Bath is within easy striking distance of London—just a 1.5-hour train ride away. Two hundred years ago, this city of 90,000 was the trendsetting Tinseltown of Britain. If ever a city enjoyed looking in the mirror, it’s Bath. Built of creamy warm-tone limestone, it beams in its cover-girl complexion. It’s a triumph of the Neoclassical style of the Georgian era (1714-1830) and—even with tourist crowds and high prices—a joy to visit.
Long before the Romans arrived in the first century, Bath was known for its healing hot springs. In 1687, Queen Mary, fighting infertility, bathed here. Within 10 months, she gave birth to a son...and Bath boomed as a spa resort, which was rebuilt in the 18th century as a “new Rome” in the Neoclassical style. It became a city of balls, gaming, and concerts—the place to see and be seen.
Today, tourism has stoked its economy, as has the fast morning train to London. Renewed access to Bath’s soothing hot springs at the Thermae Bath Spa also attracts visitors in need of a cure or a soak.
Day 1: Take the City Sightseeing bus tour (the city tour—rather than the Skyline tour—offers the better city overview). Visit the abbey. Take the city walking tour at 14:00. Have afternoon tea and cakes in the Pump Room (or a cheaper tearoom). Stroll to Pulteney Bridge (visiting the Guildhall Market en route) and enjoy the gardens.
On any evening: Take a walking tour—the fun Bizarre Bath comedy walk (best choice), a ghost walk, or the free city walking tour. Visit the Roman Baths (open until 22:00 in July-Aug) or soak in the Thermae Bath Spa (both are also open during the day). Linger over dinner, enjoy a pub, or see a play in the classy theater. Just strolling in the evening is a pleasure given Bath’s elegant architecture.
Rick’s Tip: Consider starting your trip in Bath (using it as your jet-lag recovery pillow), and then do London at the end of your trip. You can get from Heathrow Airport to Bath by train, bus, a bus/train combination, or a taxi service (offered by Celtic Horizons, here; for train and bus info, see here).
Day 2: Tour the Roman Baths (buying a ticket at the TI saves you time in line). Then visit any of these sights, clustered in the neighborhood that features the Royal Crescent and the Circus: No. 1 Royal Crescent Georgian house, Fashion Museum, or the Museum of Bath at Work.
With extra time: If you have another day, explore nearby sights—such as Stonehenge, Wells, and Glastonbury—by car, bus, or minibus tour.
Bath’s town square, three blocks in front of the bus and train station, is a cluster of tourist landmarks, including the abbey, Roman 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. It sells tickets for the Roman Baths, allowing you to skip the (often long) line, stocks visitor guides and maps (survey your options before buying one, £2), can suggest hikes, and posts event listings on the bulletin board (Mon-Sat 9:30-17:30, Sun 10:00-16:00, tel. 0844-847-5256, www.visitbath.co.uk).
Volunteers from The Mayor’s Corps of Honorary Guides share their love of Bath during free two-hour tours. These chatty, historical, and gossip-filled walks are essential to understand the town and the Georgian social scene of its heyday. 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).
City Sightseeing’s hop-on, hop-off bus tours zip through Bath. Jump on a double-decker bus anytime at one of 17 signposted pickup points, pay the driver, climb upstairs, and hear recorded commentary about Bath. There are two 45-minute routes: a city tour and a “Skyline” route outside town (the city tour—rather than the Skyline tour—offers the better city overview). Try to get one with a live guide (June-Sept usually at :12 and :24 past the hour for the city tour, and on the hour for the Skyline route—confirm with driver). Otherwise, bring your own earphones if you’ve got ’em (the audio recording on the other buses is barely intelligible with the headsets provided). You could save money by taking the bus tour first—ticket stubs get you minor discounts at many sights (£14, ticket valid for 24 hours and both tour routes, generally 4/hour daily in summer 9:30-17:30, in winter 10:00-15:00, tel. 01225/330-444, www.city-sightseeing.com).
Rick’s Tip: 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 £40; try to negotiate) 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 nearby Wells, Avebury, Stonehenge, and more.
Mad Max Minibus Tours offers thoughtfully organized, informative tours led by entertaining guides and limited to 16 people per group. Check their website for the latest offerings and book ahead—as far ahead as possible in summer. The popular Stonehenge, Avebury, and Villages full-day tour covers 110 miles and visits Stonehenge; the Avebury Stone Circles; photogenic Lacock (LAY-cock); and Castle Combe, the southernmost Cotswold village (£38 plus Stonehenge entry fee, tours depart daily at 8:30 and return at 17:30). They also offer several other all-day itineraries (one includes Wells and Glastonbury) a couple of times a week (info on website). All tours depart from outside the Abbey Hotel on Terrace Walk in Bath, a one-minute walk from the abbey. Arrive 15 minutes before your departure time and bring cash (or book online with a credit card at least 48 hours in advance, Rick Steves readers get £10 cash rebate from guide with online purchase of two full-day tours if requested at time of booking; mobile 07990-505-970, phone answered daily 8:00-18:00, www.madmaxtours.co.uk, maddy@madmaxtours.co.uk).
▲▲▲Free City Walking Tours Top-notch tours that help you make the most of your visit, led by The Mayor’s Corps of Honorary Guides. Hours: Sun-Fri at 10:30 and 14:00, Sat at 10:30 only; additional evening walks offered May-Sept Tue and Thu at 19:00. See here.
▲▲▲Roman Baths Ancient baths that gave the city its name, tourable with good audioguide. Hours: Daily July-Aug 9:00-22:00, March-June and Sept-Oct 9:00-18:00, Nov-Feb 9:30-17:30 except Sat until 18:00. See here.
▲▲Bath Abbey Five-hundred-year-old Perpendicular Gothic church, graced with beautiful fan vaulting and stained glass. Hours: Mon-Sat 9:00-18:00 except Nov-March until 16:30, Sun 13:00-14:30 & 16:30-17:30. See here.
▲▲The Circus and the Royal Crescent Stately Georgian buildings from Bath’s 18th-century glory days. Hours: Always viewable. See here.
▲▲No. 1 Royal Crescent Your best look at the interior of one of Bath’s high-rent Georgian beauties. Hours: Mon 12:00-17:30, Tue-Sun 10:30-17:30. See here.
▲Pump Room Swanky Georgian hall, ideal for a spot of tea or an unforgettable taste of “healthy” spa water. Hours: Daily 9:30-12:00 for coffee and breakfast, 12:00-14:30 for lunch, 14:30-17:00 for afternoon tea (dinner served July-Aug and Christmas holidays only). See here.
