, this spot exerted a powerful pull on people from all over the realm, who were eager to partake in its healing waters and to worship at the religious site. You’ll see some of the small but extremely heavy carved-stone tables that pilgrims hauled here as an offering to the gods.
As you walk through the temple’s original foundations, keep an eye out for the sacrificial altar. The gilded-bronze head of the goddess Sulis Minerva (in the display case) once overlooked a flaming cauldron inside the temple, where only priests were allowed to enter. Similar to the Greek goddess Athena, Sulis Minerva was considered to be a life-giving mother goddess. The next room displays some of the requests (inscribed on sheets of pewter or iron) that visitors made of the goddess. Take time to read some of these—many are comically spiteful and petty, offering a warts-and-all glimpse into day-to-day Roman culture.
Engineers enjoy a close-up look at the spring overflow and the original drain system—built two millennia ago—that still carries excess water to the River Avon. Marvel at the cleverness and durability of Roman engineering, created in (what we usually imagine to be) a “primitive” time. A nearby exhibit on pulleys and fasteners lets you play with these inventions.
Head outside to the Great Bath itself (where you can join one of the included guided tours—look for the clock with the next start time). Take a slow lap (by foot) around the perimeter, imagining the frolicking Romans who once immersed themselves up to their necks in this five-foot-deep pool. (On busy days, when costumed characters hang out by the bath, you may not have to imagine.) The water is greenish because of algae—don’t drink it. The best views are from the west end, looking back toward the abbey. Nearby is a giant chunk of roof span, from a time when this was a cavernous covered swimming hall. At the corner, you’ll step over a small canal where hot water still trickles into the main pool. Nearby, find a length of original lead pipe, remarkably well preserved since antiquity.
Symmetrical bath complexes branch off at opposite ends of the Great Bath (perhaps dating from a conservative period when the Romans maintained separate facilities for men and women). The East Baths show off changing rooms and various bathing rooms, each one designed for a special therapy or recreational purpose (immersion therapy tub, sauna-like heated floor, and so on), as described in detail by the audioguide.
When you’re ready to leave, head for the West Baths (including a sweat bath and a frigidarium, or “cold plunge” pool) and take another look at the spring and more foundations. After returning your audioguide, exit through the gift shop and dip into the attached Pump Room to drink a spot of tea or to gag on the spa water (get a free sample with your bath ticket).
▲Pump Room—For centuries, Bath was forgotten as a spa. Then, in 1687, the previously barren Queen Mary bathed here, became pregnant, and bore a male heir to the throne. A few years later, Queen Anne found the water eased her painful gout. Word of its wondrous waters spread, and Bath earned its way back on the aristocratic map. High society soon turned the place into one big pleasure palace. The Pump Room, an elegant Georgian hall just above the Roman Baths, offers visitors their best chance to raise a pinky in Chippendale grandeur. Above the newspaper table and sedan chairs, a statue of Beau Nash himself sniffles down at you. Come for a light meal, or for just the price of a coffee (£3), drop in anytime—except during lunch—to enjoy live music and the atmosphere.
Cost and Hours: Daily 9:30-12:00 for coffee and £6-15 breakfast, 12:00-14:30 for £6-16 lunches, 14:30-16:30 for £18.50 traditional afternoon tea, tea/coffee and pastries also available in the afternoons; open for dinner during Bath International Music Festival, July-Aug, and Christmas holidays only; live music daily—string trio or piano, times vary; tel. 01225/444-477.
The Spa Water: This is your chance to eat a famous (but forgettable) “Bath bun” and split a drink of the awful curative water (£0.50 or free with your Roman and Medieval Baths ticket—just head to the little alcove on the right and show them your ticket). The water comes from the King’s Spring and is brought to you by an appropriately attired server, who explains that the water is 10,000 years old, pumped up from nearly 100 yards deep, and marinated in 43 wonderful minerals. Convenient public WCs (which use plain old tap water) are in the entry hallway that connects the Pump Room with the baths.
▲Thermae Bath Spa—After simmering unused for a quarter-century, Bath’s natural thermal springs once again offer R&R for the masses. The state-of-the-art spa is housed in a complex of three buildings that combine historic structures with controversial (and expensive) new glass-and-steel architecture.
Is the Thermae Bath Spa worth the time and money? The experience is pretty pricey and humble compared to similar German and Hungarian spas. The tall, modern building in the city center lacks a certain old-time elegance. Jets in the pools are very limited, and the only water toys are big foam noodles. There’s no cold plunge—the only way to cool off between steam rooms is to step onto a small, unglamorous balcony. The Royal Bath’s two pools are essentially the same, and the water isn’t particularly hot in either—in fact, the main attraction is the rooftop view from the top one (best with a partner or as a social experience).
All that said, this is the only natural thermal spa in the UK and your one chance to bathe in Bath. Bring your swimsuit and come for a couple of hours (Fri night and all day Sat-Sun are most crowded). Consider an evening visit, when—on a chilly day—Bath’s twilight glows through the steam from the rooftop pool.
Cost: The cheapest spa pass is £26 for two hours, which gains you access to the Royal Bath’s large, ground-floor “Minerva Bath”; four steam rooms and a waterfall shower; and the view-filled, open-air, rooftop thermal pool. Longer stays are £36/4 hours and £56/day (towel, robe, and slippers are an extra £9). If you arrived in Bath by train, your used rail ticket will score you a four-hour session for the price of two hours (£26, Mon-Fri). The much-hyped £42 Twilight Package includes three hours and a meal (one plate, drink, robe, towel, and slippers). The appeal of this package is not the mediocre meal, but being on top of the building at a magical hour (which you can do for less money at the regular rate).
Thermae has all the “pamper thyself” extras: massages, mud wraps, and various healing-type treatments, including “watsu”—water shiatsu (£40-70 extra). Book treatments in advance by phone.
Hours: Daily 9:00-21:30, last entry at 19:00. No kids under 16 are allowed. It’s 100 yards from the Roman and Medieval Baths, on Beau Street (tel. 01225/331-234, www.thermaebathspa.com). There’s a salad-and-smoothies café for guests.
The Cross Bath: Operated by Thermae Bath Spa, this renovated, circular Georgian structure across the street from the main spa provides a simpler and less-expensive bathing option. It has a hot-water fountain that taps directly into the spring, making its water hotter than the spa’s (£16/1.5 hours, daily 10:00-20:00, last entry at 18:00, check in at Thermae Bath Spa’s main entrance across the street and you’ll be escorted to the Cross Bath, changing rooms, no access to Royal Bath, no kids under 12).
Spa Visitor Center: Also across the street, in the Hetling Pump Room, this free, one-room exhibit explains the story of the spa (Mon-Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun 11:00-16:00, £2 audioguide).
