A plan for Bath

History

Bath is among the oldest of England’s principal tourist destinations and has been welcoming visitors for centuries. The three hot springs within the city were sacred to the Celtic goddess Sulis, whom the Romans later identified with the goddess Minerva. Bath first achieved its status as a sacred spa site with the growth of the Roman settlement Aquae Sulis around the thermal springs. The Roman period saw a vast complex of baths constructed - the remains of these were re-discovered in the 18th century and helped fuel Bath's modern revival as a luxury resort.

Bath was a prosperous city in the Medieval period, the site of an Abbey and Cathedral (under the Bishop of Bath and Wells). The Reformation under Henry VIII created uncertainty for Bath's, although during the reign of Elizabeth I, the town was revived as a spa resort. It was during the Georgian period, however, that Bath came again into its own. Exceedingly fashionable, Bath was laid out in stately avenues, streets and crescents, encrusted with Neo-Classical public buildings.

Bath suffered a significant amount of damage during air raids in World War II. The prestigious crescents and terraces were relatively unscathed and restored where necessary, but some of the more minor Georgian and Victorian streets were demolished both after the war and during a later ill-conceived phase of development known now as the "Sack of Bath". Consequently some modern buildings pop up in unexpected places, and the locals are generally very opposed to any major building developments that are put forward. Those works are substantially complete, and a new shopping centre near the railway station has opened.

Orientation

Bath is 160 km (100 miles) west of London and 18 km (11 miles) south-east of the nearest big city, Bristol. It lies in the valley of the Avon River, upstream of Bristol.

Read

Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey is traditional reading before a visit to Bath. Austen spent some time there, and her novel is a satire of the social life of the city at the time. Many of the sites she mentioned are still able to be visited in the city today.

Landmarks

1 Roman Baths, Stall St, BA1 1LZ, ☏ +44 1225 477785. Nov-Feb: 9:30AM-5:30PM; Mar-Jun Sep-Oct: 9AM-6PM, Jul-Aug: 9AM-10PM. Built by the Romans around 2000 years ago, and rediscovered by the Victorians, the Roman Baths are the must-see tourist attraction in Bath. The baths are fueled by England's only mineral hot springs, outputting over a million litres of hot water each day. You can wander the rooms that made up the baths, including the large open air 'Great Bath', see Roman, medieval, and Georgian architecture, and learn about the history of Bath Spa. The Baths are superbly maintained and the exhibits are filled with eye-popping archaeology. A fountain at the end offers a free taste of the (filtered) thermal water. Don't forget to pick up your free audio guide at the entrance. Reserve a minimum of 2 hours for a complete visit. As the most popular attraction in Bath there are often waiting lines at the entrance because only a limited number of visitors are inside at any time, so make sure to buy a ticket online or come early if possible. Prices vary depending on month and day of the week. Weekend prices £20.50-28.00/adult, £19.50-27.00/seniors, £13.00-20.

50/child, prices on weekdays are £2-4 cheaper.. (updated May 2023)

Come out of the Roman Baths and you will see:

2 Bath Abbey, 12 Kingston Buildings, BA1 1LT, ☏ +44 1225 422462, office@bathabbey.org. Mon-Fri 10AM-5:30PM; Sat 10AM-6PM; Sun 1:15-2:30PM 4:30PM-6:30PM. The last Gothic church in England, started in 1499 and built on the ruins of the former Norman cathedral, this impressively large church (of small cathedral proportions) is next to the Roman Baths. A place of Australian pilgrimage: Arthur Philip, first Governor of New South Wales and founder of the city of Sydney has his burial and memorial within the Abbey. A wonderful view of Bath can be had with a trip up the Abbey tower Adults £6.50, students £5.50, children (5 -15) £3.50. (updated Jul 2019)

Come out of the main Abbey door, turn right and follow the pavement round the corner past the statue of "The Lady With The Pitcher". Pass some bookshops and a shop selling Bath Aqua Glass and cross the road to the entrance to Parade Gardens. Then follow the road to the left to see:

What's on? Read Bath Chronicle (published Thursday), or Venue Magazine (Wednesday).

Tours

There are many guided tours, walking tours, and audio tours of the city available. Options range for historical tours to ghost tours to pub crawls; you will find leaflets for these in most hotels, bars, and restaurants.

