Roman baths, museums, colourful City, wonderful walks
Disadvantages:
Can get very crowded
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
If I had to pick three of my favourite Cities they would be Chester, Bath and London in that order. Luckily I have relatives who live near to both Chester and Bath - I suppose I'll just have to suggest someone moves down to the London area, then I'll have free bed and breakfast in all three Cities!
In some ways of course Chester, York and Bath are quite similar. Each contains Roman relics and architecture, each has a river to walk along and museums and historical buildings abound. All have the usual mainstream shopping centres as well as a wealth of antique and bric-a-brac shops.
I first visited Bath some years ago as my sister lives in the Bristol area. I loved this City from the outset. It was June at that particular time and both the Town Centre and the outskirts were adorned with baskets of colourful summer bedding plants. Street performers could be seen on every street corner, giving the City a carnival like air and almost all of them were particularly talented and entertaining to watch.
Naturally Bath is famous for it's Roman spas which were built around 2000 years ago and are located in the town centre. The baths were built around a hot spring which has a constant temperature of 45 degrees. The spring was discovered by the Victorians buried under tons of mud and the baths are of course now visited by thousands of tourists throughout the year. Open between 9.00 am. - 6.00 p.m in the summer and 9.30am - 5.30 pm in winter, long queues often build up and certainly it is best to avoid going there mid morning when they are at their worse. There is free admittance for disabled people, but otherwise the price scale is £6.20 - adult, £4.00 per child, £6.00 OAP. Alternatively you can purchase a family ticket for £17.00.
It works out rather cheaper to buy a combined ticket to both the baths and the Costume Museums and again a family ticket is somewhat cheaper again at £22.00 against £8.20 per adult, £5.20 per child or £7.80 per OAP.Certainly the Costume Museum is worth a visit - the costumes changing regularly to show clothes in latter day times.
Because of the huge amount of visitors to the area, it is always best to book your ticket to the Roman baths etc., in advance and if you want to really view them properly you should give yourself several hours to do so. Children can be kept amused by the computers located here simulating how life was at the time.
Located nearby are the Cross Street Baths, however these are currently being renovated but hopefully should be open later in the year. Alternatively why not visit Bath Abbey which is Gothic in style and quite a sight to see when you are approaching the Bath area from the outlying hills and countryside. Street performers are here to entertain visitors throughout the year.
If you are lucky with the weather during your visit you may wish to take a look at Royal Crescent with its fine Georgian architecture. It is here that a scene from Oliver was filmed (when he is singing Who will buy whilst looking out of the window). Bath's famous Circus was once the residence of the famous artist Gainsborough and his house I believe can be viewed by the public. If you are feeling energetic go a little further and view the Georgian buildings located on Lansdowne Hill with it's golden view back to the City.
Another celebrity with Bath origins is Jane Austen who lived there for 5 years in the l800s and naturally there is a museum devoted entirely to her. This is located between The Circus and Queen Street and is open all year. Jane uses Bath as a background in several of her books and naturally it is possible to buy these works in the museum.
Another Museum worth viewing (if only from the outside alone) is the Victoria Museum with its domed roof. This can be viewed from the Poultney Bridge which crosses the River Avon. Alternatively, why not take a stroll along the river itself. If you are really fit it is possible to follow the Bath to Bristol Pathway which was once the old railway line and there are several pubs to stop in along the way.
For the children there are several parks in the area. The Royal Victoria Park holds many events throughout the year, including circuses, musical extravaganzas and for the gardeners there are of course flower shows. Tennis Courts, bowling greens and crazy golf can be found here as well as a Botanical Garden.
The antique shops located throughout the City can be quite pricey and it is better to look more to the outskirts of the town if this is your interest as more competitive prices are on offer there. Look out for the arcades where you will be able to find anything from antique lace to old Noddy books.
The usual Marks and Spencer,Littlewoods, etc., are located in the main City Centre and there is of course no shortage of eating places both expensive and reasonably priced. Personally, I prefer to picnic on the banks of the River if it is a fine day.
Bath is a beautiful and historical City and well worth a visit. Located approximately 100 miles from London it is easy to get to by train. If however you are travelling by car parking is best just outside the City near to the Park as the walking distance isn't too bad as long as you are active.
With the Cheddar Gorge, Bristol, Wells or even Minehead if you don't mind going a bit further located within easy travelling distance, Bath is a City not to be missed. I would certainly recommend you go there if you are interested in taking a break in the Avon or Somerset area.
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