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Bath

Worth visiting

Added on 09 Mar 2017,

last edited by »biroto-Redaktion« on 12 Apr 2018

Nearby cycle routes and tours

Route nameTypeDist. to route

Fishguard to London

Route

0,2 km

EuroVelo: Capitals Route

Route

0,2 km

Bath - Radstock - Frome - Warminster - Salisbury - Eastleigh

Route

3,5 km

England+Wales round trip

Tour

0,1 km

Newport - Bath

Tour

2,4 km

busy

 

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Type of sights

Heritage building(s)

 

Name and address

Bath

GB-BA1 1NJ Bath

GEO-data

Geodetic coordinates

51.381105 -2.359603

Elevation

29 m

Communication

Bath Abbey
Bath Abbey
Roman Baths, Bath
Roman Baths, Bath
Pulteney Bridge, Bath
Pulteney Bridge, Bath

Bath is a historic Roman and Georgian spa city. It is a World Heritage Site, situated 100 miles west of London and 15 miles (25 km) south-east of the nearest big city, Bristol Wikivoyage Icon. Bath is famous for its hot springs, Roman period baths, Medieval heritage and stately Georgian architecture. Set in the rolling Somerset countryside on the southern edge of the Cotswolds, Bath (population 80,000+) offers a diverse range of attractions for its 4.4 million visitors each year: restaurants, theatres, cinemas, pubs and nightclubs, along with interesting museums, and a wide range of guided tours.

Understand

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 saw some uncertainty emerge in Bath's future, although the reign of Elizabeth I saw the first revival of the town as a spa resort. It was during the Georgian period, however, that Bath came once 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. In 2011 some of those works are substantially complete with a brand new shopping centre near the railway station recently opened.

See

Landmarks
  • Roman Baths, Stall St, BA1 1LZ,  +44 1225 477785. 09:30-17:30 (Nov-Feb), 09-18:00 (Mar-Jun,Sep-Oct), 09-22:00 (Jul-Aug). Built by the Romans around 2000 years ago, and later rediscovered by the Victorians, the Roman Baths are the must-see tourist attraction in Bath. The baths are fuelled by England's only mineral hot springs Wikivoyage Icon, 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. Make sure you get a taste of the "bath" water from the pump in the Georgian Pump Room restaurant. £14/adult, £11.75/seniors, £8.80/child. Wikipedia Icon 

Come out of the Roman Baths and you will see:

  • Bath Abbey, 12 Kingston Buildings, BA1 1LT,  +44 1225 422462. M 09:30-18:00, T-Sa 09-18:00, Su 13-14:30/16:30-17:30. 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 located next to the Roman Baths. A place of Australian pilgrimage: Arthur Philip, first Governor of New South Wales Wikivoyage Icon and founder of the city of Sydney Wikivoyage Icon has his burial and memorial within the Abbey. A wonderful view of Bath can be had with a trip up the Abbey tower (tours hourly, £6/adult, £3/child). free. Wikipedia Icon 

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:

  • Pulteney Bridge & Pulteney Weir. Was designed by Robert Adam completed in 1773. It is one of only four bridges in the world with shops across the full span on both sides and overlooks the impressive Pulteney Weir. Tourist trips by boat leave from the Weir during summer months. 

Cross Pulteney Bridge to see:

  • Great Pulteney Street. Quintessential Georgian street on the other side of Pulteney Bridge. Film location for 2005's 'Vanity Fair' (the Reese Witherspoon version). Made for casual strolling past the Laura Place fountain, down to the Holborne Museum, around Sydney Gardens, then back up Great Pulteney Street. Below Great Pulteney Street is the Recreation Ground, home of the Bath rugby union club.

Go back in the direction of the Parade Gardens to catch a Hop On Hop Off Tourist bus to take you to:

  • Royal Crescent, 1 Royal Crescent, BA1 2LS. A magnificent semi-elliptical crescent of houses designed by John Wood and completed in 1774. This was the first of Bath's eight crescents, and its shape remains unique. You can visit one of the houses which has been redecorated to resemble what it would have been like at the end of the 18th century. But you don't need to go in to admire the exterior and its view over Bath. There is also a large semi-circular lawn out the front owned by the Royal Crescent residents. It is separated from Victoria Park by a ha-ha. 
  • Bath's other Crescents. Georgian architecture at its best can be seen at Bath's handful of crescent shaped, residential streets, offering superb views over the city. The Royal Crescent is the most famous, but Camden Crescent offers the best views, Cavendish Crescent is the most petite. Lansdown Crescent and Widcombe Crescent are also fine examples. 
  • Sion Hill. Wealthy neighbourhood in the upper part of the city that makes for a pleasant stroll. Attractive Bath stone buildings. 
  • Sally Lunn's Refreshment House & Museum. Oldest House in Bath.
  • Walcot Street. Bath's 'Camden Town' bohemia with "bargain" antiques and weekend markets. 
Museums and galleries
  • No.1 Royal Crescent, 1 Royal Crescent, BA1 2LS,  +44 1225 428126. M 12-17:30, T-Su 10:30-17:30, mid-Feb until mid-Dec. Visitors can now see this grand Georgian town house redecorated and furnished to show how it might have appeared in the late 18th century. £8.50/adults, £3.50/child, £6.50/seniors, £6.50/students. 
  • The small Building of Bath Museum, in the Countess of Huntingdon's Chapel on the Paragon. One of the most fascinating museums in Bath. It gives an excellent history of the development of the Georgian city, illustrated with cut-away wooden models which give a better insight than any book into the construction and structure of Georgian houses and their furnishings. It also houses a unique collection of 18th century builder's tools. No queues, off the tourist track - but only 7 minutes walk from the Roman Baths and set in a wonderful Georgian area of the city.
  • Museum of Costume, Bath Assembly Rooms, Bennett Street, BA1 2QH (Adjacent to the Royal Crescent and Circus),  +44 1225 477282. A world-class collection of contemporary and historical dress. 
  • Holburne Museum of Arts, Great Pulteney Street. Displays the treasures collected by Sir William Holburne: superb English and continental silver, porcelain, maiolica, glass and Renaissance bronzes. The Picture Gallery contains works by Turner, Guardi, Stubbs and others plus portraits of Bath society by Thomas Gainsborough. 
  • Jane Austen Centre, 40 Gay St,  +44 1225 443000. The, Queens Square. This museum is very popular and a fascinating testament to Jane Austen's lasting appeal. As a museum it is somewhat disappointing as it is in a house where Jane never lived and contains no items with any connection to her (unless you count items from recent films). 
  • Hershel Museum of Astronomy, 19 New King St, BA1 2BL,  +44 1225 446865. (Adult £5 concessions available). An excellent museum if you are interested in the history of science and astronomy music and culture at the time when Bath was at the height of fashion; it is also a perfectly restored Georgian townhouse of the type lived in by people of 'the middling sort' and the Georgian garden is delightful. William Herschel lived here with his sister Caroline, and it was here that he discovered the planet Uranus using what was then the world's most powerful telescope that he had made himself in his workshop. The museum now has a new gallery for temporary exhibitions.
  • The Museum of Bath at Work. Housed in an eighteenth century Real Tennis Court, the Museum traces the development of Bath a retailing and manufacturing centre. If you want to see a side of Bath that's not in the guidebooks, like victorian factories, this museum is well worth a visit. 
  • Sally Lunn's Refreshment House & Museum. City centre shrine to the original Bath Bun - claims to be the Oldest House in Bath, and it very nearly is - the simple but enjoyable museum in cellars is free if guests take refreshment - see below under eat. 
  • American Museum in Britain. closed Dec 15 - Mar 16. Adult £6.50.
  • Beckford's Tower & Museum +44 1225 460705. Sa-Su 10:30-17, Mar-Oct. A small tower with an interesting history and museum. £4/adult, £3/concessions, £1.50/child, £9/family.

Sleep

Inside the range of 4 km:

  •   The Rising Sun Inn, 3-4 Grove Street, Bath, PC V - VI

    "... Yes we can accommodate storage of bikes as we have a rear garden which is secure."

  •   Abbey Rise B&B, 97 Wells Road, Bath, PC VI - VII

    "... We have a conservatory that is secure for the bikes..."

  •   2 Crescent Gardens B&B, 2 Crescent Gardens, Bath, PC VI - VII

    "... We have a locked courtyard area at the back of the property. No public view."

  •   Holiday Inn Express Bath, Lower Bristol Road, Bath, PC IV - X

    "... we do have a secure storage room for bicycles on our ground floor."

Useful

Inside the range of 4 km:

Information about copyright

Rights characteristic / license

by-sa: CREATIVE COMMONS Attribution-ShareAlike

Link to the description of the license

creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Input taken over from:

Wikivoyage contributors, 'Bath', Wikivoyage, The FREE worldwide travel guide that anyone can edit, 18 February 2017, 16:03 UTC, <https://en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?title=Bath&oldid=3152695> [accessed 9 March 2017]

taken over / edited on

10 Mar 2017 - 12 Apr 2018

taken over / edited by

biroto-Redaktion

Nearby cycle routes and tours

Route nameTypeDist. to route

Fishguard to London

Route

0,2 km

EuroVelo: Capitals Route

Route

0,2 km

Bath - Radstock - Frome - Warminster - Salisbury - Eastleigh

Route

3,5 km

England+Wales round trip

Tour

0,1 km

Newport - Bath

Tour

2,4 km

Added on 09 Mar 2017,

last edited by »biroto-Redaktion« on 12 Apr 2018