▲Bath Abbey—The town of Bath wasn’t much in the Middle Ages, but an important church has stood on this spot since Anglo-Saxon times. King Edgar I was crowned here in 973, when the church was much bigger (before the bishop packed up and moved to Wells). Dominating the town center, today’s abbey—the last great medieval church of England—is 500 years old and a fine example of the Late Perpendicular Gothic style, with breezy fan vaulting and enough stained glass to earn it the nickname “Lantern of the West.”
The facade (c. 1500, but mostly restored) is interesting for some of its carvings. Look for the angels going down the ladder. The statue of Peter (to the left of the door) lost its head to mean iconoclasts; it was recarved out of Peter’s once supersized beard. Take a moment to appreciate the abbey’s architecture from the Abbey Green square.
Going inside is worth the small suggested contribution. The gas-powered lamps, made of glass and red iron, and the heating grates on the floor are all remnants of the 19th century. The window behind the altar shows 52 scenes from the life of Christ. A window to the left of the altar shows Edgar’s coronation.
Cost and Hours: £2.50 suggested donation; April-Oct Mon-Sat 9:00-18:00, Sun 13:00-14:30 & 16:30-17:30; Nov-March Mon-Sat 9:00-16:30, Sun 13:00-14:30 & 16:30-17:30; handy flier narrates a self-guided 19-stop tour, schedule of events—including concerts, services, and evensong—posted on the door and online, tel. 01225/422-462, www.bathabbey.org.
Climbing the Tower: You can reach the top of the tower but only with an official 50-minute guided tour. You’ll hike up 212 steps for views across the rooftops of Bath and down into the Roman and Medieval Baths (£6, sporadic schedule but generally at the top of each hour Mon-Sat April-Oct 10:00-16:00, Nov-March 11:00-14:00, more often during busy times, no tours Sun, buy tickets in abbey gift shop).
▲Pulteney Bridge, Parade Gardens, and Cruises—Bath is inclined to compare its shop-lined Pulteney Bridge to Florence’s Ponte Vecchio. That’s pushing it. But to best enjoy a sunny day, pack a picnic lunch and pay £1 to enter the Parade Gardens below the bridge (Easter-Sept daily 11:00-17:00, shorter hours off-season, includes deck chairs, ask about concerts held some Sun at 15:00 in summer, entrance a block south of bridge, www.bathnes.gov.uk). Relaxing peacefully at the riverside provides a wonderful break (and memory).
Across the bridge at Pulteney Weir, tour boat companies run cruises (£8 round-trip, £4 one-way, up to 7/day if the weather’s good, one hour to Bathampton and back, WCs on board, tel. 01225/312-900). Just take whatever boat is running—all stop in Bathampton—allowing you to hop off and walk back (about 45-60 minutes; for details on the walk, see “Activities in Bath,” later). Boats come with picnic-friendly sundecks.
Guildhall Market—The little, old-school shopping mall located across from Pulteney Bridge is a frumpy time warp in this affluent town. It’s fun for browsing and picnic shopping, and its recommended Market Café is a cheap place for a bite.
Victoria Art Gallery—This gallery, next to Pulteney Bridge, has two parts: The ground floor houses temporary exhibits, while the upstairs is filled with paintings from the late 17th century to the present, along with a small collection of decorative arts.
Cost and Hours: £2 suggested donation, Tue-Sat 10:00-17:00, Sun 13:30-17:00, closed Mon, WC, tel. 01225/477-244, www.victoriagal.org.uk.
Several worthwhile public spaces and museums can be found a slightly uphill 10-minute walk away.
▲▲The Circus and the Royal Crescent—If Bath is an architectural cancan, these are its knickers. These first Georgian “condos”—built in the mid-18th century by the father-and-son John Woods (the Circus by the Elder, the Royal Crescent by the Younger)—are well explained by the city walking tours. “Georgian” is British for “Neoclassical.” These two building complexes, conveniently located a block apart from each other, are quintessential Bath.
Circus: True to its name, this is a circular housing complex. Picture it as a coliseum turned inside out. Its Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian capital decorations pay homage to its Greco-Roman origin, and are a reminder that Bath (with its seven hills) aspired to be “the Rome of England.” The frieze above the first row of columns has hundreds of different panels representing the arts, sciences, and crafts. The ground-floor entrances were made large enough that aristocrats could be carried right through the door in their sedan chairs, and women could enter without disturbing their sky-high hairdos. The tiny round windows on the top floors were the servants’ quarters. While the building fronts are uniform, the backs are higgledy-piggledy, infamous for their “hanging loos” (bathrooms added years later). Stand in the middle of the Circus among the grand plane trees, on the capped old well. Imagine the days when there was no indoor plumbing, and the servant girls gathered here to fetch water—this was gossip central. If you stand on the well, your clap echoes three times around the circle (try it).
Royal Crescent: A long, graceful arc of buildings—impossible to see in one glance unless you step way back to the edge of the big park in front—evokes the wealth and gentility of Bath’s glory days. As you cruise the Crescent, pretend you’re rich. Then pretend you’re poor. Notice the “ha ha fence,” a drop-off in the front yard that acted as a barrier, invisible from the windows, for keeping out sheep and peasants. The refined and stylish Royal Crescent Hotel sits unmarked in the center of the Crescent (with the giant rhododendron growing over the door). You’re welcome to (politely) drop in to explore its fine ground-floor public spaces and back garden, where a gracious and traditional tea is served (£14 cream tea, £25 afternoon tea, daily 15:00-17:00, sharing is OK, reserve a day in advance in summer, tel. 01225/823-333).
▲Georgian House at No. 1 Royal Crescent—This museum (corner of Brock Street and Royal Crescent) is closed for renovation through the late summer of 2013. When open, it takes visitors behind one of those classy Georgian facades, offering your best look into a period house. Take the time to talk with the docents stationed in each room and you’ll learn all the fascinating details of Georgian life...like how high-class women shaved their eyebrows and pasted on carefully trimmed strips of furry mouse skin in their place. Look for a bowl of black beauty marks and a head-scratcher from those pre-shampoo days. Fido spent his days on the kitchen treadmill powering the rotisserie.
Cost and Hours: Check the website for updates on a reopening date, entry fees, and hours; www.bath-preservation-trust.org.uk.
▲▲Fashion Museum—Housed underneath Bath’s Assembly Rooms, this museum displays four centuries of fashion on one floor. It’s small, but the fact-filled, included audioguide can stretch a visit to an informative and enjoyable hour. Like fashion itself, the exhibits change all the time. A major feature is the “Dress of the Year” display, for which a fashion expert anoints a new frock each year. Ongoing since 1963, it’s a chance to view nearly a half-century of fashion trends in one sweep of the head. (The menswear version—awarded sporadically—shows a bit less variation, but has flashes of creativity.) Many of the exhibits are organized by theme (bags, shoes, underwear, wedding dresses). You’ll see how fashion evolved—just like architecture and other arts—from one historical period to the next: Georgian, Regency, Victorian, the Swinging ’60s, and so on. If you’re intrigued by all those historic garments, go ahead and lace up your own trainer corset (which looks more like a lifejacket) and try on a hoop underdress.