Mayor of Bath Honorary Guide tour. Every day of the week. A fantastic for a free, pleasant two-hour walk around the famous Georgian city of Bath with the Mayor of Bath's Corps of Honorary Guides. This has been going since the 1930s, and visits many famous historic and architectural places within the city, delivered by enthusiastic Bathonians.

1 Upper Avon boat tour, Spring Gardens Road. Boat tour to 1 Bathampton and back, turning at the 17th-century Bathampton Weir and Mill. The entire tour takes about 1 hour. A single journey is £5, and return trip can be taken any time. Return ticket is £10. (updated Jul 2019)

Bath also makes a great base for day trips to the surrounding countryside. There are also tours that go to Stonehenge and places like Avebury, the village of Lacock, Castlecombe, and other surrounding villages throughout the Cotswolds. Go to Tourist Information next to the Abbey for brochures or to book a tour.

Theatre

2 Theatre Royal. The historic Theatre Royal in the Sawclose, near the city centre, opened in 1805. It offers a rich programme of drama and other entertainment throughout the year, ranging from traditional pantomime at Christmas to Ayckbourn, folk singers, opera and Shakespeare. Programmes in the past few years have included a summer season mounted by the distinguished director Peter Hall. In addition to the main house, the Theatre Royal has two smaller performance spaces — the Ustinov Studio and a theatre for children, the Egg — and three restaurants, The Vaults, the 1805 Rooms and the Egg Café.

For its size, Bath has an excellent choice of eateries for any budget and taste. Mainstream restaurant chains are present as well as many independents. Within the city centre there are Italian, French, Thai, Nepali, Indian, Spanish, Turkish, Japanese and fusion restaurants. There are also specialist fish, steak, and gourmet restaurants. Most pubs sell food at lunchtime and in the evening.

Budget

Head to Kingsmead Square for burgers, kebabs, etc..

1 Sally Lunn's Refreshment House & Museum, 4 North Parade Passage, ☏ +44 1225 461634. Taste the original Sally Lunn Bun made without sugar, not to be confused with the more famous Bath Bun, a small round bun containing sugar and currants. Good lunch time fare - and very popular so you may have to queue at peak times. (updated Feb 2023)

2 Boston Tea Party, 19 Kingsmead Square, BA1 2AE, ☏ +44 1225 313901. Bustling little cafe with great sandwiches and what is possibly the best coffee in Bath. It can be difficult to get somewhere to sit. (updated Feb 2023)

3 Schwartz Bros, 4 Saw Cl. Excellent veggie burgers. Highly recommended. Take away only- eat on the benches in Kingsmead Square. They also have an outlet in Walcot Street. (updated Feb 2023)

4 Seafoods, 38 Kingsmead St, BA1 2AA. Mon-Sat 11:30AM-11PM, Sun noon-8PM. Has been serving traditional fish and chips for over 50 years. Eat in or take-away- seats 60. (updated Feb 2023)

5 Mr. D's, 8, St George's place. A small McDonald's-like burger stand, whose burgers and shakes are quite like how they used to taste in the 1960s. (updated Feb 2023)

6 La Baguette, 3 Stall St, BA1 1QL (This tiny shop can often be identified by the queue trailing out of the door.). A popular sandwich shop on Stall Street, a minute walk from the Abbey. Sandwiches are handmade using crunchy baguettes usually for cheaper than a convenience store sandwich. (updated Feb 2023)

7 The Whole Bagel, Upper Borough Walls (just off the High Street). An excellent place to get a quick lunchtime snack. They have a large variety of bagels which are 'freshly baked everyday' filled with fresh local ingredients. (updated Feb 2023)

Bath, has a huge array of pubs and bars to choose from, ranging from the very traditional pubs serving real ale to the typical trendy bars:

The most notable pubs:

1 The Salamander, 3 John St, BA1 2JL, ☏ +44 1225 428889. A tithe house of Bath Ales.

2 The Raven, 7 Queen St, BA1 1HE (a short crawl from The Salamander), ☏ +44 1225 425045. Friendly pub with a good selection of real ales. Famous for its hearty pies 'n' mash and for having a good selection of less traditional board games (ask at the upstairs bar).

3 The Old Green Tree, 12 Green St, BA1 2JZ, ☏ +44 1225 448259. Very small, characterful old pub. Squeeze through the door, elbow your way to the bar and order some real ale or cider.

