One of Olga and mine’s favourite weekend breaks in England has to be Bath. Back in the Autumn of 2015 we decided to spend a weekend down as a birthday treat for Olga and the weather was a lot better than we thought it was going to be. After walking around and checking out Bath, this has now become one of our favourite cities in the country. This is what we checked out whilst visiting and we hope this will help visitors planning a visit here.
Top of our list was the Roman Baths. We love Roman history and always wanted to visit the baths here. Did they meet my expectations? Yes they did. They were absolutely amazing. The baths were built around 70 AD as a grand bathing and socializing complex, and have managed to stay really well preserved to this very day (and out of all the Roman Baths we have come across on my journeys across Europe and Northern Africa, these are one of the best-preserved Roman remains we have seen). On an average day, 1,170,000 litres of hot spring water fills the baths. Temperatures can get up to 46C! We would love to take a plunge in that right now just to chill.
Walking around the baths, we got to see some other ruins, treasures and walk on pavements which were built in Roman Times. We even explored the historic chambers which housed the changing rooms and plunge pools. An interactive museum is also located here and tells visitors what life was like in Roman Times and the lives of the Aquae Sulis people who were based in these parts. More information on the baths can be found here.
If walking around the Roman Baths made you feel like that you are in need of a relaxing spa day, then say no more. Check out Britains original natural thermal spa nearby at the Therme Bath Spa. This is one of the main reasons we came to Bath, to have a relaxing afternoon here. We love the decor here. There is a lot of stone, light, water and glass here, creating a special fusion. This really did add to the experience in our two hour slot (which includes the spa session, towel, robe and slippers). There are two baths to choose from which are fed by naturally warm, mineral-rich waters. The largest one of the two baths is located inside and is called the Minerva Bath which is named after the Roman Goddess of Health and Wisdom. We just love getting under the massage jet, checking out the whirlpool and speeding through the lazy river.
The other pool is located on the rooftop and the views overlooking the city and looking across to the surrounding hills is a memory we will take home with me. Afterwards we had a meal in the restaurant, however the only thing we didn’t do was book some treatments (as the place does get quite busy at weekends). More information can be found here about Therme Bath Spa.
Bath is the only city in the United Kingdom to be designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walking around the cobble streets of the city, seeing the buildings built from many moons ago and adding that with a bit of Roman History, we can see why it is on the list. One of our favourite places in the city is checking out The Royal Crescent. The buildings here were finished in 1775 and designed by one of England’s finest architects at the time, John Wood the Younger. The 30 terraced houses are arranged around a green overlooking the Royal Victoria Park and they are probably the best example of Georgian period architecture we have come across on the island. There is also the five star hotel called The Royal Crescent Hotel and Spa as well as the Museum of Georgian Life which is located at number 1 on the Royal Crescent. The rest of the buildings are private housing (so don’t go up to each house trying to get in!). We have known about these buildings in my younger years from films, the most recent we remember is the Duchess (2008) which starred Keira Knightley (We might have to rewatch that now for memories sake!). While researching the street, there was a dark moment in time back in the 1970s when Miss Annabel Wellesley-Colley, who lived at number 22, painted her front door yellow instead of white like all the houses in the Royal Crescent. It was shocking. She had to fight off two orders from the city council and defend herself at a public enquiry but she got her way and was allowed to keep the door yellow (and it still remains like that till this very day).
Near to the Royal Crescent is The Circus (which was originally called the King’s Circus) and was designed by another fine architect John Wood, the Elder and the road with all its buildings was completed in 1768. The Circus has three curved townhouses, forming a circle with three entrances. When checking out the stonework on the buildings, there are a few symbols like serpents and acorns on the facade. This was because Mr Wood loved the Druids (they are the people who created prehistoric stone circles like Stonehenge) and thought that Bath was the centre of Druid activity on the island. So Mr Wood studied Stonehenge (probably didn’t find out the answer why Stonehenge is there) and designed The Circus with the same diameter.
However (again, during research), Mr Wood is a clear man and joined the Circus to the Royal Crescent by a ley-line (which we had to find out what the hell that meant and basically means a straight alignment between two historical sites) and the design represents the sun and the moon. We found a photo of this online and it does look like The Circus is the sun and the Royal Crescent is the moon!
The Circus over the years has had many famous people living here such as Thomas Gainsborough (the artist) and Nicholas Cage (American actor) but again, don’t go knocking on each door hoping to find a famous celebrity. However, do stand in the middle of The Circus by the tree where you get to see the grand scale of the area and take in the beautiful architecture but here, try and find the exact spot and when you scream, it will echo all around! Can you find it? I didn’t.
If you are screaming for more amazing Georgian architecture, then check out Great Pulteney Street. The buildings overlooking the wide street are impressive. Thought we chuck that in there.
At the western end of Great Pulteney Street check out Pulteney Bridge which reminds me of bridges we have seen in Northern Italy. We were right when we thought this as the bridge when it was built was inspired by the bridge Ponte Vecchio in Florence (which we have seen and can see the similarities) and has shops lined up on both sides. This type of bridge is only one of the four such structures in the world. Bath, Florence, do you know where the other two are?
Across the street from the Roman Baths is Bath Abbey. The Abbey has stood here for more than 1,000 years and King Edgar, the first king of England, or as England as we know today, was crowned here in AD973. Inside the abbey the interior is Gothic which was created in Victorian times which is a must to check out.
One of our favourite things to do here is to check out the quirky shops and taste the food in the many restaurants here.