▲Pulteney Bridge and Parade Gardens Shop-strewn bridge and relaxing riverside gardens. Hours: Bridge—always open; gardens—Easter-Sept daily 10:00-17:00, shorter hours off-season. See here.
▲Fashion Museum Four hundred years of clothing under one roof, plus the opulent Assembly Rooms. Hours: Daily March-Oct 10:30-18:00, Nov-Feb 10:30-17:00. See here.
▲Museum of Bath at Work Gadget-ridden, circa-1900 engineer’s shop, foundry, factory, and office. Hours: April-Oct daily 10:30-17:00, Nov and Jan-March weekends only, closed in Dec. See here.
▲Thermae Bath Spa Relaxation center that put the bath back in Bath. Hours: Daily 9:00-21:30. See here.
Jane Austen Centre Exhibit on 19th-century Bath-based novelist, best for her fans. Hours: April-Oct daily 9:45-17:30, July-Aug until 18:00; shorter hours and closed Sun off-season. See here.
Lion Tours gets you to Stonehenge on their half-day Stonehenge and Lacock tour (£22 transportation only, £34 including Stonehenge entry fee; leaves daily at 12:15 and returns at 17:30, in summer this tour also leaves at 8:30 and returns at 12:00). They also run full-day tours, including one of the Cotswold Villages. You can bring your luggage along on the Cotswold tour and be dropped off in Stow or Moreton-in-Marsh for an additional charge; you must request this in advance. Lion’s tours depart from the same stop as Mad Max Tours—see earlier (mobile 07769-668-668, book online at www.liontours.co.uk).
Scarper Tours runs four-hour, narrated minibus tours to Stonehenge, giving you two hours at the site (£19 transportation only, £32 including Stonehenge entry fee, daily mid-March-mid-Oct at 9:30 and 14:00, mid-Oct-mid-March at 13:00, departs from behind the abbey on Terrace Walk, tel. 07739/644-155, www.scarpertours.com).
Celtic Horizons offers tours from Bath to a variety of destinations, such as Stonehenge, Avebury, and Wells. They 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 £35/hour for a group (comfortable minivans seat 4, 6, or 8 people) and £150 for Heathrow-Bath transfers (1-4 persons). Make arrangements and get pricing information by email at info@celtichorizons.com (tel. 01373/800-500, US tel. 855-895-0165, www.celtichorizons.com).
▲PULTENEY BRIDGE AND PARADE GARDENS
▲▲THE CIRCUS AND THE ROYAL CRESCENT
In ancient Roman times, high society enjoyed the mineral springs at Bath. Romans traveled from Londinium to Aquae Sulis, as the city was then called, to “take a bath” so often that it finally 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 health-giving spring. At the end, you’ll have a chance to walk around the big pool where Romans once splished and splashed.
Cost and Hours: £14, includes audioguide, £20 combo-ticket includes Fashion Museum, 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 except Sat until 18:00, last entry one hour before closing, tel. 01225/477-785, www.romanbaths.co.uk.
Rick’s Tip: To avoid long lines at the Roman Baths, buy a ticket at the nearby TI. With voucher in hand, enter through the “fast track” lane, to the left of the general admission line. Visit early or late; peak time is between 13:00 and 15:00.
Tours: Take advantage of the included essential audioguide, which makes your visit easy and informative. Look for posted numbers to key into your audioguide for specialty topics—including a kid-friendly tour and 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, use the audioguide.
Begin by walking around the upper terrace, overlooking 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 you get your bearings among the remaining fragments and foundations—including the original entrance (just off the main suspended walkway, on your right, as you pass through the temple courtyard and Minerva section).
Peer down into the spring, where air bubbles remind you that 240,000 gallons of water a day emerge from the earth—magically, it must have seemed to Romans—at a constant 115°F. The water you see now, heated more than a mile below the earth’s surface, first fell to earth as rain onto nearby hills about 10,000 years ago...making the Romans seem relatively recent.
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 the sea—appropriate for this aquatic site.
The next exhibits examine the importance of Aquae Sulis (the settlement here) in antiquity. This spot exerted a powerful pull on people from all over the realm, who were eager to partake in its healing waters. A display of the Beau Street Hoard—over 17,500 Roman coins dating from 32 B.C.-A.D. 274 that were found near the Baths—emphasizes just how well-visited this area was.
You’ll also see some of the small but extremely heavy carved-stone tables that pilgrims hauled here as an offering to the gods. Take time to read some of the requests (inscribed on sheets of pewter or iron) that visitors made of the goddess. Many are comically spiteful and petty, offering a warts-and-all glimpse into day-to-day Roman culture.
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 ancient Roman baths are surrounded by an excellent museum.
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. 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 for a much more extensive visit—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. 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.
Sulis Minerva
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, pop over to the fountain for a free taste of the spa water. Then pass through the gift shop, past the convenient public WCs (which use plain old tap water), and exit through the Pump Room—or stay for a spot of tea.
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 miraculously curative waters spread, and Bath earned its way back on the aristocratic map. High society soon turned the place into a 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. Come for a light meal, or to try a famous (but forgettable) “Bath bun” with your spa water (the same water that’s in the fountain at the end of the baths tour; also free in the Pump Rooms if you present your ticket). The spa water is served by an appropriately attired waiter, who will tell you the water is pumped up from nearly 100 yards deep and marinated in 43 wonderful minerals. Or for just the price of a coffee, drop in anytime (except during lunch) to enjoy live music and the atmosphere. Even if you don’t eat here, you’re welcome to enter the foyer for a view of the baths and dining room.
Cost and Hours: Daily 9:30-12:00 for coffee and £6-15 breakfast, 12:00-14:30 for £12-20 lunches, 14:30-17:00 for £21 traditional afternoon tea (last orders at 16:00), tea/coffee and pastries also available in the afternoons; open 18:00-21:00 for dinner July-Aug and Christmas holidays only; live music daily—string trio or piano, times vary; tel. 01225/444-477.
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 church built in medieval 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.”
Cost and Hours: £2.50 suggested donation; Mon-Sat 9:00-18:00 except Nov-March until 16:30, Sun 13:00-14:30 & 16:30-17:30, last entry 45 minutes before closing; handy flier narrates a self-guided 19-stop tour, ask about schedule of events—including concerts, services, and evensong—also posted on the door and online, tel. 01225/422-462, www.bathabbey.org.
Bath Abbey
Evensong: A 20-minute evensong service is offered nightly at 17:30, but sung only on Sunday (Mon-Sat it’s spoken).
Visiting the Abbey: Take a moment to appreciate the abbey’s architecture from the square. 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-spirited iconoclasts; it was re-carved out of Peter’s once supersized beard.