4 The Bell, 103 Walcot St, BA1 5BW, ☏ +44 1225 460426. The heartbeat of Bath's bohemian quarter. With a superb array of real ale, regular live music and a great atmosphere. A large pub garden at the rear.

5 The Star Inn, 23 Vineyards, BA1 5NA (on the Paragon), ☏ +44 1225 425072. noon-9:30. A tithe house for Abbey Ales. The same now as it was 100 years ago. The small rooms, wooden benches, and old coin games offer a genuine atmosphere. This very much a locals pub, but a very friendly one... just try not to let yourself get hustled at the games!

Other notable pubs are:

6 Pig and Fiddle, 2 Saracen St, BA1 5BR (off Broad Street), ☏ +44 1225 330190. A large popular pub, with a less traditional approach and clientèle (mainly students) than those listed above. Space to enjoy your pint outdoors, which is well heated on cold nights.

7 The Crystal Palace, 10-11 Abbey Green, BA1 1NW, ☏ +44 1225 482666. Notable for having an outdoor area, which is rare in Bath, and good food too.

Gascoyne Place, 1 Saw Close. Serves food and has a wide selection of quality European and UK Beers. Has live Jazz on Sunday Evenings.

8 Saracen's Head, 42 Broad St, BA1 5LP, ☏ +44 1225 426518. Bath's oldest pub can be found in Broad Street. Legend/misconception has it that Charles Dickens stayed here. Greene King pub, with little atmosphere compared with Baths other pubs.

Most locations in Bath are easily walkable from the city centre and stations. Avoid using a car in town center.

By foot

Some of Bath's shopping streets feel like pedestrian-only areas - but aren't. Have a quick look round before you follow everyone else out into the road and, if you're driving, expect pedestrians to walk out in front of you.

By public bus

Typically for British public transport, public buses are at best adequate. A popular 'Park and Ride' bus system operates from a ring of car parks around the outskirts of the city (Newbridge, Lansdown, Claverton Down and Odd Down). They will take you to the city centre, or to a number of the cities schools. Bath's buses are often quite expensive, compared with other cities. If you are going to be taking more than 1 return journey or 1 single journey in a day, it is recommended to ask the driver for a day pass instead which gives unlimited travel on that bus company's buses in Bath. This costs around £3.70 per day. There are several bus companies operating, such as WessexConnect and FareSaver, but the most useful for tourists will be buses operated by First.

By tourist bus

Tour buses complete an enjoyable circuit of main attractions; they can be picked up en route or at the main bay at 'Bog Island' (for the Skyline tour) or next to the fountain near Bath Abbey (for the city centre tour). When you see something you like just hop off at the next stop, have a look round, and hop back on the next one that comes along. Attractions en route include the historic Royal Crescent, The Circus - and some tour bus companies include a route up the winding Ralph Allen Drive past the impressive Prior Park Gardens. Tickets cost £11.50 for the 40-minute Skyline tour of the 45-minute City Centre, hop-on, hop-off service.

By taxi

There are taxi ranks outside the train station and the Abbey, and Kingsmead square. Taxi firms are well advertised locally. The drivers know the city well and will entertain you with (often cranky) stories.

Overall Bath is a very safe city to visit; the large number of tourists and university students generates a friendly and vigorous feel to the city. Bath city centre is lively and bustling until late on Friday and Saturday evenings, although things get rougher around kicking out time late at night. Women would be well advised to avoid wandering around alone at night. The common problem for tourists is the occasional groups of homeless beggars around the parks and abbey - you may see them drinking lager and shouting abuse, which can surprise many first-time visitors. However, they're not pushy when asking for money, and argue amongst themselves rather than getting passers-by involved. Accept it as a byproduct of a city that attracts tourism (and therefore money), and it's no problem.

The river between Pultney Bridge and the weir looks good for a spot of swimming when you're young and fit. It is actually very dangerous, and every year people die doing it. Warleigh weir is good if you're looking for a swim - about 3 miles along the canal.

If you're a keen cyclist, there's a wonderful Bath-to-Bristol cycle path at your disposal. However, please be aware that there have been robberies and attacks on this stretch of cycle path in 2008. Police have made arrests, but it's something you should consider if planning to make the journey.