Cost and Hours: £7.50, includes entry to Assembly Rooms, £16 combo-ticket also covers Roman Baths, family ticket available, daily March-Oct 10:30-18:00, Nov-Feb 10:30-17:00, last entry one hour before closing, self-service café, Bennett Street, tel. 01225/477-789, www.fashionmuseum.co.uk.
Assembly Rooms—Above the Fashion Museum, these grand, empty rooms—where card games, concerts, tea, and dances were held in the 18th century (before the advent of fancy hotels with grand public spaces made them obsolete)—evoke images of dashing young gentlemen mingling with elegant ladies in a who’s who of high society. Note the extreme symmetry (pleasing to the aristocratic eye) and the high windows (assuring privacy). After the Allies bombed the historic and well-preserved German city of Lübeck, the Germans picked up a Baedeker guide and chose a similarly lovely city to bomb: Bath. The Assembly Rooms—gutted in this wartime tit-for-tat by WWII bombs—have since been restored to their original splendor. (Only the chandeliers are original.)
Cost and Hours: Free with Fashion Museum entry, otherwise £2; same hours and contact information as Fashion Museum.
Nearby: Below the Assembly Rooms and Fashion Museum (to the left as you exit, 20 yards away at the door marked 14 and Alfred House) is one of the few surviving sets of iron house hardware. “Link boys” carried torches through the dark streets, lighting the way for big shots in their sedan chairs as they traveled from one affair to the next. The link boys extinguished their torches in the black conical “snuffers.” The lamp above was once gas-lit. The crank on the left was used to hoist bulky things to various windows (see the hooks). Few of these sets survived the dark days of the WWII Blitz, when most were collected and melted down, purportedly to make weapons to feed the British war machine. (Not long ago, these well-meaning Brits finally found out that all of their patriotic extra commitment to the national struggle had been for naught, since the metal ended up in junk heaps.)
Shoppers head down Bartlett Street, just below the Fashion Museum, to browse the boutique shops.
▲▲Museum of Bath at Work—This modest but lovable place explains the industrial history of Bath. The museum is a vivid reminder that there’s always been a grimy, workaday side to this spa town.
The core of the museum is the well-preserved, circa-1900 fizzy-drink business of one Mr. Bowler. It includes a Dickensian office, engineer’s shop, brass foundry, essence room lined with bottled scents (see photo), and factory floor. It’s just a pile of meaningless old gadgets—until the included audioguide resurrects Mr. Bowler’s creative genius. Each item has its own story to tell.
Upstairs are display cases featuring other Bath creations through the years, including a 1914 Horstmann car, wheeled sedan chairs (this is Bath, after all), and versatile plasticine (colorful proto-Play-Doh—still the preferred medium of Aardman Studios, creators of the stop-motion animated Wallace & Gromit movies). At the snack bar, you can buy your own historic fizzy drink (a descendant of the ones once made here). On your way out, don’t miss the intriguing collection of small exhibits on the ground floor, featuring cabinetmaking, the traditional methods for cutting the local “Bath Stone,” a locally produced six-stroke engine, and more.
Cost and Hours: £5, people over 60 pay £3.50, includes audioguide, April-Oct daily 10:30-17:00, Nov and Jan-March weekends only, closed Dec, last entry at 16:00, Julian Road, 2 steep blocks up Russell Street from Assembly Rooms, tel. 01225/318-348, www.bath-at-work.org.uk.
Sightseeing Tip: Notice the proximity of this museum to the very different Fashion Museum (described earlier). Museum attendants told me that—while open-minded spouses appreciate both places—it’s standard for husbands to visit the Museum of Bath at Work while their wives are touring the Fashion Museum. Maybe it’s time to divide and conquer?
Jane Austen Centre—This exhibition focuses on Jane Austen’s tumultuous, sometimes troubled five years in Bath (circa 1800, during which time her father died) and the influence the city had on her writing. There’s little of historic substance here. You’ll walk through a Georgian townhouse that she didn’t live in (one of her real addresses in Bath was a few houses up the road, at 25 Gay Street), and you’ll see mostly enlarged reproductions of things associated with her writing, but none of that seems to bother the steady stream of happy Austen fans touring through the house.
The museum does describe various places from two novels set in Bath (Persuasion and Northanger Abbey). Guides give an intro talk (on the first floor, 15 minutes, 2/hour, starts at :15 and :45 past the hour) about the romantic but down-to-earth Austen, who skewered the silly, shallow, and arrogant aristocrats’ world, where “the doing of nothing all day prevents one from doing anything.” They also show a 15-minute video; after that, you’re free to wander through the rest of the exhibit. The well-stocked gift shop—with “I love Mr. Darcy” tote bags and Colin Firth’s visage emblazoned on teacups, postcards, and more—is a shopping spree in the making for Austen fans.
Cost and Hours: £7.50; mid-March-mid-Nov daily 9:45-17:30, July-Aug Thu-Sat until 19:00; mid-Nov-mid-March Sun-Fri 11:00-16:30, Sat 9:45-17:30; between Queen’s Square and the Circus at 40 Gay Street, tel. 01225/443-000, www.janeausten.co.uk.
Tea: Upstairs, the award-winning Regency Tea Rooms (free entrance) hits the spot for Austenites, with costumed waitstaff and themed teas (£6-10), including the all-out “Tea with Mr. Darcy” for £12.50 (also £6 sandwiches, same hours as the center, last order taken one hour before closing).
Sightseeing Tip: Jane Austen-themed walking tours of the city begin at the KC Change shop in the abbey square and end at the Centre (£5, buy tickets at KC Change shop, 1.5 hours, Sat-Sun at 11:00, July-Aug also Fri-Sat at 16:00, no reservation necessary).
Building of Bath Collection—This unique collection offers a geographic introduction to Bath and an intriguing behind-the-scenes look at how the Georgian city was actually built. The interactive model toward the back of the museum traces expansion from the 17th century forward, highlighting town sights. Compare the 1694 Gilmore map, one of Bath’s first tourist maps, with the map beside it created 100 years later, which labels Barton’s Field as a public space “never to be built upon”...and is now a parking lot.
Cost and Hours: £4, mid-Feb-Nov Sat-Mon 10:30-17:00, closed Tue-Fri and Dec-mid-Feb, last entry 30 minutes before closing, 20-minute film runs upon request or whenever enough people gather, a short walk north of the city center on a street called “The Paragon,” tel. 01225/333-895, www.bath-preservation-trust.org.uk.