Going inside is worth the small suggested contribution. The glass, red-iron gas-powered lamps, 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. Note that a WWII bomb blast destroyed the medieval glass; what you see today is from the 1950s.
Climbing the Tower: You can reach the top of the tower only with a 50-minute guided (and worthwhile) tour. You’ll hike up 212 steps for views across the rooftops of Bath and a peek down into the Roman Baths. In the rafters, you walk right up behind the clock face on the north transept, and get an inside-out look at the fan vaulting. Along the way, you’ll hear a brief town history as you learn all about the tower’s bells. If you’ve always wanted to clang a huge church bell for all the town to hear, this is your chance—it’s oddly satisfying (£6, sporadic schedule but generally at the top of each hour when abbey is open, more often during busy times; Mon-Sat April-Oct 10:00-16:00, Nov-March 11:00-15:00, these are last tour-departure times; today’s tour times usually posted outside abbey entrance, no tours Sun, buy tickets in abbey gift shop).
Bath is inclined to compare its shop-lined Pulteney Bridge with Florence’s Ponte Vecchio. That’s pushing it. But to best enjoy a sunny day, pack a picnic lunch and pay £1.50 to enter the Parade Gardens below the bridge (Easter-Sept daily 10:00-17:00, shorter hours off-season, includes deck chairs; ask about concerts held some Sun at 15:00 in summer; entrance a block south of bridge). Across the bridge at Pulteney Weir, tour boat companies run cruises.
Rick’s Tip: The frumpy little Guildhall Market, located across from Pulteney Bridge, is fun for browsing and picnic shopping. Its Market Café is a cheap place for a bite.
Several worthwhile public spaces and museums can be found a slightly uphill 10-minute walk away.
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 Georgian and quintessential Bath.
Pulteney Bridge
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 virtually 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 (£14.50 cream tea, £32 afternoon tea, daily 13:30-17:00, sharing is OK, reserve a day in advance, tel. 01225/823-333, www.royalcrescent.co.uk).
This museum takes visitors behind one of those classy Georgian facades, offering your best look into a period house and how the wealthy lived in 18th-century Bath. Docents in each room hand out placards, but take the time to talk with them to learn many more fascinating details of Georgian life...such as how high-class women shaved their eyebrows and pasted on carefully trimmed strips of mouse fur in their place.
Start with the parlor, the main room of the house used for breakfast in the mornings, business affairs in the afternoon, and other activities throughout the evening. The bookcase was a status symbol of knowledge and literacy. In the gentleman’s retreat, find a machine with a hand crank. This “modern” device was thought to cure ailments by shocking them out of you. Give it a spin and feel for yourself. Shops in town charged for these electrifying cures; only the wealthiest citizens had in-home shock machines. Upstairs in the lady’s bedroom are trinkets befitting a Georgian socialite; look for a framed love letter, wig scratcher, and hidden doorway (next to the bed) providing direct access to the servants’ staircase. The gentleman’s bedroom upstairs is the masculine equivalent of the lady’s room—rich colors, scenes of Bath, and manly decor. The back staircase leads directly to the servants’ hall. Look up to find Fido, who spent his days on the treadmill powering the rotisserie.
Finally, you’ll end in the kitchen. Notice the wooden rack hanging from the ceiling—it kept the bread, herbs, and ham away from the mice. The scattered tools here helped servants create the upper-crust lifestyle overhead.
Cost and Hours: £9, Mon 12:00-17:30, Tue-Sun 10:30-17:30, last entry at 16:30, corner of Brock Street and Royal Crescent, tel. 01225/428-126, www.bath-preservation-trust.org.uk.
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 a half-century of fashion trends in one sweep of the head. 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 life jacket) and try on a hoop underdress.
Bath’s Royal Crescent is England’s greatest example of Georgian architecture.
Above the Fashion Museum, are the grand, empty Assembly Rooms, where card games, concerts, tea, and dances were held in the 18th century. Picture dashing young gentlemen and elegant ladies mingling in a Who’s Who of high society. Although these rooms were gutted by WWII bombs, they have since been restored. Only the chandeliers are original.
Cost and Hours: £8.25, includes audioguide; £20 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, free 30-minute guided tour most days at 12:00 and 16:00; self-service café, Bennett Street, tel. 01225/477-789, www.fashionmuseum.co.uk.
Rick’s Tip: Notice the proximity of the Fashion Museum and the Museum of Bath at Work. While open-minded spouses appreciate both places, museum attendants tell me it’s standard for husbands to visit the Museum of Bath at Work while their wives tour the Fashion Museum. Maybe it’s time to divide and conquer?
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, and factory floor. It’s just a pile of meaningless old gadgets—until the included audioguide resurrects Mr. Bowler’s creative genius.
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, includes audioguide, April-Oct daily 10:30-17:00, Nov and Jan-March weekends only, closed Dec, last entry one hour before closing, Julian Road, 2 steep blocks up Russell Street from Assembly Rooms, tel. 01225/318-348, www.bath-at-work.org.uk.
Museum of Bath at Work
This exhibition focuses on Jane Austen’s tumultuous 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. 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). The exhibit describes various places from two novels set in Bath (Persuasion and Northanger Abbey). See reproductions of things associated with her writing as well as her waxwork likeness. It’s overhyped, but that doesn’t bother the happy Austen fans touring through the house.
Costumed guides give an intro talk (on the first floor, 15 minutes, 3/hour, on the hour and at :20 and :40 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 gift shop is stocked with “I love Mr. Darcy” tote bags, teacups emblazoned with Colin Firth’s visage, and more.
Jane Austen Centre
Cost and Hours: £9; April-Oct daily 9:45-17:30, July-Aug until 18:00; Nov-March Sun-Fri 11:00-16:30, Sat 9:45-17:30; last entry one hour before closing, 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 (open to the public) hits the spot for Austen-ites with costumed waitstaff and themed teas (most are £8-10); the all-out “Tea with Mr. Darcy” is £16.50 (£3 for just tea, opens at 11:00, closes same time as the center, last order taken one hour before closing).
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 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 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 actually 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 £32 for two hours (£35 on weekends), which includes a towel, robe, and slippers and 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 £10 for each additional hour. If you arrived in Bath by train, your used rail ticket will score you a four-hour session for the price of two hours. The much-hyped £45 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 (£40-90 extra). Book treatments in advance by phone.
Hours: Daily 9:00-21:30, last entry at 19:00, pools close at 21:00. No kids under 16.
