parks
Bath's parks are ideal for a summer picnic although local by-laws prevent the drinking of alcohol outdoors. Topless bathing used to be frowned upon but is becoming the norm as the regenerating city becomes more cosmopolitan. The Council maintains all parks to a high standard.
Parade Gardens
(http://www.cityofbath.co....), In the heart of town overlooking the river, this is where the locals come to laze away the afternoon. Small entrance charge for visitors but free to residents. This park normally has a topical floral display and has a bandstand for music in the summer months.Victoria Park
(http://www.cityofbath.co....), Bath's largest park in front of the Royal Crescent. Ideal for ball games or feeding the ducks. Entrance is free. The Botanical Gardens in the north-western corner of the park make for a pleasant wander.Sydney Gardens
(http://www.cityofbath.co....), a free park where Jane Austen used to visit.landmarks
Roman Baths
Built by the Romans around 2000 years ago, and later rediscovered by the Victorians, the Roman Baths are the must-see tourist attraction in Bath. The baths are fuelled by England's only mineral hot springs, outputting over a million litres of hot water each day. You can wander the rooms that made up the baths, including the large open air 'Great Bath', see Roman, medieval, and Georgian architecture, and learn about the history of Bath Spa. The Baths are superbly maintained and the exhibits are filled with eye-popping archaeology. Make sure you get a taste of the "bath" water served in the restaurant. Stall St, BA1 1LZ. ph 01225 477785. Adults £11.50 Open Jan-Feb & Nov-Dec 09.30 - 16.30, Mar-Jun & Sep-Oct 09.00 - 17.00, Jul & Aug 09.00 - 21.00. Closed 25th & 26th Dec. (http://www.romanbaths.co.uk/)Come out of the Roman Baths and you will see:
Bath Abbey
(http://www.bathabbey.org/), open Easter Sunday - end British Summer time 9AM-6PM, other times 9AM-4.30PM - the last Gothic church in England, started in 1499 and built on the ruins of the former Norman cathedral, this impressively large church of small cathedral proportions is located next to the Roman Baths. A place of Australian pilgrimage: Arthur Philip, first Governor of New South Wales and founder of the city of Sydney has his burial and memorial within the Abbey. A wonderful view of Bath can be had with a trip up the Abbey tower 5 pounds.Come out of the main Abbey door, turn right and follow the pavement round the corner past the statue of "The Lady With The Pitcher". Pass some bookshops and a shop selling Blue Glass and cross the road to the entrance to the Parade Gardens. Then follow the road to the left to see:
Pulteney Bridge & Pulteney Weir
(http://www.world-travel-g...) - Was designed by Robert Adam completed in 1773. It is one of only four bridges in the world with shops across the full span on both sides and overlooks the impressive Pulteney Weir. Tourist trips by boat leave from the Weir during summer months.Cross Pulteney Bridge to see:
Great Pulteney Street
Quintessential Georgian street on the other side of Pulteney Bridge. Film location for 2005's 'Vanity Fair' the Reese Witherspoon version. Made for casual strolling past the Laura Place fountain, down to the Holborne Museum, around Sydney Gardens, then back up Great Pulteney Street. Below Great Pulteney Street is the Recreation Ground, home of the Bath rugby union club.Go back in the direction of the Parade Gardens to catch a Hop On Hop Off Tourist bus to take you to:
The Royal Crescent, a magnificent semi-eliptical crescent of houses designed by John Wood and completed in 1774. This was the first of Bath's eight crescents, and its shape remains unique. You can visit one of the houses which has been redecorated to resemble what it would have been like at the end of the 18th century. But you don't need to go in to admire the exterior and its view over Bath. There is also a large semi-eliptical shaped lawn out the front owned by the Royal Crescent residents. It is separated from Victoria Park by a ha-ha. 1 Royal Crescent, BA1 2LS ph 01225 428126. Adults £6. (http://www.bath-preservat...)
Bath's other Crescents
Georgian architecture at its best can be seen at Bath's handful of crescent shaped, residential streets, offering superb views over the city. The Royal Crescent is the most famous, but Camden Crescent offers the best views, Cavendish Crescent is the most petite. Lansdown Crescent and Widcombe Crescent are also fine examples.Sion Hill
Wealthy neighbourhood in the upper part of the city that makes for a pleasant stroll. Attractive Bath stone buildings.Sally Lunn's Refreshment House & Museum
Oldest House in Bath - see below under EatWalcot Street
Bath's 'Camden Town' bohemia with "bargain" antiques and weekend markets.Other attractions include the American Museum in Britain (http://www.americanmuseum.org/) closed Dec 15 - Mar 16, Adult £6.50, the Thermae Bath Spa (http://www.thermaebathspa.com/), Solsbury Hill, the Kennet and Avon Canal, River Avon, St. Catherine's Court, unsure if you can visit, but you can stay there for £6500/weekend! (http://www.stcath.com/), and Beckford's Tower (http://www.bath-preservat...) Adult £3,
museums and galleries
No.1 Royal Crescent
(http://www.bath-preservat...). Visitors can now see this grand Georgian town house redecorated and furnished to show how it might have appeared in the late 18th century. This is what you come to Bath for! Short queues at peak times.The Roman Baths
(http://www.romanbaths.co.uk/). OK, maybe THIS is what you come to Bath for! Unmissable - full stop. Long queues at peak times.The small Building of Bath Museum, in the Countess of Huntingdon's Chapel on the Paragon, (http://www.bath-preservat...). One of the most fascinating museums in Bath. It gives an excellent history of the development of the Georgian city, illustrated with cut-away wooden models which give a better insight than any book into the construction and structure of Georgian houses and their furnishings. It also houses a unique collection of 18th century builder's tools. No queues, off the tourist track - but only 7 minutes walk from the Roman Baths and set in a wonderful Georgian area of the city.
The Museum of Costume, Assembly Rooms, Bennett Street, Bath, BA1 2QH, Tel: +44 1225 477173 A world-class collection of contemporary and historical dress. Adjacent to the Royal Crescent and Circus, (http://www.museumofcostum...).
The Holburne Museum of Arts,Great Pulteney Street, (http://www.bath.ac.uk/Hol...). Displays the treasures collected by Sir William Holburne: superb English and continental silver, porcelain, maiolica, glass and Renaissance bronzes. The Picture Gallery contains works by Turner, Guardi, Stubbs and others plus portraits of Bath society by Thomas Gainsborough.
The Jane Austen Centre, 40 Gay Street, Queens Square, tel +44 1225 443000, (http://www.janeausten.co.uk/). This museum is very popular and a fascinating testament to Jane Austen's lasting appeal. As a museum it is somewhat disappointing as it is in a house where Jane never lived and contains no items with any connection to her unless you count items from recent films.