▲American Museum—I know, you need this in Bath like you need a Big Mac. The UK’s sole museum dedicated to American history, this may be the only place that combines Geronimo and Groucho Marx. It has thoughtful exhibits on the history of Native Americans and the Civil War, but the museum’s heart is with the decorative arts and cultural artifacts that reveal how Americans lived from colonial times to the mid-19th century. Each of the 18 completely furnished rooms (from a plain 1600s Massachusetts dining/living room to a Rococo Revival explosion in a New Orleans bedroom) is hosted by eager guides waiting to fill you in on the everyday items that make domestic Yankee history surprisingly interesting. (In the Lee Room, look for the original mouse holes, strategically backlit, in the floor boards.) One room is a quilter’s nirvana. You could easily spend an afternoon here, enjoying the surrounding gardens, arboretum, and trails.
Cost and Hours: £9, mid-March-Oct Tue-Sun 12:00-17:00, closed Mon and Nov-mid-March, last entry one hour before closing, at Claverton Manor, tel. 01225/460-503, www.americanmuseum.org.
Getting There: The museum is outside of town and a headache to reach if you don’t have a car, involving a 20-minute walk from bus #18 or the hop-on, hop-off bus stop.
Walking—The Bath Skyline Walk is a six-mile wander around the hills surrounding Bath (leaflet at TI). Plenty of other scenic paths are described in the TI’s literature. For additional options, get Country Walks around Bath, by Tim Mowl (£4.50 at TI or bookstores).
Hiking the Canal to Bathampton—An idyllic towpath leads two miles from the Bath Spa train station, along the Kennet and Avon Canal, to the sleepy village of Bathampton. Immediately behind the station in Bath, cross the footbridge, turn left, and find where the canal hits the River Avon. Head northeast along the small canal, noticing the series of Industrial Age locks and giving thanks that you’re not a horse pulling a barge. After the path crisscrosses the canal a few times, you’ll mostly walk with the water on your right. You’ll be in Bathampton in less than an hour, where The George, a classic pub, awaits with a nice meal and cellar-temp beer (reservations smart, tel. 01225/425-079).
Boating—The Bath Boating Station, in an old Victorian boathouse, rents rowboats, canoes, and punts.
Cost and Hours: £7/person for first hour, then £4/additional hour; all day for £18; Easter-Sept daily 10:00-18:00, closed off-season, intersection of Forester and Rockcliffe roads, one mile northeast of center, tel. 01225/312-900, www.bathboating.co.uk.
Swimming and Kids’ Activities—The Bath Sports and Leisure Centre has a fine pool for laps as well as lots of waterslides. Kids have entertaining options in the mini-gym “Active Club” area, which includes a rock wall and a “Zany Zone” indoor playground.
Cost and Hours: Swimming—£4 for adults, £2.50 for kids; kids and their parents pay £4 each to use “Active Club” plus pool; Mon-Fri 6:30-22:00, Sat 6:30-19:00, Sun 8:00-20:00, kids’ hours limited, call for open-swim times, just across the bridge on North Parade Road, tel. 01225/486-905, www.aquaterra.org.
Shopping—There’s great browsing between the abbey and the Assembly Rooms (Fashion Museum). Shops close at about 17:30, and many are open on Sunday (11:00-16:00). Explore the antique shops around Bartlett Street, below the Fashion Museum.
For an up-to-date list of events, pick up the local weekly newspaper, the Bath Chronicle, which includes a “What’s On” schedule (www.thisisbath.com). Younger travelers may enjoy the party-ready bar, club, and nightlife recommendations at www.itchybath.co.uk.
▲▲Bizarre Bath Street Theater—For an entertaining walking-tour comedy act “with absolutely no history or culture,” follow Dom or Noel Britten on their creative and lively Bizarre Bath walk. This 1.5-hour “tour,” which combines stand-up comedy with cleverly executed magic tricks, plays off unsuspecting passersby as well as tour members. It’s a belly laugh a minute.
Cost and Hours: £8, or £7 if you show your Rick Steves book, April-Oct nightly at 20:00, smaller groups Mon-Thu, promises to insult all nationalities and sensitivities, just racy enough but still good family fun, leaves from The Huntsman pub near the abbey, confirm at TI or call 01225/335-124, www.bizarrebath.co.uk.
▲Theatre Royal Performance—The 18th-century, 800-seat Theatre Royal, recently restored and one of England’s loveliest, offers a busy schedule of London West End-type plays, including many “pre-London” dress-rehearsal runs. The Theatre Royal also oversees performances at two other theaters around the corner from the main box office: Ustinov Studio (edgier, more obscure titles, many of which are premier runs in the UK) and “the egg” (for children, young people, and families).
Cost and Hours: £15-39, shows generally start at 19:30 or 20:00, matinees at 14:30, box office open Mon-Sat 10:00-20:00, Sun 12:00-20:00 if there’s a show, £3 extra to book online or by phone with a credit card, on Saw Close, tel. 01225/448-844, www.theatreroyal.org.uk.
Ticket Deals: Forty nosebleed spots on a bench (misnamed “standbys”) go on sale at noon Monday through Saturday for that day’s evening performance (£6, 2 tickets maximum, can book ahead but subject to £3 fee; no fee if bought at box office but cash only). If the show is sold out, same-day “standing places” go on sale at 18:00 (12:00 for matinees) for £4 (2 tickets maximum, cash only). Also at the box office, you can snatch up any “last minute” seats for £11-16 a half-hour before “curtain up” (cash only).
Sightseeing Tip: During the free Bath walking tour, your guide stops here. Pop into the box office, ask what’s playing, and see if there are many seats left for that night. If the play sounds good and plenty of seats remain unsold, you’re fairly safe to come back 30 minutes before curtain time to buy a ticket at the cheaper price. Oh...and if you smell jasmine, it’s the ghost of Lady Grey, a mistress of Beau Nash.
Evening Walks—Take your choice: comedy (Bizarre Bath, described earlier), history, or ghost tour. The free city history walks (a daily standard described on here) are offered on some summer evenings (2 hours, May-Sept Tue and Thu at 19:00, leave from Pump Room). Ghost Walks are a popular way to pass the after-dark hours (£7, cash only, 1.5 hours, year-round Thu-Sat at 20:00, leave from The Garrick’s Head pub—to the left and behind Theatre Royal as you face it, tel. 01225/350-512, www.ghostwalksofbath.co.uk). The cities of York and Edinburgh—which have houses thought to be actually haunted—are better for these walks.
Pubs—Most pubs in the center are very noisy, catering to a rowdy twentysomething crowd. But on the top end of town, you can still find some classic old places with inviting ambience and live music. These are listed in order from closest to farthest away:
The Old Green Tree, the most convenient of all these pubs, is a rare traditional pub right in the town center (locally brewed real ales, no children, 12 Green Street; also recommended for lunch—see “Eating in Bath,” later).