Information: It’s 100 yards from the Roman Baths, on Beau Street (tel. 01225/331-234, www.thermaebathspa.com). There’s a salad-and-smoothies café for guests.
Thermae Bath Spa
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 (£18-20/1.5 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, audioguide-£2).
The Bath Boating Station, in an old Victorian boathouse, rents rowboats, canoes, and punts (£7/person for first hour, then £4/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).
The Bath Sports and Leisure Centre has a fine pool for laps as well as lots of waterslides. Kids will also enjoy the “Zany Zone” indoor playground (swimming-£4/adult, £3/kid, family discounts, Mon-Fri 6:30-22:00, Sat 10:30-19:00, 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).
For an entertaining walking-tour comedy act “with absolutely no history or culture,” follow Toby or Noel 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. Promising to insult all nationalities and sensitivities, it’s sometimes racy but still good family fun (£10, £8 if you show this book, April-Oct nightly at 20:00, smaller groups Mon-Thu, leaves from The Huntsman Inn near the abbey, confirm at TI or call 01225/335-124, www.bizarrebath.co.uk).
Ghost Walks are another popular way to pass the after-dark hours—although you might save the supernatural for the city of York, which is said to be more haunted (£8, 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).
Rick’s Tip: In July and August, the Roman Baths are open nightly until 22:00 (last entry 21:00). The gas lamps flame and the baths are more romantic—and less crowded. To take a dip yourself, pop over to the Thermae Bath Spa (last entry at 19:00).
The 18th-century, 800-seat Theatre Royal, one of England’s loveliest, offers a busy schedule of London West End-type plays, including many “pre-London” dress-rehearsal runs.
Cost and Hours: £20-40 plus small booking fee; 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, book in person, online, or by phone; on Saw Close, tel. 01225/448-844, www.theatreroyal.org.uk.
Ticket Deals: Same-day “standby” seats (actually 40 nosebleed spots on a bench) are sold daily except Sunday, starting at noon, for evening shows (£6, 2 tickets maximum). Or you can snatch up any “last minute” seats for £15-20 a half-hour before “curtain up” (cash only).
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 (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 late September (www.janeausten.co.uk/festivalhome). 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).
Bath has 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 for dinner—especially on Friday and Saturday. Most pricey little bistros offer big savings with their two- and three-course lunches and “pre-theatre” specials. Look for early-bird specials: As long as you order within the time window, you’re in for a less-expensive meal.
Clayton’s Kitchen is fine for a modern English splurge in a woody, romantic, candlelit atmosphere. Michelin-star chef Rob Clayton offers affordable British cuisine without pretense (£15 two-course lunch deal, £10 starters, £20-30 main courses, daily from noon and from 18:00, a few outside tables, live jazz on Sundays, 15 George Street, tel. 01225/585-100, http://theporter.co.uk/claytons-kitchen).
Casanis French Bistro-Restaurant is an intimate place serving authentic Provençal cuisine (lunch and early dinner specials: £20 for two courses, £24 for three courses; open Tue-Sat 12:00-14:00 & 18:00-22:00, closed Sun-Mon, behind the Assembly Rooms at 4 Saville Row, tel. 01225/780-055, www.casanis.co.uk).
Bath is not a great pub-grub town, and with so many other tempting options, pub dining isn’t as appealing as it is elsewhere.
The Garrick’s Head is an elegantly simple gastropub around the corner from Theatre Royal, with a pricey restaurant on one side, a bar serving affordable pub classics on the other, and some tables outside (£7-12 pub grub, £14-18 main courses on the fancier menu; lunch and pre-theater specials: £17 for two courses, £20 for three courses; daily 12:00-14:30 & 17:30-21:00, 8 St. John’s Place, tel. 01225/318-368).
Crystal Palace, a casual and inviting standby just a block from the abbey, faces the delightful little Abbey Green. It serves pub grub with a Continental flair in three different spaces, including an airy back patio (£12-20 meals, food served Mon-Fri 11:00-21:00, Sat 11:00-20:00, Sun 12:00-20:00, last drink orders at 22:45, 10 Abbey Green, tel. 01225/482-666).
The Raven, with a boisterous local crowd, is easygoing, serving up pints of real ale and a variety of meat pies (£10 pies; £3-9 sides, soups, and desserts; food served Mon-Fri 12:00-15:00 & 17:00-21:00, Sat-Sun 12:30-20:30, open longer for drinks; no kids under 14, 6 Queen Street, tel. 01225/425-045, www.theravenofbath.co.uk).
Hall & Wood House Restaurant has a ground-floor pub and a sprawling spiral staircase that leads to a woody restaurant and a roof terrace. With traditional English dishes, hamburgers, salads, and beers on tap, it’s a hit with local students (£5 tapas, £10 main courses on bar menu; £12-15 main courses on fancier restaurant menu—but can order from either menu on either floor; daily, 1 Old King Street, tel. 01225/469-259).
Loch Fyne Fish Restaurant, a bright, youthful place with an open kitchen, serves fresh fish at reasonable prices (£14-20 meals, £12 two-course special until 18:00, daily 12:00-22:00, 24 Milsom Street, tel. 01225/750-120).
The Scallop Shell is a trendy favorite for fish-and-chips. They have a modern restaurant with fancier fish dishes and a takeout counter (Mon-Sat 12:00-21:30, closed Sun, 27 Monmouth Street, tel. 01225/420-928).
Martini Restaurant is classy and hopping (£11-13 pastas and pizzas, £17-23 meat and fish main courses, lunch and early dinner specials: £10 for two courses, £12 for three courses; open daily 12:00-14:30 & 18:00-22:30, veggie options, daily fish specials, extensive wine list, 9 George Street, tel. 01225/460-818).
Ask Italian is a bright chain dishing up reliable food in an inviting atmosphere (£8-13 pizzas and pastas, good salads, daily 11:30-23:00, entrance on Broad Street, tel. 01225/789-997).
Acorn Vegetarian Kitchen is highly rated for its understated interior and vegan vibe (£6-12 lunches, £8 starters and £17 main courses at dinner; lunch and early dinner specials: £17 for two courses, £20 for three courses; daily 12:00-15:00 & 17:30-21:30, 2 North Parade Passage, tel. 01225/446-059).
Rajpoot Tandoori serves award-winning Indian food in a plush atmosphere deep down in a sprawling cellar. The seating is tight and the ceilings low, but it’s air-conditioned (£9 three-course lunch, £9-16 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 elegant, spacious interior and fun atmosphere make for a memorable dinner (£10 two-course lunch special, £8-13 plates, daily 12:00-14:00 & 18:00-22:00, Saw Close, tel. 01225/444-450).
