Daytrip from London
A
rainy day in London is the perfect time to write about our also wet weekend
get-away to Bath back in February.
We spent nearly 48 hours in this historic city and found plenty to keep us
occupied, although I have heard of tourists seeing this great city in just one
day. If you have the time, I would definitely recommend spending a whole
weekend in Bath. Read on to find out why.
Canary Gin and Wine Bar
The
Canary Gin and Wine Bar is the go-to destination in Bath for gin lovers as its
home to the famous Bath Gin Company. Oddly enough when I asked for a vodka
cocktail I was told that this was a gin bar. Duh! Well, I had a glass of wine
because gin is hubby’s drink of choice not mine. The bar has a cool atmosphere
and is definitely good for a drink IF you like gin cocktails.
Stay at a Historic Hotel
Luckily,
hubby decided to cash in some credit card points so we stayed two nights at the
Francis Hotel – MGallery Collection,
a beautiful townhouse in the heart of historic Bath. The hotel occupies seven
of the nine original townhouses, built between 1728 and 1736 and designed by English
architect John Wood the Elder who is credited with the city’s great
architecture. Wood designed the surrounding townhouses to look out onto Queen
Square in the middle. He even lived at No. 9 because it had the best views of
the square, and this townhouse is now the entrance to the Francis Hotel.
Don’t
miss your chance to see historic Bath from above by taking one of the hourly Bath Abbey Bell Tower tours! After
climbing up more than 200 steps to the top of the tower, you are rewarded with
spectacular views of the city even on a wet, windy day like we had. You’ll also be able
to stand on top of the Abbey’s vaulted ceiling and sit behind the clock face.
Just
because you’re not in the big city anymore doesn’t mean you can’t find a decent
cup of coffee in Bath. We popped into Cascara
for two flat-whites, but the nearby Society
Café would have been a good option too.
The Roman Baths
Visiting
the 2,000-year-old Roman Baths in
Bath is definitely the city’s most popular attraction. On Saturday morning, the
queues to get inside wrapped around the building, but then we learned a trick.
We stopped by the Visitor’s Information building and learned we could buy a
triple-play Museum Saver ticket to the baths, the Victorian Art Gallery and the
Fashion Museum for £21.50, saving us £7, and allowing us to skip the line.
Bloody brilliant!
On
the next day, we arrived about an hour after the museum opened because we
wanted to avoid the crowds, especially in my photos. I love some good ruins and
the Roman Baths did not disappoint. The Romans founded the city of Aquae Sulis around
the natural hot springs and built the great bathing and socializing complex in
70 AD.
Today,
nearly 1.2 million liters of steaming spring water, reaching 46 °C (115°F) still
fill the bathing site every single day. (The steam makes for fantastic photos!)
The Romans believed that this was the mystical work of the Gods, but we now know
that geothermal energy increases the water temperature miles below the surface.
Then, under pressure, the heated water rises to the surface through cracks in
the limestone and fills the Great Bath. Inside the baths, you’ll even find
remains of the ancient heated rooms and the plunge pools. Allow yourself at
least 2 hours to see everything in the Roman Baths and to take photos.
Crossing Pulteney Bridge
Like
the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy, the Pulteney Bridge is one of a handful
of historic bridges in the world with shops built into it. We also found a
good cup of coffee here at the aptly-named Bridge
Coffee House. The bridge, completed in 1774, provided a much-needed
non-waterway connection to the newly-built Georgian town of Bathwick on the
other side of River Avon. The bridge, one of Bath’s well-known images, also is a
UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Explore Georgian Architecture
Since
Bath is known for its Georgian architecture, it’s fun simply to wander through
the city and find these notable buildings. Besides the townhouses on Queen
Square, don’t miss The Circus and the Royal Crescent.
The Circus, named for the Latin
word “circus,” which means a ring, oval or circle, was built between 1754-1768.
Originally called the King's Circus, the three buildings were designed by John
Wood the Elder, but he died less than three months after the first stone was
laid and his son helped finish the plan. Interestingly, the same dimensions of
Stonehenge, 318 feet in diameter is seen in The Circus because Wood was
convinced that Bath had been the main center of Druid activity in the U.K.
Just
a few blocks away, you’ll find The Royal
Crescent, a row of 30 impressive terraced houses laid out in a sweeping
crescent overlooking a large grass field. Designed by the Wood’s son, John Jr.
and built between 1767-1774, this 150-meter long, Grade I-listed building is
noted to be one of the greatest examples of Georgian architecture in the U.K. At
No. 16, you’ll find the luxurious 5-star Royal
Crescent Hotel and Spa, which also has a wonderful Afternoon Tea menu, but
you must book weeks in advance. Sadly, we missed out, but we did peak into the
beautiful spring gardens out back.
Sip on Afternoon Tea
I
think there are at least 10 places where you can have afternoon tea in Bath.
You can read about our high tea experience at the Bath Priory here.
Dress Up at the Fashion Museum
Who
knew that a Fashion Museum could be so fun and that even my partner would like
it? Apparently, the Fashion Museum in Bath is one of the
world’s top 10 museums of fashionable dress. There are more than 160 dressed
figures wearing clothes from the past 400 years – from historic Georgian ballgowns
to simple cotton dresses to cutting-edge fashions by some of today’s leading
designers.
The museum also is housed in part of the Assembly
Rooms, another Georgian building designed by John Wood Jr. in 1769, where locals
used to gather to dance, drink tea, play cards and listen to music. Entry to
the stately Assembly Rooms is included in the Fashion Museum ticket.
Would you like to visit Bath?
Or if you’ve
been, do you have any tips for Bath?
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| I'm obsessed with photographing doors whenever we travel. Here's a small sample from Bath, UK. |
2 comments:
Looks like you had an amazing adventure as always. Thank you for sharing..
One of my favourite places. My parents used to own a small hotel there ( Leighton House) so I have spent many happy days wandering around. Don't forget the new Bath Spa with is fab rooftop swimming pool.
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