The Star Inn is much appreciated by local beer-lovers for its fine ale and “no machines or music to distract from the chat.” It’s a spit ’n’ sawdust place, and its long bench, nicknamed “death row,” still comes with a complimentary pinch of snuff from tins on the ledge. Try the Bellringer Ale, made just up the road (Mon-Fri 12:00-14:30 & 17:30-24:00, Sat-Sun 12:00-24:00, no food served, 23 The Vineyards, top of The Paragon/A-4 Roman Road, tel. 01225/425-072, generous and friendly welcome from Paul, who runs the place).
The Bell has a jazzy, pierced-and-tattooed, bohemian feel, but with a mellow older crowd. Some kind of activity is brewing nearly every night, usually live music (£2.50 sandwiches, pizza Fri-Sat only, Mon-Sat 11:30-23:00, Sun 12:00-22:30, 103 Walcot Street, tel. 01225/460-426, www.walcotstreet.com).
Summer Nights at the Baths—In July and August, you can stretch your sightseeing day at the Roman Baths, open nightly until 22:00 (last entry 21:00), when the gas lamps flame and the baths are far less crowded and more atmospheric. To take a dip yourself, consider popping over to the Thermae Bath Spa (last entry at 19:00).
Bath is a busy tourist town. Accommodations are expensive, and low-cost alternatives are rare. By far the best budget option is the YMCA—it’s central, safe, simple, very well-run, and has plenty of twin rooms available. To get a good B&B, make a telephone reservation in advance. Competition is stiff, and it’s worth asking any of these places for a weekday, three-nights-in-a-row, or off-season deal. Friday and Saturday nights are tightest (with many rates going up by about 25 percent)—especially if you’re staying only one night, since B&Bs favor those lingering longer. If staying only Saturday night, you’re very bad news to a B&B hostess. If you’re driving to Bath, stowing your car near the center will cost you (though some less-central B&Bs have parking)—see “Parking” on here, or ask your hotelier. Almost every place provides free Wi-Fi to its guests.
From the train station, these listings are all a 15-minute uphill walk, an easy £4-5 taxi ride, or a quick trip on bus #14 (direction: Weston, catch bus on Dorchester Street in front of bus station, pay driver £2.35 for single ticket or £4.10 for all-day pass, get off at the Marlborough Lane stop, cross street and walk back 100 yards to find Marlborough Lane). Or take any hop-on, hop-off bus tour from the station, get off at the stop nearest your accommodation (likely Royal Avenue—confirm with driver), check in, then finish the tour later in the day. The Marlborough Lane places have easier parking but are less centrally located.
$$$ Marlborough House, exuberantly run by Peter, mixes modern style with antique furnishings and features a welcoming breakfast room with an open kitchen. Each of the six rooms comes with a sip of sherry (Sb-£70-95, Db-£85-125, Tb-£95-135, organic vegetarian breakfasts and toiletries, free Wi-Fi, free parking, some street noise, 1 Marlborough Lane, tel. 01225/318-175, fax 01225/466-127, www.marlborough-house.net, mars@manque.dircon.co.uk).
$$$ Brooks Guesthouse is the biggest of the bunch, with 21 modern rooms and classy Victorian public spaces (Sb-£59-89, Db-£80-120, Tb-£109-150, great breakfasts with non-traditional and vegetarian options, free Wi-Fi, 1 Crescent Gardens, Upper Bristol Road, tel. 01225/425-543, www.brooksguesthouse.com, info@brooksguesthouse.com, Andrew and Carla).
$$ Brocks Guest House has six rooms in a Georgian townhouse built by John Wood in 1765. Located between the prestigious Royal Crescent and the courtly Circus, it has been redone in a way that would make the great architect proud (standard Db-£79-85, superior Db-£89-97, family room-£125-135, higher rates are for Fri-Sat, free Wi-Fi in lounge, little top-floor library, 32 Brock Street, tel. 01225/338-374, fax 01225/334-245, www.brocksguesthouse.co.uk, brocks@brocksguesthouse.co.uk, Richard).
$$ Parkside Guest House has five large, thoughtfully appointed Edwardian rooms and a spacious back garden. It’s tidy, clean, homey, and well-priced (Sb-£65, Db-£85, these prices for Rick Steves readers, free Wi-Fi, limited free parking, 11 Marlborough Lane, tel. & fax 01225/429-444, www.parksidebandb.co.uk, post@parksidebandb.co.uk, kind Inge Lynall).
$$ Cornerways B&B, located on a noisy street, is simple and well worn, with three rooms and old-fashioned homey touches (Sb-£45-55, Db-£65-75, 15 percent discount with this book and 3-night stay, free Wi-Fi, DVD library, free parking, 47 Crescent Gardens, tel. 01225/422-382, www.cornerwaysbath.co.uk, info@cornerwaysbath.co.uk, Sue Black).
These listings are a 10-minute walk from the city center. While generally a better value, they are not quite as conveniently located.
$$$ Villa Magdala rents 20 stately yet modern rooms in a freestanding Victorian townhouse opposite a park. In a city that’s so insistently Georgian, it’s fun to stay in a mansion that’s Victorian (Db-£120-150 depending on size and demand, about £20 more Fri-Sun, family rooms, inviting lounge, free Wi-Fi, free parking when booked direct, in quiet residential area on Henrietta Street, tel. 01225/466-329, fax 01225/483-207, www.villamagdala.co.uk, enquiries@villamagdala.co.uk).
$$$ The Kennard, with 12 rooms immaculately maintained by proud owners Giovanni and Mary Baiano, is a short walk through a genteel neighborhood from the Pulteney Bridge. Each of the rooms is different, but all are colorfully and elaborately decorated (prices are for Sun-Thu/Fri-Sat: S-£65/£70, Sb-£89/£120, Db-£110/£130, Tb-£150/£170, free Wi-Fi, free street parking permits, thoughtfully planned Georgian garden out back, 11 Henrietta Street, tel. 01225/310-472, fax 01225/460-054, www.kennard.co.uk, reception@kennard.co.uk).
$$$ The Ayrlington, next door to a lawn-bowling green, has 16 attractive rooms, each thoughtfully decorated either in classical or contemporary style and sprinkled with Asian decor. Though this well-maintained hotel fronts a busy street, it’s reasonably quiet and tranquil, hinting at a more genteel time. Rooms in the back have pleasant views of sports greens and Bath beyond. For the best value, request a standard top-floor double with a view of Bath (twin or standard Db-£110-130, superior Db-£140-170, big deluxe Db-£150-190, higher price is for Fri-Sun, free Wi-Fi, fine garden, free and easy parking, 24-25 Pulteney Road, tel. 01225/425-495, fax 01225/469-029, www.ayrlington.com, mail@ayrlington.com, Ling Roper).
$$ At Apple Tree Guesthouse, friendly Les and Lynsay offer six comfortable rooms near a shady canal. You’ll think you’ve clicked your ruby heels three times (Sb-£55-66, Db-£85-110, Tb-£120-132, 2-night minimum Fri-Sat nights, free Wi-Fi, free parking, 7 Pulteney Gardens, tel. 01225/337-642, www.appletreeguesthouse.co.uk, enquiries@appletreeguesthouse.co.uk).
