How to have a perfect weekend in Bath, England (even in a Pandemic)

Despite the best efforts of the World to end I have managed to fit in not one but TWO mini breaks since Covid became the defining feature in all of our lives (look out for the upcoming blog post on going to France soon).  

Having just returned from a weekend in Bath I'd thought I'd share my views and continue to spoil the UK's worst kept secret. 

Bath is a beautiful little city (it's more of a town really!) in the South West of England and well worth *at least* day trip if you're based in London. Easy to get there and you can, if you want to extend your stay in the West Country, go onto both Bristol and Stonehenge with little fuss. 

Also the local accent is great! If anyone kinda sounds like a pirate that really is how they speak, they're not just messing with you!

How to get there:

I'm going to assume that if you're an international tourist (a rare breed these pandemic riddled days) that you'll be based in London. 

In that case you have two main options; to drive, or to train. 

REMEMBER Bath was primarily built in the Georgian era (1700-1800s), they did not design the town to have lots of cars in it!

Personally I took the train and would highly recommend it. Great Western Rail (GWR) is, in my humble opinion, the best rail franchise in the country.

Bath is quite a small town and only took me about half an hour to walk end to end with minimal hills and smooth sidewalks (barely a cobble to be seen). There's also plenty of benches in the main shopping district as well as numerous cafes so you can sample all the scones to your heart's content while you wander. 

Because of how easy it is to walk I would actually advise against driving there. There is some parking available but I have a lot of family who've driven hours only to find they can't park for love nor money and had to turn around. I have a big family, they all hate Bath due to being disappointed so many times by the lack of parking. 

The trains take about 90 minutes from London leave from Paddington Station, so make sure to pack your marmalade sandwiches and beware any Peruvian bears that may be about when you catch them.

Where to stay:

I stayed at the YMCA. What can I say: it was a YMCA, the staff were helpful and friendly, the room and bathroom were clean. I only stayed the one night but would have stayed longer if I had time and would stay there again. Also the free tea and coffee in the morning helped, even if I didn't stick around for breakfast, too much to do!

I have also heard from a friend that the hotel in the Royal Crescent is very swish. So if you're looking for somewhere a bit fancier or romantic maybe try there. But alas, for this terminally single, student to the YMCA it was. 

Itinerary:

Day 1:

Train from London to Bath:

8:00 - 9:30: Take the train from London Paddington to Bath Spa. (I'm an early bird, can you tell? If you want to skip the early morning then just get a train the night before).

The Roman Baths:

This may need to be booked ahead, if you're traveling in peak season (or during a pandemic). You *can't* go to Bath and skip the Baths!

Unfortunately you can't actually swim in the historic baths, however bear with me and we'll get to that!

A tour of the Baths should take about 2-ish hours and is a great starting point to learn about the recorded history of Bath.

High Tea at the Pump Room:

Right next to the Roman Baths is the Pump Room. Mentioned in Jane Austen's books. It is possibly the most expensive cream tea I have ever had at £34.50 per person, but totally worth it (can confirm the gluten free option is really good!) I would advise skipping breakfast, though they will box up anything you can't manage in one sitting. 

NB: A quick note here. I forgot this was supposed to be a bit fancy so I felt a bit underdressed in my weekend jeans and t-shirt. There's no dress code, and most people were wearing jeans, so maybe upgrade to nice jeans at the very least. 

Bath Abbey:

Once you've finished adding a few inches to your waistline at the Pump Room go for a visit in the Abbey and try and reclaim your waistline by climbing the tower. The Abbey runs tours multiple times a day and the staff are really helpful too. 

Whether you climb the tower or not (I couldn't because of the pandemic limiting access to the tower) have a wander round the building itself. The ceiling alone makes it worth going in there.

It's the local CofE parish Church so for those of you religiously inclined you could also attend a service there. (Though in this time of Covid I believe you have to book a place if you want to go).

Hop on Hop off Bus:

The start of the route is just outside of the Abbey and really gives a wonderful overview of the town.

Once you've finished the tour have a mooch through the shopping district, be sure to poke around Guildhall Market. (FYI Guildhall Market is closed on Sundays so if your day 1 is a Saturday this might be your only chance). I recommend picking up some Turkish delights from La Qum which can be found in The Corridor

Dinner:

If you're starting to feel hungry again, or didn't finish your cream tea in one sitting (like some people did) then I would recommend going to the historic Saracens Head pub (and if you're staying at the YMCA drop off your bags/check in). My go to is bangers and mash with a pint of cider, but you do you!

