United Kingdom Short Trip Tales
Day One: Bath, Somerset
While the winters are a spoilsport for traveling across the UK the summers offer ample opportunity for road trips to some of the most sought-after architectural and picturesque cities. Last year the Summers of the United Kingdom took us to the beautiful city of Bath, Oxford and the oh-so-loved Stonehenge when we decided to go for a road trip making full use of an extended weekend thanks to the May bank holiday! The trip expanded over three days, starting with Bath. The name of the place raised a number of questions in my mind, as to why was a city literally called Bath? The answers to which however we soon discovered as we delved into the exploration of the Roman history-inspired city of Bath. We drove from Manchester to Bath via M6 and M5. The drive was a beautiful one given the luscious landscapes that the country and its summers offer!
We had rented a five-seater car from the Enterprise (Altrincham). They have franchises strewn all across the UK. All you need to do is find the one closest to your home.
Travel Checks: There are a number of Services strewn across the entire route to Bath, hence if you are traveling with elderly folks or kids do not worry. All you have to do is follow the sign and take a detour into the parking area of the services. They offer amenities ranging from restrooms to food courts to picnic areas as well as petrol refill centers! You name it and they have it!
One word of advice make sure you feed in the exact postcode of the place you are driving to because in the UK the postcode is the main locating parameter for both the Google maps as well as the TomTom. Find below a list of parking area postcodes for Bath.
Name of Parking Area | Post Code |
Avon Street Car Park | BA1 1UF |
Charlotte Street Car Park | BA1 2NE |
Kingsmead Square Car Park | BA1 2AA |
With a population of 88859 a city based in the valley of River Avon, Bath is the largest city in the county of Somerset, England. Bath was named after the Roman-built baths that are still pretty much one of the main tourist interest spots here. In 1987 the city was crowned a World Heritage site.
It took us a good 3 hours to reach Bath via roadways also because it was the first time that we were driving on the UK highways and we missed a couple of turns thanks to the innumerable roundabouts that the UK roads are famous for! Once we reached the city we parked our car in one of the paid parking areas( try to get a place in the one that is closest to the Bath Abbey). From there we started our exploration of the city, starting with the grand Bath Abbey. The first thing that strikes you is the different yellow-stained victorian looking houses that dot the streets of Bath. The architecture is quite different from what you would usually see in and around the UK.
Visit our Facebook Page, Follow us on Instagram, to see more such wonderful pictorial memories from our Bath trip.
Destination One: Bath Abbey
The city of Bath truly transports you to the fairytale land of cobbled and winding streets. Located in the heart of the town centre is the grand Bath Abbey. Built of Bath stone, which gives the exterior a yellow colour, the abbey is a parish church that was founded in the 7th century and then rebuilt in the 12th and 16th centuries wherein major restoration works were done by Sir George Gilbert Scott. It is one of the largest examples of Perpendicular Gothic architecture in the West Country. The Abbey upholds the unique gothic fan vaulting designs alongside the quintessential stained glass designs throughout the church. It contains war memorials for the local population and monuments to several notable people, in the form of wall and floor plaques and commemorative stained glass. The church has two organs and a peal of ten bells. The west front includes sculptures of angels climbing to heaven on two stone ladders, representing Jacob's Ladder.The church is able to seat 1200 an serves as an active place of worship, it also hosts civic ceremonies, concerts, and lectures. The cellars house a heritage museum. There is also a curio shop located inside the abbey from which you can buy memoirs for the trip to Bath. Having soaked our spirits in the beauty of the Abbey we made our way to the Roman Bath that was next on our must-see list of Bath.
Destination Two: The Roman Bath
The city of Bath gets its name from the famous Roman Baths, which are a well-preserved thermae. It is said to have been built way back in the 60-70 CE and its development led to the creation of the small Roman urban settlement around it that was known as Aquae Sulis. Situated at just a minute walk from the Bath Abbey, this place takes you to the glorious history of the Roman empire! The Great Bath is a massive pool that is lined with 45 sheets of lead and is filled with hot spa water. The bath is 1.6 meters deep with a height of 20 meters making it ideal for taking a bath. A large flat slab of stone that is now known as the diving stone serves as the point from where hot water flows into the bath. One can spot men dressed in historical roman costumes around the Great Bath from 10 am to 5 pm. (It is suggested that you check for the timings from their official website linked here as they change with the months.) The site is usually open to visitors from 10 am to 5 pm. The entire tour of the Great Bath is divided into a number of segments out of which the Terrace, the Great Bath, and the Spa Water are more worthy of your time. The entrance is a magnificent Victorian reception hall, the ceiling of which is worthy of gaze and pondering as it is decorated with the images of the four seasons and surmounted by an exquisite dome. From here you can purchase your tickets (although it is better if you pre-book your tickets as sometimes there can be a lot of rush!) The standard tickets cost around GBP 21( per adult). A personal audioguide is provided here(at no extra cost). The Terrace that overlooks the Great Bath is dotted with Victorian statues of Roman emperors and governors of Britain, some of which date back to the 1984s! The other visit-worthy aspect of the Great Bath is the Spa Water which is said to have curative abilities. Today the hot water is mostly used for heating the Roman Baths and the Pump Room site in the winters. The visitors are allowed to the water from a spa fountain in the west baths. The entire tour of this site can easily consume about 30-40 minutes of your schedule. Once we finished our tour we made way to the beautiful Pulteney Bridge.