You’ll pay a premium to sleep right in the center. And, since Bath is so pleasant and manageable by foot, a downtown location isn’t essential. Still, these are particularly well located.
$$$ Three Abbey Green Guest House, with seven rooms, is bright, cheery, and located in a quiet, traffic-free courtyard only 50 yards from the abbey and the Roman Baths. Its spacious rooms are a fine value (Db-£90-140, four-poster Db-£140-180, family rooms-£140-220, price depends on season and size of room, 2-night minimum on weekends, 3-night minimum on Bank Holiday weekends, free Internet access and Wi-Fi, tel. 01225/428-558, www.threeabbeygreen.com, stay@threeabbeygreen.com; Sue, Derek, and daughter Nicola). They also rent self-catering apartments (Db-£140-160, Qb-£170-250, 2-night minimum).
$$$ Harington’s Hotel rents 13 fresh, modern rooms on a quiet street in the town center. This stylish place feels like a boutique hotel, but with a friendlier, laid-back vibe (Sb-£79-155, Db-£98-155, large superior Db-£108-168, Tb-£130-195, prices vary substantially with demand, free Wi-Fi, parking-£11/day, 8-10 Queen Street, tel. 01225/461-728, fax 01225/444-804, www.haringtonshotel.co.uk, post@haringtonshotel.co.uk). Melissa and Peter offer a 5 percent discount with this book for two-night stays except on Fridays, Saturdays, and holidays. They also rent two self-catering apartments down the street—one can sleep up to three (Db-£125, Tb-£145, higher on weekends), and the other can sleep up to eight (prices on request; for apartments: 2-night minimum on weekdays, 3-night minimum on weekends).
$$$ At Abbey House Apartments, “Goddess of Rock” Laura watches over five flats on Abbey Green and several others scattered around town. The apartments called Abbey Green (which comes with a washer and dryer), Abbey View, and Abbey Studio have views of the abbey from their nicely equipped kitchens. These are especially practical and economical if you plan on cooking. Laura provides everything you need for simple breakfasts, and it’s fun and cheap to stock the fridge or get take-away for a meal in your flat. When Laura meets you to give you the keys, you become a local (Sb-£90, Db-£100-175, price depends on size, 2-night minimum, rooms can sleep four with Murphy and sofa beds, apartments clearly described on website, free Wi-Fi, Abbey Green, tel. 01225/464-238, www.laurastownhouseapartments.co.uk, bookings@laurastownhouseapartments.co.uk).
$$$ Pratt’s Hotel is as proper and olde English as you’ll find in Bath, offering 66 comfy rooms. Its creaks and frays are aristocratic, and even its public places make you want to sip a brandy. Since it’s near a busy street, it can occasionally get noisy—request a quiet room, away from the taxi stand and street (Sb-£60-100, Db-£90-140, price depends on size and demand, breakfast-£10, check website for current rates and specials, dogs £7.50—but children under 15 free with 2 adults, elevator, pay Wi-Fi, attached restaurant-bar, 4-6 South Parade, tel. 01225/460-441, fax 01225/448-807, www.forestdalehotels.com, pratts@forestdale.com).
$$$ The Henry Guest House is a simple, vertical place, renting eight clean rooms. It’s friendly, well run, and just two blocks from the train station (Sb-£60-65, Db-£100-110, higher prices are for bigger “premier” rooms, extra bed-£15, family room-£155, 2-night minimum on weekends, free Wi-Fi, 6 Henry Street, tel. 01225/424-052, www.thehenry.com, stay@thehenry.com). Liz also rents two self-catering apartments nearby that sleep up to eight with roll-away beds and a sleeper couch (email for rates).
Bath’s Best Budget Beds: $ The YMCA, centrally located on a leafy square, has 210 beds in industrial-strength rooms—all with sinks and minimal furnishings. Although it smells a little like a gym, this place is a godsend for budget travelers—safe, secure, quiet, and efficiently run. With lots of twin rooms and no double beds, this is the only easily accessible budget option in downtown Bath (rates for Sun-Thu/Fri-Sat: S-£31/£35, twin D-£54/£60, T-£66/£75, Q-£84/£92, dorm beds-£20/£22, WCs and showers down the hall, includes continental breakfast, cooked breakfast-£2.50, cheap lunches, free linens, rental towels, lockers, pay Internet access and Wi-Fi, laundry facilities, down a tiny alley off Broad Street on Broad Street Place, tel. 01225/325-900, fax 01225/462-065, www.bathymca.co.uk, stay@bathymca.co.uk).
Sloppy Backpacker Dorms: $ White Hart Hostel is a friendly and colorful nine-room place offering adults and families good, cheap beds in two- to six-bed dorms (£15/bed, S-£25, D-£40, Db-£50-70, kitchen, fine garden out back, 5-minute walk behind the train station at Widcombe—where Widcombe Hill hits Claverton Street, tel. 01225/313-985, www.whitehartbath.co.uk). The White Hart also has a pub with a reputation for good, although not cheap, food. $ St. Christopher’s Inn, in a prime central location, is part of a chain of low-priced, high-energy hubs for backpackers looking for beds and brews. Their beds are so cheap because they know you’ll spend money on their beer. The inn sits above the lively, youthful Belushi’s pub, which is where you’ll find the reception (54 beds in 6- to 12-bed rooms-£15-25, D-£52-60, higher prices are for weekends and walk-ins—it’s always cheaper to book online, check website for specials, no guests under 18, free Wi-Fi, laundry facilities, lounge, 9 Green Street, tel. 01225/481-444, www.st-christophers.co.uk).
Bath is bursting with eateries. There’s something for every appetite and budget—just stroll around the center of town. A picnic dinner of deli food or take-out fish-and-chips in the Royal Crescent Park or down by the river is ideal for aristocratic hoboes. The restaurants I recommend are small and popular—reserve a table on Friday and Saturday evenings. Most pricey little bistros offer big savings with their two- and three-course lunches and “pre-theatre” specials. Restaurants advertise their early-bird specials, and as long as you order within the time window, you’re in for a cheap meal.
(See “Bath Restaurants” map, here)
Tilleys Bistro serves sophisticated French, English, and vegetarian/gluten-free dishes with candlelit ambience. Owners Dawn and Dave make you feel as if you are guests at a dinner party in their elegant living room. Their menu lets you build your own meal: Start by sharing a couple of small plates, then choose a main course and add sides. Cap things off with homemade desert and a glass of the house port, a passion of Dave’s. While it’s pricey and the portions are modest, this is a memorable splurge (£6-9 small plates, £10-20 main courses; lunch specials: £6 cream tea, £12.50/2 courses, £15/3 courses; Mon-Sat 12:00-14:30 & 18:00-22:30, Sun 18:00-21:00 only, reservations smart, 3 North Parade Passage, tel. 01225/484-200).