However we feel we would like to give a big shout to The Stable in the centre of Bath. This was the first (and the only) cider bar we've been to and whooooaaaaaa, there is so much cider to choose from. We were wasted here after trying a few ciders. The food is good here also and the staff were a blast. If you want to try cider or different varieties of it, then come here, they are more likely to have what you are looking for. We are pretty sure all the ciders are from the local area or at least the South-Western areas of the island. The cider here is so good that nine months later, Olga gave birth to our first child, Amelie! So beware! He he.
Some more snap shots we would love to share with you of the city of Bath....
Places to visit near Bath
Wells is often referred to as Britain’s smallest city, however it is not. That status goes to the City of London (actually the city in the capital and not everything within the M25), so Wells is the second smallest city in the United Kingdom. Located on the Mendip Hills, it has a population of 12,000 but is classed as a city because of its cathedral which has stood here since medieval times. The city is named after the three wells which are dotted about in the city, located in the market place and the grounds of the Bishop’s Palace and cathedral. The top place to hit up is the cathedral, with its lovely green space in front of it but for me personally, I loved walking around the outside of the Bishop’s Palace which was the home to the bishops of the cathedral. They are both within walking distance. Make sure to take a walk around the moat which surrounds the palace, it is a lovely stroll.
Nearby is Vicars’ Close. Anyone who loves architecture will truly appreciate this street. The street is claimed to be the oldest residential street in Europe with its original buildings intact. The street is thought to have stood here since the fourteenth century and has twenty-seven residency houses, a chapel, a library and a beautiful arched gate at the southern end (which is the gate I walked through when walking to/from the cathedral, can’t miss it). It's not a long street (at 140 meters) but it is still worth checking out.
Not too far away from Wells is the Wookey Hole Caves, a great day out for the family. The caves are a set of limestone caverns located in the village of Wookey Hole which is in the heart of the Mendip Hills. Through the cave system flows the River Axe. Whilst doing the tour here I found out that the caves have been used by humans for over 45,000 years. This is provened as researchers have discovered tools from the Palaeolithic period. These were discovered alongside tools from the Stone Age, Iron Age and from the Roman times. A corn grinding mill has been in existence since the 11th century here whilst a handmade paper mill began operating here since the 1600s, which makes it the oldest papermill remaining in the country. At the end of the tour there was a storage area used in the caves to keep Cheddar cheese (which is made in Somerset) and used to mature due to the constant low temperatures.
During the tour I got to see the Witch of Wookey Hole which is a human-like shaped stalagmite. The legend behind this is that a witch was turned to stone by a monk from nearby Glastonbury. Also the cave has been used for television and movies, the most famous being the Doctor Who episode ‘Revenge of the Cybermen’.
Personally, I found the site to be a bit too touristy but can understand why it is this way, to get children interested in caves and natural habitats. I loved walking around the site, learning about the history, the cave system itself and the cheese (yummy) however I wasn’t into seeing dinosaurs and King Kong. It's just not for me. For more information on Wookey Hole, click here.
Essential information on Bath
How to get to Bath: The quickest way by car is to take the M4 motorway which runs between London and Cardiff and take the Junction 18 turn-off. Head south on the A46 and this goes directly into Bath. There are various other ways to reach Bath from the South and South-West of England, but the quickest way is the M4.
If arriving by train, there are high speed trains which serve Bath Spa train station from London Paddington (and they usually stop at Reading, Swindon and Chippenham on the way). Bath Spa can be reached from Bristol Temple Mead station with connections to the south-west and north of England, and to Southampton and Portsmouth via Salisbury.
The nearest airports are all based around London (Heathrow, Gatwick, City, Stansted and Luton). However the local airports with international flights are Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter. The first place I would go to find airline tickets to the city is using (I would recommend) Skyscanner to find flights as that is my first point of call. Then if necessary use the airlines directly to find a good deal. I sometimes use Momondo as well to compare prices before booking.
Car Rentals - as I do a lot of road trips around the world, I use Rentalcars.com which is very reliable for booking car hire in advance. I also use Turo (the airbnb of car rentals) and never had a problem with them. The cars are insured, owners vetted and never had an issue.
Accommodation: There are a lot of accommodation options and a lot of websites which can do some great deals. My first point of call is always Booking.com and can offer a range of hostels, hotels, campsites, apartments, guesthouses and bed and breakfasts.. After that I always have a look through AirBnb and Vrbo for great deals on apartments and other lodgings especially when traveling as a family.
Currency: England uses the British Pound. Currency can be exchanged at the airports and train stations (for a huge fee) so I would recommend either going to a currency exchange place downtown, to a bank (if they have good rates) or if you got a good bank account with fantastic exchange rates, then use an ATM machine (may incur a small fee but I always do this option as I got good bank accounts). A great website I use to compare currency exchange rates is XE, which gives people up to date information.
Language: England uses the English language and is used all over the country. Just to point out there are many dialects and other languages like Cornish-Gaelic used in the country but everyone who speaks English will understand other dialects from other regions.
Watch out for: As far as I am aware, there are no major scams to look out for. As always in Europe, watch out for the usual pickpockets or any pretty crimes but I felt very safe in Somerset. Also watch out for the amount of cider you drink, it's pretty strong around these parts.
Travel insurance: This is essential to anywhere you go in the world. I always carry travel insurance. Having travel insurance will cover you from theft, illness and those annoying cancellations which can happen on the road. Safety Wing offers coverage for a lot of adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and so forth.
Need a visa for the UK? Always check if you need a visa when coming to the United Kingdom. Since leaving the European Union because of BrExit in January 2020, visa rules apply for those coming from the European Union.
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