Yak Yeti Yak is a fun Nepalese restaurant with both Western and sit-on-the-floor seating. The menu includes plenty of vegetarian plates at prices that would delight a sherpa (£7-9 lunches, £7 veggie plates, £9 meat plates; daily 12:00-14:00 & 18:00-22:00; downstairs at 12 Pierrepont Street, tel. 01225/442-299).
Wagamama Noodle Restaurant is a sleek, pan-Asian slurp-a-thon with a modern flair (£10-13 meals, daily 11:30-23:00, 1 York Buildings, corner of George and Broad streets, tel. 01225/337-314).
At Market Café, in the Guildhall Market across from Pulteney Bridge, you can dine cheaply surrounded by local old-timers (£3-6 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).
Bea’s Vintage Tea Rooms, just behind the Assembly Rooms and Fashion Museum, is a charming trip back to the 1940s, with light lunches, teas, and cakes (daily 10:00-17:00, 6 Saville Row, tel. 01225/464-552).
Boston Tea Party is the neighborhood coffeehouse and hangout, with outdoor seating overlooking a busy square. Its extensive breakfasts, light lunches, and salads are fresh and healthy (£4-7 breakfasts, £5-7 lunches, Mon-Sat 7:30-19:30, Sun 9:00-19:00, 19 Kingsmead Square, tel. 01225/319-901).
Chandos Deli has good coffee and breakfast pastries, as well as £3-5 gourmet sandwiches and wine for assembling a picnic (Mon-Fri 8:00-18:00, Sat 9:00-19:00, Sun 9:00-17:00, 12 George Street, tel. 01225/314-418).
The Cornish Bakehouse has freshly baked £3 takeaway pasties (Mon-Sat 8:30-17:30, Sun 10:00-17:00, kitty-corner from Marks & Spencer at 1 Lower Borough Walls, second location off High Street at 11A The Corridor, tel. 01225/426-635).
A pleasant hidden courtyard at Milsom Place holds several dependable chain eateries: Yo! Sushi, Jamie’s Italian, and Côte Brasserie.
Supermarkets: Waitrose is great for picnics and has a good salad bar (Mon-Sat 7:30-21:00, Sun 11:00-17:00, just west of Pulteney Bridge and across from post office on High Street). Marks & Spencer, near the bottom end of town, has a grocery at the back of its department store and two eateries: M&S Kitchen on the ground floor and Café Revive on the top floor (Mon-Sat 8:00-19:00, Sun 11:00-17:00, 16 Stall Street). Sainsbury’s Local, across the street from the bus station, has the longest hours (daily 7:00-23:00, 2 Dorchester Street).
Bath is a busy tourist town. Reserve in advance. B&Bs favor those lingering longer; it’s worth asking for a weekday, three-nights-in-a-row, or off-season deal. Friday and Saturday nights are tightest, especially if you’re staying only one night (rates may go up 25 percent). If you’re driving to Bath, stowing your car near the center will cost you—see “Parking” on here, or ask your hotelier.
These listings are all a 5- to 10-minute walk from the town center, and an easy 15-minute walk from the train station. With bags in tow you may want to either catch a taxi (£5-7) or (except for Brocks Guest House) hop on bus #14 or #14A (direction: Weston, catch bus inside bus station, pay driver £2.20, get off at the Comfortable Place stop—just after the car shop on the left, cross street and backtrack 100 yards).
Marlborough, Brooks, and Cornerways all face a busy arterial street; those sensitive to traffic noise should request a rear- or side-facing room.
$$$ Marlborough House mixes modern style with antique furnishings and features a welcoming breakfast room with an open kitchen. Each of the six rooms comes with a sip of sherry (Db-£105-155, rates vary with demand, must mention this book in your initial request for Rick Steves discount, £5 additional discount when you pay cash, air-con, minifridges, free parking, 1 Marlborough Lane, tel. 01225/318-175, www.marlborough-house.net, mars@manque.dircon.co.uk).
$$$ Brooks Guesthouse is the biggest and most polished of the bunch, albeit the least personal, with 22 modern rooms and classy public spaces (Db-£85-120, rates vary with room size and season/demand, shared guest fridge, limited parking-£8/day, 1 Crescent Gardens, Upper Bristol Road, tel. 01225/425-543, www.brooksguesthouse.com, info@brooksguesthouse.com).
$$ Brocks Guest House rents six rooms in a Georgian townhouse built by the great architect John Wood in 1765 and located between the Royal Crescent and the Circus (Db-£99, Db with fireplace-£109, larger Db-£119, Db suite-£129, little top-floor library, 32 Brock Street, tel. 01225/338-374, www.brocksguesthouse.co.uk, brocks@brocksguesthouse.co.uk).
$$ Parkside Guest House rents five large, thoughtfully appointed Edwardian rooms. It’s tidy, clean, homey, with a spacious back garden (Db-£90, these prices for Rick Steves readers, limited free parking, 11 Marlborough Lane, tel. 01225/429-444, www.parksidebandb.co.uk, post@parksidebandb.co.uk).
$$ Cornerways B&B is centrally located, simple, and pleasant, with three rooms and old-fashioned, homey touches (Db-£85, Tb-£98, 10 percent discount with this book and 3-night stay, DVD library, free parking, 47 Crescent Gardens, tel. 01225/422-382, www.cornerwaysbath.co.uk, info@cornerwaysbath.co.uk).
These listings are a 5- to 10-minute walk from the city center. From the train station, it’s best to take a taxi, as there are no good bus connections.
$$$ The Kennard, with 12 colorfully and elaborately decorated rooms, is a short walk from Pulteney Bridge (prices are for Sun-Thu/Fri-Sat: Db-£115/£135, superior Db-£145/£165, free street parking permits, Georgian garden out back, 11 Henrietta Street, tel. 01225/310-472, www.kennard.co.uk, reception@kennard.co.uk).
$$$ Henrietta House, with large rooms, hardwood floors, and daily homemade biscuits and jam, is cloak-and-cravat cozy. Its name honors the mansion’s former owner Lord Pulteney and his daughter (Db-£95-165, family suites, 33 Henrietta Street, tel. 01225/632-632, www.henriettahouse.co.uk, reception@henriettahouse.co.uk).
$$$ Villa Magdala rents 20 stately yet modern rooms in a freestanding Victorian townhouse opposite a park (Db-£150-225 depending on size, category, and demand, about £20 more Fri-Sun, family rooms, free parking for those booking direct, Henrietta Street, tel. 01225/466-329, www.villamagdala.co.uk, enquiries@villamagdala.co.uk).