The Garrick’s Head is an elegantly simple gastropub right around the corner from the Theatre Royal, with a pricey restaurant on one side and a bar serving affordable snacks on the other. You’re welcome to eat from the bar menu, even if you’re in the fancy dining room or outside enjoying some great people-watching. The word on the street: The fish-and-chips here are the best in town (£7-12 pub grub, £13-17 main courses on the fancier menu, food served daily 12:00-15:00 & 17:30-20:00, drinks until later, 8 St. John’s Place, tel. 01225/318-368).
The Circus Café and Restaurant is a relaxing little eatery serving well-executed English cuisine with European flair. Choose between the modern interior—with seating on the main floor or in the cellar—and the four tables on the peaceful street connecting the Circus and the Royal Crescent (£8-10 lunches, £7 starters and £15-17 main courses at dinner, open Mon-Sat 10:00-24:00, closed Sun, reservations smart, 34 Brock Street, tel. 01225/466-020).
Casanis French Bistro-Restaurant is a local hit. Chef Laurent, who hails from Nice, cooks “authentic Provençal cuisine” from the south of France, while his wife, Jill, serves. The decor matches the cuisine—informal, relaxed, simple, and top quality. The intimate Georgian dining room upstairs is a bit nicer and more spacious than the ground floor (lunch and dinner specials: £18.50/2 courses, £22.50/3 courses; open Tue-Sat 12:00-14:00 & 18:00-22:00, closed Sun-Mon, immediately behind the Assembly Rooms at 4 Saville Row, tel. 01225/780-055).
(See “Bath Restaurants” map, here)
Whether ethnic food or vegetarian, there are plenty of ways to get some fun culinary variation in this town.
Demuths Vegetarian Restaurant is highly rated and ideal for the well-heeled vegetarian. Its tight, understated interior comes with a vegan vibe (£5-11 lunches, £7-8 starters and £15-17 main courses at dinner, daily 12:00-15:00 & 17:30-21:30, 2 North Parade Passage, tel. 01225/446-059).
Yen Sushi is your basic little sushi bar—plain and sterile, with stools facing a conveyor belt that constantly tempts you with a variety of freshly made delights on color-coded plates. When you’re done, the waitstaff will tally your plates and give you the bill (£1.50-4 plates, you can fill up for £12 or so, daily 12:00-15:00 & 17:30-22:30, 11 Bartlett Street, tel. 01225/333-313).
Martini Restaurant, a hopping, purely Italian place, has class and jovial waiters (£10-13 pastas and pizzas, £15-20 meat and fish dishes, daily 12:00-14:30 & 18:00-22:30, open all day long on Sat, veggie options, daily fish specials, extensive wine list, reservations smart on weekends, 9 George Street, tel. 01225/460-818; Nunzio, Franco, and chef Luigi).
Rajpoot Tandoori serves—by all assessments—the best Indian food in Bath. You’ll hike down deep into a sprawling cellar, where the plush Indian atmosphere and award-winning cooking make paying the extra pounds palatable. The seating is tight and the ceilings low, but it’s air-conditioned (£9 three-course lunch special, £9-15 main courses; figure £20 per person with rice, naan, and drink; daily 12:00-14:30 & 18:00-23:00, 4 Argyle Street, tel. 01225/466-833, Ali).
Thai Balcony Restaurant’s open, spacious interior is so plush, it’ll have you wondering, “Where’s the Thai wedding?” While residents debate which of Bath’s handful of Thai restaurants serves the best food or offers the lowest prices, there’s no doubt that Thai Balcony’s fun and elegant atmosphere makes for a memorable and enjoyable dinner (£10 two-course lunch special, £8-13 plates, daily 12:00-14:00 & 18:00-22:00, reservations smart on weekends, Saw Close, tel. 01225/444-450).
Lime Lounge, with plenty of locals, friendly service, and pleasing contemporary dishes, is a fine way to unwind after a busy day in Bath. Reservations are smart, as this cozy bistro can often fill up even during the middle of the week (£6-9 lunches, £6 starters, £13-16 main courses, 2-for-1 dinner specials Sun-Thu 17:00-19:00, daily 12:00-16:00 & 17:00-22:00, 11 Margarets Buildings, just off Brock Street, tel. 01225/542-1251).
Yak Yeti Yak is a fun Nepalese restaurant, with both Western and sit-on-the-floor seating. Sera and his wife, Sarah, along with their cheerful, hardworking Nepali team, cook up great traditional food (and plenty of vegetarian plates) at prices that would delight a sherpa (£7-9 lunches, £5-6 veggie plates, £8-9 meat plates, daily 12:00-14:00 & 17:00-22:30, downstairs at 12 Pierrepont Street, tel. 01225/442-299).
Family-run Hoi Faan draws an international crowd by dishing up large portions of traditional Hong Kong-style Chinese food in a bare space. There are plenty of options; if you can’t make up your mind, survey nearby tables and point to what looks good (£7 lunch specials include starter and main dish, £7-10 shareable main courses, daily 12:00-23:00, 41-42 St. James Parade, tel. 01225/318-212).
(See “Bath Restaurants” map, here)
With so many homegrown favorites, I see little reason to frequent a chain restaurant in Bath—but if you’re a fan, you’ll find three decent choices: Wagamama specializes in pan-Asian cuisine (£8-11 meals, Mon-Sat 12:00-23:00, Sun 12:00-22:00, 1 York Buildings, corner of George and Broad streets, tel. 01225/337-314). Ask dishes up Italian comfort food (£8-12 pizzas and pastas, good salads, daily 12:00-23:00, George Street but entrance on Broad Street, tel. 01225/789-997). Loch Fyne, a bright, youthful, high-energy place, serves fresh fish at reasonable prices in what was once a lavish bank building (£10-18 meals, £10 two-course special from lunch until 17:00, daily 12:00-22:00, 24 Milsom Street, tel. 01225/750-120).
(See “Bath Restaurants” map, here)
Bath is not a good pub-grub town, and with so many other tempting options, eating at a pub here isn’t as appealing as elsewhere. For the best pub grub, head for The Garrick’s Head gastropub (described earlier). But if you’re looking for a more traditional, lowbrow place, consider these options.
Crystal Palace is an inviting place just a block away from the abbey, facing the delightful little Abbey Green. With a focus on food rather than drink, they serve “pub grub with a Continental flair” in three different spaces, including an airy back patio. Be sure to congratulate Toby on completing university (£9-12 meals, food served Mon-Sat 11:00-21:00, Sun 12:00-20:00, last orders for drinks at 23:00, 10-11 Abbey Green, tel. 01225/482-666).
