Bath - Gateway to the Cotswolds

Bath is, quite frankly, a very cool place. It is a city but manages to maintain small-town charm. It has some of the best and loveliest architecture in all of England and is protected by UNESCO.

From Romans to kings to Jane Austen and her contemporary socialites, it has some of the richest history across the island. Bath is home to a stunning medieval abbey – Bath Abbey. The original structure of the abbey is circa 757. Bath is also home to one of the best examples of a Roman bathhouse outside of the Mediterranean area, as well as some of the most intricate and expansive Georgian facades, a number of museums covering everything from art to literature to history, the endpoint of an impressive canal, which runs 87 miles (140 km), several lovely parks and is surrounded by quintessentially postcard English countryside.

There are plenty of traditional pubs, cosy cafes and quirky bars. Bath is home to the traditional Sally Lunn buns, a type of sweet bread invented in Bath. It’s a great place to try Cornish pasties – southwest England’s delicious and filling street food, and home to plenty of ‘chippers’ where you can gorge yourself on England’s famed fish and chips.

Welcome to Jane Austen’s Bath…

One of Bath’s most interesting features is the Pulteney Bridge. It’s not particularly long – it spans the River Avon in the town centre for 45 metres. It was built to connect the centre of Bath with what was the Pulteney family’s lands (and now a further region of the city) along Great Pulteney Street.

Finished in 1774, Pulteney Bridge is famous for being one of the few bridges in England built to house shops along the bridge itself. After all, Great Pulteney Street was quickly becoming another top address and the Georgian designers wouldn’t want to miss out on the chance to get a few more addresses on the street. Today, it is a Grade I listed structure.

The beloved suburban gardens are named for Prior Park House, built in the 1730s to showcase the versatility of Bath limestone. The Prior Park of today is a quiet, well-manicured landscape garden managed by the National Trust, owing its original appearance to several famous men, including the poet Alexander Pope and the great landscaper Capability Brown.

Like the house, Prior Park is full of 18th century Palladinian architecture, including several follies, a grotto, a temple as well as the famous Palladinian-style “Sham Bridge” (similar in style to Sham Castle, and commissioned by the same Ralph Allen) – a picturesque structure that seems straight out of a Jane Austen novel. Read more about English authors here.

Located a little way outside of town up the slopes of a hill, Prior Park is a lovely place for a stroll and afternoon picnic.

Bath is home to natural hot springs, and the Roman town of Bath sprung up around these springs by way of an intricate Roman bathhouse.

At the Roman baths, you can visit the remarkably well-preserved bathhouse, walk on ancient Roman walkways, check out the remains of the Temple of Sulis Minerva and take a look at the collection of artefacts found here during excavations, including the great sculpted head of Minerva herself. The site is remarkably well-preserved and it’s easy to imagine yourself a Roman citizen out for a spa day with friends.

Though not much else of the Roman era has survived Bath’s many renovations, the bathhouse remains one of England’s most significant Roman sites.

Fancy dipping your toes in Bath’s natural spring waters? There is a modern bathhouse next door using the same spring the Romans would’ve used. Climb the nearby Bath Abbey tower for arial views of the ancient Baths.

The most important vestige of medieval Bath is, of course, Bath Abbey (often mistakenly called the Cathedral) built in the English Gothic style. Bath Abbey isn’t the first (or even second) church to occupy this bit of sacred land at the heart of Bath. But starting in 1499, the present structure was built, tucked in right next to the Roman Baths.

It wasn’t technically finished in its present state until the 16th century (even later, if you want to count some of the minor works that went on in the 1800s), but there’s no doubt that Bath Abbey is at its heart purely medieval. Take one look at that wildly impressive vaulted ceiling or the towering pile of stone comprising the great tower, and you’ll know. It was actually probably the last great cathedral or abbey to climb up to the skies during the Middle Ages.

There are even slight vestiges of earlier eras, such as the Gethsemane Chapel, which is dated back to Norman times (12th century) as well as a few other Norman attributes. It was in this building – or rather the one that predated it – that the first King of England, King Edgar, was crowned, all the way back in 973 CE. The oldest version of Bath abbey was founded in 757 CE and was once a Benedictine Abbey.

Climb the tower to get not only an interesting behind-the-scenes peek at Bath Abbey, but also an amazing view of the city and the Roman bathhouse.

Starting from Bristol and running through Bath all the way to Reading for a total of 87 miles (140 km), the Kennet and Avon Canal is a rather impressive work of engineering. Home to 105 locks that were once manually operated by lockkeepers, this was once a main artery for traded goods.

Though the opening of new railways made it obsolete, the Kennet and Avon Canal is still an impressive place. It is home to a number of houseboats, many of which are lived in year-round, while others serve as holiday homes for those who like the idea of a nautical lifestyle, but also appreciate dry land. There is a path that runs parallel to the Canal and is a great place for walking, running and cycling.