Helllllooooooo, feels like I am blogging for the first time. Its been 2 years since I did one. Arghh, long time, I know! Somehow got my blog up and active after what feels like ages. If you are new here, welcome to my blog. And if you have been with me since the beginning, thank you and a tight virtual hug to you. So, I recently moved to the UK and I have been exploring the UK to the best of my capabilities. Its lovely in here. The very first place I visited within a week of landing in the UK was, Bath, also known as the “Great Spa Towns of Europe“.
I absolutely enjoyed every bit of Bath and here’s my 1 day itinerary for Bath, England. It covers all the top attractions that I visited. Bath is a very compact centre and a day trip will be enough time to see the best tourist attractions in the city. It is a tiny city of romance and ruins. I hope this blog takes you on a virtual trip to Bath.
Getting to Bath:
Bath is around 100 miles (160km) west of London and 10 miles (16km) east of Bristol. Bath has good coach and rail connections from London and from most major cities in the UK.
I travelled from Bristol and it took me less than an hour by bus to arrive in this gorgeous World Heritage city and the cost of the bus ride was around 5£ per person – one way.
Exploring sights around Bath:
I started off my day in Bath with a stroll through the city center. The first thing that caught my eyes as soon as I got down from the bus was this pretty looking Sansbury supermarket. It was very inviting and to add to that, musicians were performing on the streets under a humongous lush green tree and the vibe was everything.
Location : Kingsmead Square
After spending sometime enjoying the live performance, we started our walk towards the popular attractions. There’s lovely honey-washed Georgian architecture hugging pristine roads everywhere you go. We first visited Bath Abbey.
Bath Abbey:
The Abbey is open from 10am to 6pm daily. Entry to the Abbey is free but £5 donation per adult is encourage. If you wish to have a bird’s eye view of the city, you could climb the 212 steps of the tower for £10 along with a behind-the-scenes guided tour of the Bath Abbey bell tower.
What a sight!
These structures mostly built in the creamy honey colored “Bath stone” as seen in these pictures totally transport you to another era.
Abbey Churchyard Vibe
You would often see musicians, memes, jugglers, acrobats or other buskers performing in the streets.
Roman Bath:
The famous Roman Baths and the Bath Abbey, are next door neighbours so you won’t have to walk too far to see the two. The Roman Bath was constructed between 60-70AD in the first few decades of Roman Britain. The Roman baths was designed for public bathing and were used until the end of Roman rule in Britain but a century later, they were in ruins. The area around natural springs was redeveloped several times later.
Most Roman cities had at least one Bath – if not many – such buildings, which were centers not only for bathing, but socialising, relaxing and reading as well.
Inside the Roman Baths, you can explore the plunge pools, changing room, and nteractive museum which showcases every detail of Bath’s fascinating history. You even get to taste the mineral rich water which was known for its Magical properties.
Story time: King James II’s younger wife, had a baby, after being “cured” of her infertility and child bearing issues in Bath’s medical waters. Also, thousands of soldiers were put up in Bath in order to recover from war time wounds. There are many such stories attached to powerful waters of Bath.
Entry to most of these historic locations are not free. If you would wish to see the place in and out, make sure to book entry tickets online in advance as its usually fully booked.
Walking tour + Roman Baths Ticket: Book it here
However, I choose to just enjoy the place from outside and soak in the vibe. I likely wouldn’t have spent the money anyhow since I was on a budget trip. There is still plenty of grandeur to appreciate from the outside of the building, isn’t it? 😛
Putney Bridge:
We next made our way to the River Avon to see the graceful arches of the Pulteney Bridge spanning the river. There’s always something special about cities that have a river flowing through its centre, forming the life and heart of a place. This is one of oldest bidges in the world that is completely lined with shops.
Walks along the riverbank was so soothing. I kept walking random streets just for the fun of it. How else would you fall in love with the place? Walking aimlessly around the city while absorbing its sights and sounds is the best way to acquaint oneself with the rich history and culture.
Some of the pictures from the streets of Bath city
And in no time , it was my favourite time – The lunch time, huhe! I grabbed a convenient takeaway lunch from the meal deal section of the Waitrose supermarket very close to the Roman Baths. Sat on a bench in the city’s most touristy street enjoying street music, devouring my favourite pain au chocolate and sushis.
Assembly Rooms & Fashion Museum:
After having lunch, decided to head to the Assembly Rooms. As I stepped inside, just let my imagination run riot as it drifted back in time when these rooms were full of fashionable and eminent people dancing and playing cards just how they show in the Bridgeton Netflix show. The place was rather small and did not take much time to explore.
Entry to Assembly Rooms was free however entry to Fashion Museum cost you £10. I decided to skip it.
Other places that I came across while strolling through the city:
The Cross Bath:
Thermae Bath Spa:
Thermae is an award-winning only Natural thermal Spa, where you can enjoy bathing in the thermal waters of the Minerva Bath and open-air rooftop pool, refresh your senses in the new Wellness Suite and choose from over 50 spa treatments and packages.
Shoot location of the popular Netflix show Bridgestone:
Art Gallery:
St Lawrence St:
I randomly happen to cross this street in search of washrooms and I was so glad I landed here. Absolutely fell in love with the place and spent a good amount of time in here. It was so colourful and full of energy. I could call it easily Insta-worthy. Bdw, I also found the washroom. 😛 So the place was all together a win-win for me.
I then went to the bus stop to head back home as I had other plans. One of the popular locations I missed to cover in Bath is the Royal Crescent. Bath is one place that I can go back to over and over, just for its vibe and of-course, Royal Crescent has to be one other reason for me to visit Bath again.
Every traveler has different choices when visiting a new place. The top places of interest have been outlined above but there are plenty of other things to do in Bath. Also, Bath is a great jumping off point for many interesting places in the surrounding area. With one of the most popular being Stonehenge – the place that we literally grew up watching as our computer wallpaper, hehe! 😛
May be one blog on that too, sometime in near future. 🙂 For now, hope you enjoyed this blog and feel free to leave a comment/feedback. Thank you and see you soon. 🙂
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