You’ll pay a premium to sleep right in the center. While Bath is so manageable by foot that a downtown location isn’t essential, these options are particularly well-located.
$$$ Three Abbey Green Guest House, renting 10 spacious rooms, is bright, cheery, and located in a quiet, traffic-free courtyard only 50 yards from the abbey and the Roman Baths (Db-£100-160, four-poster Db-£140-200, family rooms, price depends on season and size of room, 2-night minimum on weekends, limited free parking, 2 ground-floor rooms work well for those with limited mobility, tel. 01225/428-558, www.threeabbeygreen.com, stay@threeabbeygreen.com). They also rent self-catering apartments (2-night minimum).
$$$ Harington’s Hotel rents 13 stylish, modern rooms on a quiet street. It feels like a boutique hotel, but with a friendlier, laid-back vibe (Db-£98-170, large superior Db-£108-170, prices vary substantially with demand—always highest on weekends, ask for a Rick Steves discount, parking-£11/day, 8 Queen Street, tel. 01225/461-728, www.haringtonshotel.co.uk, post@haringtonshotel.co.uk). They also rent three self-catering apartments down the street (2-3 night minimum).
$$$ Abbey House Apartments rents flats on Abbey Green (with views of the abbey from well-equipped kitchens), including: Abbey Green (which comes with a washer and dryer), Abbey View, and Abbey Studio (Db-£100-175, price depends on size, 2-night minimum, rooms can sleep four with Murphy and sofa beds, Abbey Green, tel. 01225/464-238, www.laurastownhouseapartments.co.uk, bookings@laurastownhouseapartments.co.uk). They also rent other apartments scattered about town.
$$$ Pratt’s Hotel rents 46 worn but comfy olde-English rooms. Since it’s near a busy street, request a quiet room (Db-£80-150, price depends on size and demand, breakfast-£10, check website for current rates and specials, children under 15 free with 2 adults, elevator, attached restaurant-bar, 4 South Parade, tel. 01225/460-441, www.sjhotels.co.uk/pratts, reservations.pratts@sjhotels.co.uk).
$$ The Henry Guest House is a simple, vertical place, renting seven clean rooms just two blocks from the train station (Db-£80-105, premier Db-£95-120, extra bed-£20, 2-night minimum on weekends, 6 Henry Street, tel. 01225/424-052, www.thehenry.com, stay@thehenry.com).
$ The YMCA, centrally located on a leafy square, has 210 beds in industrial-strength rooms—all with sinks and basic furnishings. Although it smells a little like a gym, it’s safe, secure, quiet, and well-run (rates for Sun-Thu/Fri-Sat: twin D-£50/£60, D-£60/£64, dorm beds, family rooms, WCs and showers down the hall, includes small breakfast, free linens, rental towels, lockers, laundry facilities, down a tiny alley off Broad Street on Broad Street Place, tel. 01225/325-900, www.bathymca.co.uk, stay@bathymca.co.uk).
Bath’s train station, called Bath Spa, has ticket machines and a staffed ticket desk (tel. 0345-748-4959). To get to the TI, exit straight out of the station and continue up Manvers Street for about five minutes, then turn left at the triangular “square” overlooking the riverfront park, following the small TI arrow on a signpost.
Directly in front of the train station is the SouthGate Bath shopping center. You can store bags at The Luggage Store, a half-block in front of the station (£4/bag/day, daily 8:00-22:00, 13 Manvers Street, tel. 01225/312-685).
Train Connections to: Salisbury (1-2/hour, 1 hour; from here, Stonehenge Tour buses run to Stonehenge), Moreton-in-Marsh (hourly, 2 hours, 1-2 transfers), York (hourly with transfer in Bristol, 4.5 hours), Oxford (hourly, 1.5 hours, transfer in Didcot).
To/From London: Trains connect Bath with 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).
To/From Heathrow Airport: It’s fastest and most pleasant to take the train via London; if you have a Britrail pass, it’s also the cheapest option, as the whole trip is covered. Without a rail pass, it’s the most expensive way to go (£60 total for off-peak travel without rail pass, £10-20 cheaper bought in advance, up to £60 more for full-fare peak-time ticket; hourly, 2 hours, easy change between First Great Western train and Heathrow Express at London’s Paddington Station).
If you don’t have a rail pass, taking a train-and-bus combination via the town of Reading is cheaper than the train, more frequent, and faster than the direct bus—allow 2.5 hours total (RailAir Link shuttle bus from airport to Reading: 2-3/hour, 45 minutes; train from Reading to Bath: 2/hour, 1 hour; £31-41 for off-peak, nonrefundable travel booked in advance—but up to double for peak-time trains; tel. 0118-957-9425, buy bus ticket from www.railair.com, train ticket from www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk).
The National Express bus station is immediately west of the train station, along Dorchester Street (bus info tel. 0871-781-8181, www.nationalexpress.com). For all public bus services in southwestern England, see www.travelinesw.com.
Bus Connections to: Wells (nearly hourly, less frequent on Sun, 1.5 hours, continuing to Glastonbury, add .5 hour), Salisbury (hourly, 3 hours; or faster National Express #300 at 17:05, 1.5 hours; from Salisbury, buses run to Stonehenge), Stratford-upon-Avon (1/day, 4 hours, transfer in Bristol), and Oxford (3/day direct, 2 hours, more with transfer).
To/From London: The National Express bus is cheaper than the train but takes longer (direct buses nearly hourly, 3.5 hours, avoid those with layover in Bristol, one-way-£5-12, round-trip-£10-18, cheapest to purchase online several days in advance, www.nationalexpress.com). London’s Coach Station is one block from Victoria (train) Station.
To/From Heathrow Airport: The National Express bus is direct and often much cheaper for those without a rail pass, but it’s relatively infrequent and can take nearly twice as long as the train (nearly hourly, 3-3.5 hours, £24-40 one-way depending on time of day, tel. 0871-781-8181, www.nationalexpress.com). Also see the train-and-bus combination mentioned earlier in “By Train.”
Bristol Airport, located about 20 miles west of Bath, is closer to Bath than Heathrow and has good connections by bus (Bristol Air Decker bus #A4, £14, 2/hour, 1.25 hours, www.airdecker.com). Otherwise, you can take a taxi (£40).
Parking: As Bath becomes increasingly pedestrian-friendly, street parking in the city center is disappearing. Park & Ride service is a stress-free, no-hassle option to save time and money. Shuttles from Newbridge, Lansdown, and Odd Down (all just outside of Bath) offer free parking and 10-minute shuttle buses into town (daily every 15 minutes, £3 round-trip). If you drive into town, try the SouthGate Bath shopping center lot, a five-minute walk from the abbey (£5/up to 3 hours, £14/24 hours, open 24/7, on the corner of Southgate and Dorchester streets). For more info on parking (including the Park & Ride service), visit the “Travel and Maps” section of http://visitbath.co.uk.