Destination Three: The Pulteney Bridge
Located at a 3-minute walk from the Bath Abbey is the gorgeous Pulteney Bridge. This place has an old-world charm and you feel like you are part of a storybook tale that describes a city with cobbled streets and the art like waterfront! This bridge was completed in 1774 and crosses river Avon. This bridge connected the city with the land of the Pulteney family. The bridge was designed by Robert Adam and showcases the Palladian style of architecture. What makes this bridge iconic is that it has shops all across its entire span on both sides! This bridge also features on the list of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. We took a lazy stroll across the bridge to the other side of the city and here there were options of eating on restaurants that were literally floating boats on the River Avon. You can also opt for a river cruise if you wish too. We had other places to visit so we made our way via the riverside to reach The Circus which was a 10 minutes walk from the Pulteney Bridge.
Travel Checks: Most of the places in Bath have to be covered on foot, hence the trip will require a lot of walking so be sure to wear comfortable shoes!
Destination Four: The Circus
Some constructions can be better understood when seen from above, the King's Circus (as it was called originally) is definitely one of them. The structure in its entirety can only be realized if seen from above but nevertheless, it is beautiful with its grandeur and old-world charm! Architect John Wood, the Elder having surveyed the Stonehenge which has a diameter of 325feet designed the Circus to be of a diameter of 318 feet to mimic the Stonehenge. The Circus was however completed by John Wood, the Younger after the demise of his father. It was built between 1754 and 1768 and is regarded as a pre-eminent example of Georgian architecture. The name comes from the Latin 'circus', meaning a ring, oval, or circle. It has been designated as a Grade I listed building. The Circus which is considered to be one the masterpieces of John Wood, the Elder forms a historic street of large townhouses in the city of Bath, Somerset, England, forming a circle with three entrances. From here we took the second exit which took us to our next destination of Bath, the Bath Crescent.
Destination Five: The Crescent
Built between 1767 and 1775 designed by John Wood the Younger the Royal Crescent can be easily touted to be one of Bath`s most iconic landmarks. This Georgian architecture inspired structure overlooks the Royal Victorian Garden and forms a 500-foot long crescent that houses about 30 terraced houses. Many notable people have either lived or stayed in the Royal Crescent since it was built, and some are commemorated on special plaques attached to the relevant buildings. Now at present, The Royal Crescent is home to a Five-star hotel The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa, a luxurious haven of elegance and tranquility, a museum of Georgian life at No. 1 Royal Crescent, and private housing. The day on which we had visited Bath was a gorgeous summer day, bright and sunny and the garden was thronging with visitors and citizens alike all basking in the glorious sun and admiring the architectural wonder of this beautiful piece of architectural wonder. From here we went to visit the Royal Victorian Garden.
Date with History: The famous Jane Austen who was a well-known English novelist made Bath her home, from 1801 to 1806. You can visit the Jane Austen Centre in Bath and discover more about this influential writer and her home in Bath. Destination Six: Royal Victorian Garden
Opened in 1830 by the 11-year-old Princess Victoria seven years before her ascension to the throne and was the first park to carry her name, with an obelisk dedicated to her. The area is a beautiful expanse of green parkland, spanning 57 acres. Originally it was designed as a botanical garden and is still home to beautiful botanic gardens and the Great Dell Aerial Walkway. This is a great place to spend a leisure filled summer evening with family and friends. This was our last stop in Bath, from here we made our way towards Elm House, where we were going to stay (this was an entire house) which we had booked via Air BNB and the place was located in Swinden. Find a link to the Air BNB linked here. The day after we had our trip planned to city Oxford, home to the world-famous Oxford University and a must-visit place for all aged Harry Potter fans!
Part Two: Day Two: Trip to Oxford
COMING SOON!
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