Thermae Spa:

You know how I said earlier that you can't swim at the *Roman* Baths earlier. Well, that's where the (potentially) single most expensive thing I'm going to recommend comes in. 

The Thermae Spa is the modern equivalent to what the Romans had. (Insert joke here about “What have the Romans ever done for us?”). I had the hot bamboo massage which was lovely and left me feeling all noodly afterwards so getting to soak in the spring water in the rooftop pool was just *chef's kiss* glorious. When I went there there were two pools open (the rooftop and an indoor one) but they normally have a complex with saunas and cold plunges too which you have two hours to explore before/after any treatments you may have. It cost me about £90 for the whole experience, but it is cheaper without the treatment. Add it into your budget along with transport and accommodation costs.

Day 2:

Breakfast:

If you get up bright and earlier you can beat the crowds and take the mandatory pictures for instagram at Pulteney Bridge. Pick up a take out breakfast, weather permitting, from one of the cafes on the bridge. (If it's raining, eat in while admiring the views of the weir). If you cross over the bridge you can hang out in the riverside park while you have your breakfast.

No.1 Royal Crescent:

Once you are sufficiently fed and caffeinated mosey on over to the Royal Crescent. Personally I thought that the Circus which you pass through on the way there was cooler, but the Crescent was *the place* to be in the Georgian era. If you get there early you won't have as many people to compete with to get that IG worthy panorama pic. (I say that as if it's heaving with tourists. It's not, and there's a beautify park that you can relax in while you take in the views). Once you have taken in this glory of architure take a tour of No.1 Royal Crescent Museum. One of the original town houses that has been restored to its former period glory. It's quite a small museum but it's really beautifully laid out with plenty of information about life in Georgian society for the well heeled. I also really appreciated how they've started adding notes about how much of this oppulance came from the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, as most of those who would have had property on the Royal Cresnt would have been slave owners. Hopefully this approach is something more museums begin to incorporate into their exhibitions too.

Jane Austen Museum:

Due to the covid-19 outbreak this is where I would have gone to Jane Austen Museum or the Fashion Museum, however both were temporarily closed at the time of writing, so I shall just have to go back!

NB: In the before times you could buy combined tickets for the Roman Baths, Jane Austen Museum, and Fashion Museum. This would be my plan as it would cost a fraction of the price. 

Lunch:

Boston Tea Party has a location just round the corner on Alfred Street. I can attest that the smoked salmon and scrambled eggs on toast is great. (Though that's basically the only gluten free option apart from salads, so be aware). It's a lovely light filled room (with free wifi) so if you needed to get some work done I'd recommend you skip the Starbucks and head there instead. 

Fashion Museum:

Again because of the World's current best efforts to end this is where I would go next but wasn’t able to, and is top of my wishlist when it reopens. This dress history nerd will not be denied!

Promenade Park:

Head back through the main town poking around any shops that tickle your fancy on the way to the Promenade Park. (NB: if your day 2 is a Sunday many may be closed after 4pm). 

This is a beautify little park to take in the Wier and Pulteney Bridge from a slightly different angle. If you're there during the Spring or Summer the park will be in full bloom, even in Fall and Winter there's still enough flowers and greenery out that it's well worth having a wander round and relaxing in.

Dinner at Sally Lunn's: 

If you're hoping to try an authentic Sally Lunn's Bath Bunn try and get there well before 4pm as they normally sell out by then. Even if they have sold out you can still have a lovely dinner there. (I skipped the dinner and went straight for the cream tea, which I am pleased to report they have a gluten free option). But the proper meat and two veg dinners also looked delicious.

It's got all the old world charm and health and safety defying doorways you could hope for in the oldest teahouse in Bath.

Train to London:

If you, like me, have to be back in work on Monday this is when you would bid fare thee well to Bath and head back to London Paddington. 

Extra Day 3:

Stonehenge:

If you are planning on spending the extra day in the Westcountry you *must* absolutely MUST go to Stonehenge! 

Most hostels will run day trips to the henge if you ask for a small additional fee. (Due to the aforementioned pandemic and needing to be back at work on Monday it wasn't possible for me to go but is also on my do-list for next time.)