Rick’s Tip: Take the train or bus to Bath from London, and rent a car when you leave Bath.
Renting a Car: 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). Other agencies include Thrifty (pickup service and one-way rentals available, in 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. 0871-384-9985, www.europcar.co.uk). Most offices close Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday, which complicates weekend pickups.
Two towns near Bath are fun to visit if you have time: Glastonbury for its ruined abbey and hilltop tor, and Wells for its unique cathedral. Drivers can tour the towns easily in a same-day loop trip from Bath; visit Wells last to attend the afternoon evensong service if it’s offered (Sept-June only, usually not July-Aug).
If you’re in Bath without a car, you could take a Mad Max tour, which offers a twice-weekly minibus excursion to Glastonbury and Wells; see here. You can visit both towns by bus from Bath on your own, though it’d be challenging (involving at least four hours on the bus) to fit in both in one day; it’s simpler to just visit the town that interests you more.
Marked by its hill, or “tor,” and located on England’s most powerful line of prehistoric sites, the town of Glastonbury gurgles with history and mystery. The extensive Glastonbury Abbey, laid waste by Henry VIII, is among England’s oldest religious centers. It’s the legendary resting place of the fifth-century King Arthur and his Queen Guinevere. Lore has it that the Holy Grail, the cup used by Christ at the Last Supper, is buried here, inducing a healing spring to flow (now known as the Chalice Well, located near Glastonbury Tor).
Today, Glastonbury and its tor are a center for “searchers”—just right for those looking for a place to recharge their crystals. Glastonbury is also synonymous with its music and arts festival, an annual long-hair-and-mud Woodstock re-creation.
Day Plan: Tour the abbey when you arrive in town, then ride the shuttle out to the base of the tor. Enjoy the views as you climb to the top of the tor, then stroll back to town (on the way, drop by the Chalice Well Gardens). You can picnic at the abbey or on the tor—pick something up from the shops on High Street.
Getting There: The nearest train station is in Bath. Buses run frequently from Wells (3-4/hour, 25 minutes) and nearly hourly from Bath (2 hours, www.firstgroup.com).
Glastonbury
Arrival in Glastonbury: The bus leaves you right in the town center, in sight of the abbey. Parking is immediately adjacent to the abbey.
Rick’s Tip: Nearly every summer around the June solstice, music fans and London’s beautiful people make the trek to the Glastonbury Festival to see the hottest British and American bands (www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk). Expect increased traffic and crowds.
Tourist Information: The TI is on High Street in the 15th-century Tribunal townhouse (Mon-Sat 10:00-16:00, closed Sun, shorter hours off-season, 9 High Street, tel. 01458/832-954, www.glastonburytic.co.uk).
The massive and evocative ruins of the first Christian sanctuary in the British Isles stand mysteriously alive in a lush 36-acre park. Because it comes with a small museum, a dramatic history, and enthusiastic guides dressed in period costumes, this is one of the most engaging of England’s many ruined abbeys.
The space that these ruins occupy has been sacred ground for centuries. The druids used it as a pagan holy site. In the 12th century—because of its legendary connection to King Arthur and the Holy Grail—Glastonbury was the leading Christian pilgrimage site in all of Britain. The popular abbey grew powerful and very wealthy, employing a thousand people to serve the needs of the pilgrims. Then, in 1539, King Henry VIII ordered the abbey’s destruction (as head of the new Church of England, he wanted to remove any reminders of the power of the Catholic Church).
Cost and Hours: £7.60, daily June-Aug 9:00-20:00, Sept-Nov and March-May until 18:00, Dec-Feb until 16:00, enter from Magdalene Street, tel. 01458/832-267, www.glastonburyabbey.com.
Tours and Demonstrations: Costumed guides offer 30-minute tours (generally daily March-Oct on the hour from 10:00).
Self-Guided Tour: Start by touring the informative museum at the entrance building. A model shows the abbey in its pre-Henry VIII splendor, and exhibits tell the story of a place “grandly constructed to entice the dullest minds to prayer.”
Next, head out to explore the green park, dotted with bits of the ruined abbey. Before poking around the ruins, circle to the left behind the entrance building to find two thorn trees. According to legend, these trees are descended from a thorn tree that sprouted when Joseph of Arimathea came here, climbed a nearby hill, and stuck his staff into the soil. (Joseph, a wealthy follower of Christ, is also credited in legend for bringing the Holy Grail to Glastonbury.) If the story seems far-fetched to you, don’t tell the Queen—a blossom from the abbey’s trees sits proudly on her breakfast table every Christmas morning.
Glastonbury Abbey
Ahead and to the left of the trees, inside what was the north wall, look for two trap doors in the ground. Lift up the doors to see surviving fragments of the abbey’s original tiled floor.
Now hike through the remains of the ruined complex to the far end of the abbey. From here, you can envision what had been the longest church nave in England. In this area, you’ll find the tombstone (formerly in the floor of the church’s choir) marking the spot where the supposed relics of Arthur and Guinevere were interred.
Continue around the far side of the abbey ruins, and head for the only surviving intact building on the grounds—the abbot’s conical kitchen, with a humble exhibit about life in the abbey.
Seen by many as a Mother Goddess symbol, the Glastonbury Tor—a natural plug of sandstone on clay—has an undeniable geological charisma. A fine Somerset view rewards those who hike to its 520-foot summit. While you can hike up from either end of the tor, the trailhead near the Chalice Well Gardens is the gentler approach.
As you climb, survey the surrounding land—a former swamp. The ribbon-like man-made drainage canals that slice through the farmland are the work of Dutch engineers—Huguenot refugees imported centuries ago to turn the marsh into arable land.
The tor-top tower is the remnant of a chapel dedicated to St. Michael, the warrior angel that early Christians counted on for combatting pagan gods.
Getting There: From the town center, you can walk to the base of the tor in 20 minutes, take the tor shuttle bus (2/hour, departs from St. Dunstan’s parking lot next to the abbey, doesn’t run Oct-Easter), or take a taxi (about £5). There’s no legal parking near the tor—it’s best to leave a car in town and walk or bus from there.
When Joseph of Arimathea brought the Holy Grail to Glastonbury, it supposedly ended up in the bottom of a well, which is now the centerpiece of the peaceful and inviting Chalice Well Gardens. Have a drink or take some of the precious water home—they sell empty bottles to fill.
