10 Things to do in Bath

On March 22, 2019
By Shruti
Comments Off on 10 Things to do in Bath

This list of 10 things to do in Bath is also the best things to do in Bath, covering experiences from sightseeing, guided tours, food and spa. You need a full day in Bath to just literally and metaphorically soak in the culture and history. If you have just 1 day in Bath like I did, you may want to pick choose based on your interest and time constraints. See this post to know how best to reach Bath from London.

Free Guided Walking tours by Mayor of Bath Honorary Guides Without a doubt this is one of the best things to do in Bath. The tours are conducted almost every day of the year with the exceptions of Christmas and some major holidays probably. The day I visited Bath, they had the famous Bath half marathon and still the tour did not cancel. These are free tours that are conducted by volunteers who are part of Bath’s local community (honorary guides). The 2 hour tour starts promptly at 10:30am and 2pm in front of the Roman Bath Entrance, at the square between Roman Baths and Bath Abbey. Depending on the size of the group its divided into smaller groups of about 10 each and they go in different directions. Typically it isn’t one route that they follow but they all cover the key sights in Central Bath. Due to the road closures because of Marathon, I got a bit late in reaching the square in time so I missed the first 5-10 minutes of the tour. However, the person at Roman Baths directed me to look in a particular direction and within a minute I found 2 tours and I just joined one of them. Bath is a really small place and these guides are recognizable by the badge they wear (see here for details). The walk takes you around King’s mead, Queen’s Square, Royal Crescent, some interesting buildings along the way and Hanging Loos of Bath. The best part of these guided tours is the stories these guides regale you with. From how the hanging loos of Bath came about to how Bath was being developed at one point as the Rome of England. With many of the first of its times not just in architecture like a single public square, palladian style town houses, a museum and a theatre but also in financing and leasing.

This building had 3 layers of excavation which revealed what the place was at 4 different points in history: First being the theatre building, second being a clay pipe factory and the last one being Medieval streets and house remenants

Hanging Loos of Bath: Notice the blue-grey structure distinctly jutting out in the rear side of the townhouse: The Loo that was created years after the building was constructed. More commonly known as the Hanging Loos of Bath

Roman Baths
This city is called Bath because of these Roman Baths. Hence these are next on the best things to do in Bath list. Roman Baths have a special significance since 1st century AD. People from all around the Roman world came to visit Roman Baths, Sacred Springs and the temple of Sulis Minerva since 76 AD when the first baths and temple buildings were completed. The natural hot water springs were considered sacred and magical. The water is extremely mineral rich and at the end of your visit to the Roman Baths, you can actually taste the hot spring water which is extremely salty given the amount of mineral concentration. Best time to visit these Roman Baths is actually either early morning as soon as the Baths open (8am) or in the afternoon right after finishing the free guided walking tour. The Baths are open till 6pm in winters, with the last entry at 5pm. You get a 10% discount on buying tickets online and don’t have to wait in the serpentine queues to get them. Things to look for in Roman Baths: The Great Bath and sacred spring, life like screens to showcase how the Roman life might have been in those Baths, the origins of the hot water spring and how it comes to these Baths, Architecture and stone fragments from the historical Roman Baths, Temple complex structure and more about Roman worship.

Notice the steam floating on the water in these Baths. It was a very windy day when I visited and steam from the Hot water was almost visible. People are not allowed to take a dip or touch the water in these Baths now for preservation

Roman emperors statues on the terrace, Roman Baths, Bath

This is the terrace surrounding the central Roman Bath. The terrace has statues of Roman emperors before and during these Baths were constructed

Seagulls are a common sight in all of Bath, UK

Sun God Sol from the temple courtyard, Roman Baths, Bath — Seagulls are a common sight in all of Bath, UK

Bath Abbey Bath Abbey is a fully functional abbey with ongoing services at the Abbey. You could admire the wonderful architecture, enjoy exceptional music in a beautiful setting or just join in a prayer at the abbey. While there are no entrance tickets, they have something called suggested donations specified by the Abbey (different for children, students, adults and families).
I have included this is the top 10 things to do in Bath due to its lovely stained glass work.

Stained glass windows of Bath Abbey — Bath Abbey, Bath, UJK

Try fudge, cornish pastry and scrumptuous cakes in many of the bakeries around Bath Right in front of the Roman Baths is the square or the market-y area that boasts of many a pastry shops and fudge shops. When in Bath, do try the cornish pastry which seems to be some sort of a specialty in Bath. The Cornish Pastry shop runs out of almost all of them by end of the day. Do note that the shops and cafes are open typically only till 5pm or 6pm, so make sure to take your pick of the Cornish Pastry or try some awesome fudges for free before sundown.

Visit to the Jane Austen Center If you are a fan of the Jane Austen novels, this is one must stopover for you. Bath has a special significance for Jane Austen and her novels as she paid two long visits to Bath towards the end of the eighteenth century, and from 1801 to 1806 Bath was her home. It also provides the backdrop to two of her novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, and features in her other novels and in the collection of letters to her sister, Cassandra.

Spa in one of the thermal Spa (Thermae Bath Spa) or in the Georgian Townhouse
Walk the Skyline While I was not able to do this thanks to the long immigration lines at the airport, I have heard a lot about this super rewarding morning activity for spectacular views and suitable for all fitness levels.
Pulteney Bridge: A Palladian treasure This is one of the only four bridges in the world to have shops across its full span on both sides. The other 3 being in Florence, Venice and Erfurt (Germany). Built of limestone in a classic Palladian style, its a sight to look at due to the semi circular water fall created in the river. For another interesting bridge, see Galata Bridge in Turkey. Although it is not one of the four inhabited bridges in the world, it is probably the only bridge in the world that has 2 floors running on a bridge – A place with shops and another to walk and the train to pass.

Notice the weir (low head dam) created across the width of River Avon in Bath

Experience the classic English afternoon tea in one of the Georgian Tea Rooms in Bath
Walk along the River Avon This is another rewarding walks in Bath. Take just a leisurely stroll along river Avon, to see the townhouses and the small houseboats you could rent. The steps in the rear of the townhouse go all the way to river Avon and is as picturesque and as Georgian as one can imagine.