The Old Green Tree, in the old town center, serves satisfying lunches to locals in a characteristic pub setting (real ales on tap, £6-7 sandwiches, £9 meals, lunch served Mon-Sat 12:00-15:30 only, open daily for drinks 11:00-23:00, no children, can be crowded on weekend nights, 12 Green Street, tel. 01225/448-259).
For a pub to drink and hang out in, rather than eat at, check out The Star Inn or The Bell (described on here and here).
(See “Bath Restaurants” map, here)
For a fast, handy, and tasty meal on the go, try one of these easy places. If you get take-away (possible at most of these), you can munch your picnic while watching street musicians from a bench on the abbey square.
The Boston Tea Party chain is what Starbucks aspires to be—the neighborhood coffeehouse and hangout. Its extensive breakfasts, light lunches, and salads are fresh and healthy. The outdoor seating overlooks a busy square. They also host musical events, and their walls are decorated with works by local artists (£4-7 breakfasts, £5-7 lunches, Mon-Sat 7:30-19:30, Sun 9:00-19:00, free Wi-Fi, 19 Kingsmead Square, tel. 01225/313-901).
Chandos Deli has good coffee, breakfast pastries, and tasty £3-5 sandwiches made on artisan breads plus meats, cheese, baguettes, and wine for assembling a gourmet picnic. Upscale yet casual, this place satisfies dedicated foodies who don’t want to pay too much (Mon-Fri 8:00-17:30, Sat 9:00-5:30, Sun 11:00-17:00, 12 George Street, tel. 01225/314-418).
Seafoods Fish & Chips is respected by lovers of greasy fried fish in Bath. There’s diner-style and outdoor seating, or you can get your food to go for a bit cheaper (£4-6 take-away meals, Mon-Wed 11:30-21:00, Thu-Sat 11:30-20:00, closed Sun, 38 Kingsmead Square, tel. 01225/465-190).
The Cornish Bakehouse, tucked down a shopping gallery across from the Guildhall Market, has freshly baked £3 take-away pasties (Mon-Sat 8:30-17:30, Sun 10:00-17:00, off High Street at 11A The Corridor, tel. 01225/426-635).
Produce Market and Café: Guildhall Market, across from Pulteney Bridge, has produce stalls with food for picnickers. At its inexpensive Market Café, you can munch on a homemade meat pie or sip a tea while surrounded by stacks of used books, bananas on the push list, and honest-to-goodness old-time locals (£3-5 traditional English meals including fried breakfasts all day, Mon-Sat 8:00-17:00, closed Sun, tel. 01225/461-593 a block north of the abbey, on High Street).
Supermarkets: Waitrose is great for picnics and has a good salad bar (Mon-Fri 8:30-20:00, Sat 8:30-20:00, Sun 11:00-17:00, just west of Pulteney Bridge and across from post office on High Street). Marks & Spencer, near the train station, has a grocery at the back of its department store and two eateries: M&S Kitchen on the ground floor and the pleasant, inexpensive Café Revive on the top floor (Mon-Wed and Sat 8:30-18:00, Thu-Fri 8:30-19:00, Sun 11:00-17:00, 16-18 Stall Street). Sainsbury’s Local, across the street from the bus station, has the longest hours (daily 7:00-23:00, 2-4 Dorchester Street).
Bath’s train station is called Bath Spa (tel. 0845-748-4950). The National Express bus station is just west of the train station (bus info tel. 0871-781-8178, www.nationalexpress.com). For all public bus services in southwestern England, see www.travelinesw.com.
From Bath to London: You can catch a train to London’s Paddington Station (2/hour, 1.5 hours, best deals for travel after 9:30 and when purchased in advance, www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk), or save money—but not time—by taking the National Express bus to Victoria Coach Station (direct buses nearly hourly, 3.5 hours, sample fares: one-way-£22, round-trip-£29; cheaper to purchase online).
From Bath to London’s Airports: You can reach Heathrow directly and easily by National Express bus (10/day, 2-5 hours, £22-43 one-way, tel. 0871-781-8178, www.nationalexpress.com) or by a train-and-bus combination (take twice-hourly train to Reading, catch twice-hourly airport shuttle bus from there, allow 2.5 hours total, £46-72 depending on time of day, about £10 cheaper in advance, BritRail passholders just pay £15 for bus). Or take the Celtic Horizons minibus to Heathrow (see here).
You can get to Gatwick by train (hourly, 2.5-3 hours, £50-60 one-way depending on time of day, cheaper in advance, transfer in Reading) or by bus (10/day, 4-5 hours, £28 one-way, transfer at Heathrow Airport).
Between Bristol Airport and Bath: Located about 20 miles west of Bath, this airport is closer than Heathrow, but they haven’t worked out good connections to Bath yet. From Bristol Airport, your most convenient options are to take a taxi (£35) or call Alan Price (see “Celtic Horizons” on here). Otherwise, at the airport you can hop aboard the Bristol Airport Flyer (bus #A1), which takes you to the Temple Meads train station in Bristol (£7, 2-6/hour, 30 minutes, buy bus ticket at airport info counter or from driver, tell driver you want the Temple Meads train station). At the Temple Meads Station, check the departure boards for trains going to the Bath Spa train station (4/hour, 15 minutes, £7). To get from Bath to Bristol Airport, take the train to Temple Meads, then catch the Bristol Airport Flyer bus.
From Bath by Train to: Salisbury (1-2/hour, 1 hour), Portsmouth (hourly, 2.25 hours), Exeter (1-2/hour, 1.5-2 hours, transfer in Bristol or Westbury), Penzance (1-2/hour, 4.5-5 hours, one direct, most 1-2 transfers), Moreton-in-Marsh (hourly, 2.5-3 hours, 1-2 transfers), York (hourly with transfer in Bristol, 4.5 hours, more with additional transfers), Oxford (hourly, 1.25 hours, transfer in Didcot), Cardiff (hourly, 1-1.5 hours), Birmingham (2/hour, 2 hours, transfer in Bristol), and points north (from Birmingham, a major transportation hub, trains depart for Blackpool, Scotland, and North Wales; use a train/bus combination to reach Ironbridge Gorge and the Lake District).
From Bath by Bus to: Salisbury (hourly, 2.75 hours, transfer in Warminster or Devizes; or 1/day direct at 17:05, 1.5 hours on National Express #300), Portsmouth (1/day direct, 3 hours), Exeter (4/day, 3.5-4 hours, transfer in Bristol), Penzance (2/day, 7-8 hours, transfer in Bristol), Cheltenham or Gloucester (4/day, 2.5 hours, transfer in Bristol), Stratford-upon-Avon (1/day, 4 hours, transfer in Bristol), and Oxford (1/day direct, 2 hours, more with transfer). For bus connections to Glastonbury, Avebury, and Wells, see the next chapter.