Cost and Hours: £4, daily April-Oct 10:00-18:00, shorter hours off-season, on Chilkwell Street/A-361 near the tor shuttle bus stop, tel. 01458/831-154, www.chalicewell.org.uk.
Burns the Bread makes hearty meat pies—great for a picnic (two branches—14 High Street and in the parking lot next to the abbey). The town’s top chippy is Knights Fish and Chips Restaurant (closed Sun off-season, 5 Northload Street). For a vegetarian lunch, head to Rainbow’s End (17 High Street).
The George & Pilgrim Hotel has a wonderfully Old World pub, and they rent rooms (1 High Street), as does $ Haydn House (13a Silver Street, www.hhglastonbury.com).
This small, well-preserved town (pop. just under 12,000) has one of the country’s most interesting cathedrals, a wonderful evensong service (Sept-June), and medieval buildings still doing what they were originally built to do. You can still spot a number of the wells, water, and springs that helped give the town its name. Market day fills the town square on Wednesday (farmers market) and Saturday (general goods).
Day Plan: Little Wells is easy to handle in a half-day. You’re here to see the cathedral (try to take in the evensong service, if it’s offered and if timing allows). Save time to explore the quaint town, especially the medieval, picturesque street called the Vicars’ Close.
Getting There: There is no train station in Wells, but nearly hourly buses connect with Bath (1.5 hours, www.firstgroup.com) and frequent buses link Glastonbury (3-4/hour, fewer on Sun, 25 minutes). There’s one direct bus daily from London’s Victoria Coach Station (4 hours, www.nationalexpress.com).
Arrival in Wells: If you’re coming by bus, get off in the city center at the Sadler Street stop, around the corner from the cathedral. Drivers will find it easiest to park at the Princes Road lot (next to the bus station at the south end of town; enter on Priory Road) and walk five minutes to the cathedral.
Tourist Information: The TI is in the Wells Museum, across the green from the cathedral (April-Oct Mon-Sat 10:00-17:00, shorter hours off-season, closed Sun year-round, 8 Cathedral Green, tel. 01749/671-770, www.wellssomerset.com).
The city’s highlight is England’s first completely Gothic cathedral (dating from about 1200). Locals claim this church has the largest collection of medieval statuary north of the Alps. It certainly has one of the widest and most elaborate facades I’ve seen, and a unique figure-eight “scissor arch” that’s unforgettable.
Cost and Hours: Free but £6 suggested donation, daily Easter-Sept 7:00-19:00, Oct-Easter until 18:00, £4 photography fee, tel. 01749/674-483, www.wellscathedral.org.uk.
Tours: Free one-hour tours run 4-5 times per day April-Oct Mon-Sat; fewer Nov-March.
Self-Guided Tour: Begin on the vast, inviting green in front of the cathedral. In the Middle Ages, the cathedral was enclosed within “The Liberty,” an area free from civil jurisdiction until the 1800s. The Liberty included the green on the west side of the cathedral, which, from the 13th to the 17th century, was a burial place for common folk, including 17th-century plague victims. The green became a cricket pitch, then a field for grazing animals and picnicking people.
Today, it’s the perfect spot to marvel at an impressive cathedral and its magnificent facade. The west front displays almost 300 original 13th-century carvings of kings and the Last Judgment.
Now head through the cloister and into the cathedral. At your first glance down the nave, you’re immediately struck by the general sense of light and the unique “scissors” or hourglass-shaped double arch (added in 1338 to transfer weight away from the foundations sinking under the tower’s weight). Until Henry VIII and the Reformation, the interior was opulently painted in golds, reds, and greens. Later it was whitewashed. Then, in the 1840s, the church experienced the Victorian “great scrape,” as locals peeled moldy whitewash off and revealed the bare stone we see today. The painted floral ceiling is based on the original medieval design.
Small, ornate 15th-century pavilion-like chapels flank the altar, carved in lacy Gothic for church VIPs. The pulpit features a post-Reformation, circa-1540 English script—rather than the standard Latin (see where the stonemason ran out of space when carving the inscription—we’ve all been there). Since this was not a monastery church, it escaped destruction in the Reformation.
In the apse you’ll find the Lady Chapel. Examine the medieval stained-glass windows. Do they look jumbled? In the 17th century, Puritan troops trashed the precious original glass. Much was repaired, but many of the broken panes were like a puzzle that was never figured out. That’s why today many of the windows are simply kaleidoscopes of colored glass.
As you walk, notice that many of the black tombstones set in the floor have decorative recesses that should be filled with brass. In the 16th century, the church was short on cash, so they sold the brass lettering to raise money for roof repairs.
In the south transept, you’ll find several items of interest. The old Saxon font survives from a previous church (A.D. 705) and has been the site of Wells baptisms for more than a thousand years. (Its carved arches were added by Normans in the 12th century, and the cover is from the 17th century.) Nearby, notice the carvings in the capitals of the freestanding pillars, with whimsical depictions of medieval life (a man with a toothache; another with a thorn in his foot).
Also in the south transept, you’ll find the entrance to the cathedral Reading Room (free). Housing a few old manuscripts, it offers a peek into a real 15th-century library.
Rick’s Tip: Lined with perfectly pickled 14th-century houses, Vicars’ Close is the oldest continuously occupied complete street in Europe (since 1348). It’s just a block north of the Wells cathedral—go under the big arch and look left.
The cathedral choir takes full advantage of heavenly acoustics with a nightly 45-minute evensong service. You’ll sit right in the old “quire” as you listen to a great pipe organ and the world-famous Wells Cathedral choir.
Cost and Hours: Free, Mon-Sat at 17:15, Sun at 15:00, but usually not in July-Aug—confirm times beforehand, tel. 01749/674-483 or www.wellscathedral.org.uk.
Rick’s Tip: If you attend evensong and miss the last bus back to Bath, here’s what to do: Catch the bus to Bristol instead (hourly, one-hour trip), then take a 15-minute train ride to Bath.
West Cornwall Pasty Company sells good savory meat pies to eat in or take away (1a Sadler Street). For good pub grub, head to The Fountain Inn (no lunch on Mon, St. Thomas Street). Chapter Two, in the cathedral welcome center, offers a handy if not heavenly lunch.
The comfortable $$ Swan Hotel faces the cathedral; you can get a pub lunch in their garden with views over the green and cathedral (Sadler Street, www.swanhotelwells.co.uk). For a B&B, try $$ The Old Farmhouse (62 Chamberlain Street, www.wellssomerset.com) or $ Baytree House B&B (85 Portway, www.baytree-house.co.uk).
