Bath Itinerary #BriFri
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Last week’s British Isles Friday posts included a couple of book reviews and this great collection of photos of Nottingham at Junk Boat Travels. Don’t miss them if you’re a Robin Hood fan!
This week I’m sharing my current thoughts on what our itinerary might be for four nights in Bath.
Day 1
After delineating all my options last week for getting to Stonehenge, I’m doing something completely different. I discovered from Rick Steves’ guidebook that Celtic Horizons specializes in both airport transfers and tours. I emailed them and they are going to deliver us door-to-door from Heathrow to the hotel in Bath, via Stonehenge, Avebury, Nunney Castle, and a country inn for lunch.
Richard Pater, late 16th century owner of this castle, was a many-times great grandfather of mine.
This is a pricey service, of course, but by the time I deduct travel costs for some other transport to Bath and the coach tour we would have taken to see Stonehenge, it’s not unreasonable. Add in the extra care we will be getting on the day we need it most, jet-lagged in a foreign country for the first time. And, that we get to see Nunney Castle, a site I thought we would have to skip. And, that this gets us an extra day to tour in Bath. This starts to look like a bargain.
Day 2
10:30 The Mayor of Bath’s Corps of Honorary Guides walking tour of Bath. Widely and highly recommended.
If the weather is nice, a picnic lunch from Guildhall Market to eat in the Parade Gardens. If rainy, eat at The Circus Café. With the same lunch plan for Day 3 in the hope we get to do both.
The Museum of Bath at Work occupies the site of the J.B. Bowler soft drinks and bottling plant.
Museum of Bath at Work. An industry museum in a former Victorian soft drinks factory.
Cross Bath. Rick Steves reports that this annex to Thermae Spa has hotter water and a cheaper entrance fee.
Supper at Same Same But Different.
Day 3
Roman Baths. Opens at 9:00. Reportedly the audio tour is particularly fun.
The Great Bath
Bath Abbey. Especially if the sky is clear and we can catch a guided tour to take us up in the tower.
See Day 2 for lunch ideas.
Building of Bath Collection. Architectural history of Bath.
Topping and Company Booksellers.
Supper at Rustico Bistro Italiano.
Day 4
Day trip to Bristol (about 15 minutes by train).
Brunel’s SS Great Britain. World’s first great luxury steamliner, fully restored.
Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol
Lunch at The Cottage Inn, with a view of Clifton Suspension Bridge, another Brunel design.
M Shed. Industry museum.
Supper back in Bath at Old Q Bar which has a seasonal menu on Saturday nights.
Sounds like a great plan!
Bath is so fun, you will LOVE it!!!!
I think you are making the right decision re: transport to Bath. Plus you get an extra day!!
Sounds like a great plan! I remember the tour at Bath very well and yes, we did the audio tour and it was very informative! You will have an amazing time!
What an awesome trip you’re going to have. Can’t wait for pictures and your thoughts.
Sounds like a great plan. Meeting up with someone who knows the ropes especially when you land is a good idea.
I’m exhausted reading about that itinerary. You’ve discovered places I knew nothing about even though I have been to bath many times ( I live about 90 mins by car from the city). One eating place I recommend is this vegetarian restaurant. It specialised in organic food and is quite different. http://www.acornvegetariankitchen.co.uk
In Bristol, if you are at the as Great Britain then you are in walking distance of st Nicholas market where they have food stalls which are much more interesting than restaurants.
Thanks! Both the vegetarian restaurant and the market food stalls sound like just the thing we would enjoy!
I like the idea of the tour from Heathrow to Bath. I’ll have to check them out for my trip. Also looking up that vegetarian restaurant!
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This sounds like such a great plan. I did a one day tour of Stonehenge and Bath last summer and it is definitely an area I could have spent more time in! I actually liked the Roman baths more than Stonehenge (which was my initial reason for taking the tour). Next time I will have to visit that bookshop and see if I can make it out to the castle
Looks as though you’re fully booked! Stonehenge and Avebury are wonderful. Look out for Silbury Hill near Avebury, the largest man-made mound in Europe. https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/silbury-hill/
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