Travel / bath
48 Hours in Bath
Our boat slowly backed up towards Pulteney Weir after a short journey in which we had spotted a peregrine falcon halfway up a church spire and a kingfisher hiding in some bushes.
Over the weir is Pulteney Bridge, which we had walked over numerous times during our short stay in Bath but only from the water could fully appreciate it; one of only four bridges in the world to have shops across its full span on both sides.
The bridge is a masterpiece of Georgian architecture and grandeur – but it’s not just about Georgians and their Roman forebears in Bath as we discovered during two days of exploring, basing ourselves in 23 Daniel Street, a splendid four-storey townhouse in Bathwick, just a short stroll from the city centre.
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What to do in Bath?
- The Roman Baths, Abbey Church Yard, BA1 1LZ
The Roman Baths is below the modern street level and has four main features: the sacred spring, the Roman temple, the Roman bath house and finds from Roman Bath – photo: Martin Booth
To best understand Bath’s history, a trip to the Roman Baths is essential. Step back in time more than 2,000 years to the temple to the goddess Sulis Minerva, walk through the bathing complex fed by hot water from the sacred spring and even see a fully-working Roman drain.
The boat tour starts near reminders of Bath’s industrial heritage, including a former corset factory – photo: Martin Booth
The 30-minute boat ride is followed by a 50-minute walking tour – photo: Martin Booth
A dual tour which starts on the water – seeing where that Roman drain flows into the River Avon, and a kingfisher and peregrine falcon if you’re lucky – and finishes on land, giving different vantage points and different experts’ perspectives on their own city, from where to visit next to where to eat and drink.
- Holburne Museum, Great Pulteney Street, BA2 4DB
The Holburne Museum was Bath’s first public art gallery – photo: Martin Booth
Just a few hundred yards from 23 Daniel Street is the Holburne Museum, which began as the private collection of Sir William Holburne (1793-1874). (The Holburne family derived a large part of their wealth from Britain’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade in the Caribbean.) We were recommended to start at the top of the grand former house – which was the home of Lady Danbury in the very first episode of Bridgerton – and work our way slowly down to the bottom, on the way especially enjoying an exhibition of pottery by Lucie Rie.
- Sydney Gardens, Sydney Place, BA2 6NH
Sydney Gardens was a favourite place for Jane Austen (although this playground is only a year old) – photo: Martin Booth
Sydney Gardens was a favourite place for Jane Austen. Located behind the Holburne Museum (and somewhere we actually discovered by accident after arriving at the museum before it opened) it is a Grade II listed park that opened in 1795, and has lawns and walkways as well as both a railway line and canal running through it. My two daughters spent their time, however, in the excellent playground. As they played, I enjoyed a coffee from the Roasted Lemon, a small kiosk at one of the entrances to the park. Which leads us onto…
Where to eat and drink in Bath?
- Sally Lunn’s, 4 North Parade Passage, BA1 1NX
Half a bun is usually served at Sally Lunn’s so diners might either get a top or a bottom, with tops generally used for sweet buns and bottoms for the savoury – photo: Martin Booth
Is it a bun? Is it a bread? Is it a brioche? The Sally Lunn bun is baked to a secret recipe in one of the oldest houses in Bath, where the young Huguenot refugee Solange Luyon – later anglicised to Sally Lunn – came to Bath in 1680 after escaping persecution in France and began baking a style of French festival bread that she would have been familiar with from her home country. Today, Sally Lunn’s is open from 10am to 9pm seven days a week, serving the-bun-that-is-not-a-bun as either a sweet or savoury treat from a book-sized menu.
- Bath Pizza Co, Green Park Station, BA1 1JB
Bath Pizza Co is the sister restaurant of Green Park Brasserie, with both located in the former Green Park station, previously on the Midland railway line which is now the Bristol & Bath Railway Path – photo: Martin Booth
Enjoy award-winning pizzas in the grand surroundings of a former railway station that contains a number of independent shops as well as the Bath Pizza Co and its sister restaurant Green Park Brasserie. Our delicious pizzas were brought to our tables by the chefs who made them. I recommend the BBQ chicken: free range chicken, bacon, homemade barbecue sauce, spring onions and sweetcorn. Or if you’re feeling adventurous, make your own pizza starting with a classic margherita and adding any three toppings.
- The Architect, The Empire, Orange Grove, BA1 1LP
The Architect encompasses part of the ground floor and basement of the Empire Hotel – photo: Martin Booth
A Sunday lunch at The Architect is a must if you are in Bath on the Sabbath day. Overlooking Pulteney Bridge with a small terrace that looks out onto the Abbey, the high-ceilinged restaurant is a room full of booths into which four more Booths squeezed. We each had a different roast – roast beef, beef and porchetta, braised shoulder of lamb, and a nut roast – which all came with a Yorkshire pudding and all the trimmings.
Where to shop in Bath?
- Mr B’s, 13-15 John Street, BA1 2JL
The children’s book section at Mr B’s is a particular delight – photo: Martin Booth
Officially one of the best bookshops in the world, Mr B’s is a rabbit warren of a space that is easy to get lost within. If you do find yourself disorientated, look for the bathtub, and walk under the signed luggage labels until you find the family of sloths. The Mr B’s team pride themselves on “opinionated bookselling” and “extreme customer service”, and are always glad to give recommendations.
- Magalleria, 5 Upper Borough Walls, BA1 1RG
Magalleria promises “escapism, entertainment, news and entertainment” – photo: Martin Booth
As a magazine editor, a shop that only sells magazines is my kryptonite. Magalleria is just that shop and it is an absolute delight seeing the printed word not just surviving but thriving within the pages of these beautiful magazines from across the world.
Where to stay in Bath?
- 23 Daniel Street, Bathwick, BA2 6ND
The kitchen is on the basement level of 23 Daniel Street – photo: Sykes Cottages
Daniel Street may be in the suburb of Bathwick but it is still contained within Bath’s World Heritage Site, with this four-storey four-bedroom home part of a Grade II early 19th century terrace of townhouses. Plentiful heritage touches go hand in hand with modern amenities, with everything you need for a luxurious stay. And it’s possible to have an epic game of hide & seek.
Sleep like a king on the king-size bed – photo: Sykes Cottages
The spacious sitting room can easily seat eight people – photo: Sykes Cottages
Our favourite room at 23 Daniel Street was the conservatory – photo: Sykes Cottages
To find out more things to do in Bath, visit www.visitbath.co.uk.
Main photo: Martin Booth
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