Last Updated on May 28, 2024
Introduction
Bath is just 75 minutes by train from London but it feels like a world away. Its golden Georgian centre is so compact and walkable that it’s possible to pack in a lot in a short visit. Still, I was amazed by how much ground I covered in 24 hours.
A visit to this historic city can be about more than just culture, architecture and imagining you’re a Jane Austen character on your way to a ball at the Assembly Rooms. There are plenty of activities on offer: from the sporty to the arty to the supremely relaxing. By the time I left Bath, I’d done three things I’d never done before: paddleboarding, flower arranging and glassblowing. I’d also eaten some delicious food, stayed in great comfort at the Hotel Indigo Bath, visited three museums – including the Roman Baths by torchlight – and luxuriated at Thermae Bath Spa.
Paddleboarding with Original Wild
It was what one might charitably call a grey day, so I was worried I’d made a mistake in signing up for a two-hour tour of Bath by paddleboard.
Bath-based outdoor adventure company Original Wild offers the chance to see Bath from the peaceful perspective of the river Avon while getting a bit of exercise too. They provide all the equipment you need, ie board (or kayak if you choose that option), paddle, waterproofs and life jackets and, most vitally, they accompany you on your trip. For beginners, the aim is to start off kneeling or sitting and build up to standing.
Two fellow paddleboarders, much braver and younger than I am, celebrated reaching the weir at Pulteney Bridge (above) by jumping off their boards into the murky, unwarm river. I believe we travelled about 4km in all and have to admit that I was seriously aching by the end. Our guide kindly offered to tow me for the final section – a great relief.
I’m very glad I finally made it onto a paddleboard and would definitely recommend it as a way to see Bath from a fresh point of view.
Bath Aqua Glass – Summer glassblowing
Bath Aqua Glass run a city-centre shop filled with their own handblown glassware. They also welcome people at their workshop to watch the glassblowers at work or even to have a go. I visited to find out more about glassblowing and to participate in a bauble-making session in which you watch a professional do all the difficult bits but choose your own colour mixture and get to blow your bauble.
A few days after my return home my very lovely bauble turned up (well-wrapped) in the post. It will hang in a window for now, catching the light, and move to the tree at Christmas.
There are several more advanced classes available at Bath Aqua Glass, from making a paperweight through to spending half a day with a glassblower as well as stained-glass courses.
Bath Flower School at the Abbey Hotel
I went along to the Abbey Hotel for an early-evening session of flower arranging and cocktails. The plan was to learn how to make flower crowns while sipping delicious Pornstar Martinis in the Abbey’s stylish Art Bar – a good combination.
Our hosts for the event, Saffy and Verity from the Bath Flower School, believe that everyone is creative and run fun floristry classes to help people discover their artistic side. They are enthusiastic teachers who hold workshops for people of all levels of experience – from complete beginners (ie, me) to professional florists.
After a quick demonstration and lots of helpful tips on how to get started, we were unleashed on a large display of beautiful flowers and floristry equipment. We all set about making our own crowns, gently encouraged to build them in our own style.
I was pretty pleased with my own “masterpiece”, though it ended up looking more like a flowery fascinator than a crown. A fun experience in a lovely hotel bar.
Thermae Bath Spa
One can’t really go to Bath without “taking the waters”. And, as I discovered, the perfect place to recover from paddleboarding down the Avon is Thermae Bath Spa. I headed there the following morning and emerged with my creaking bones warmed and soothed by the waters of the City’s famous hot spring.
I’ve seen photos of Bath’s famous rooftop thermal pool and had long dreamed of going for a swim with a view. Even the gentle rain couldn’t dampen my spirits as I floated in the blissfully warm spring water.
This isn’t the only highlight of Thermae Bath Spa. I loved the extensive Wellness Suite where one can roam between various steam and infrared rooms to the ice chamber and back. There’s even a Celestial Relaxation Room – think Disney’s Space Mountain level of twinkliness but without the rollercoaster. My favourite though was the Roman Steam Room, a boiling sensory experience where the steam is so thick that you can barely see. I did not last long in there.
The infrared room offers the welcome relief of dry heat.
Holburne House
I started my exploration of Bath’s cultural attractions at Holburne Museum. It is now also known as Lady Danbury’s house – confusing for anyone who doesn’t watch Bridgerton.
This is a charming small museum set in a Grade I listed building at the end of Great Pulteney Street and well worth a visit. The standing collection contains works by Gainsborough, Stubbs, Ramsay, Bruegel and Zoffany, among others. It also hosts temporary exhibitions of historical and contemporary art.
The current exhibition – Painted Love: Renaissance Marriage Portraits – contains some true treasures and runs until 1 October 2023. It is a must see for anyone interested in the development of family group portraiture.
The Roman Baths Torchlit Summer Lates
I jumped at the chance to visit the Roman Baths for a torchlit evening visit. As daylight fades, the Great Bath becomes ever more atmospheric amid the flaming torches.
During Summer Lates, the Roman Baths will open until 10 pm, last entry 9 pm, until 31 August. It’s also a chance to explore the exhibits at one’s own pace and learn about one of the world’s best-preserved Roman sites. This would be a great night out for fans of all things Roman as well as a good backdrop for a romantic date. There’s a pop-up Prosecco bar for refreshments alongside the Great Bath too.
No 1 Royal Crescent
Built between 1767 and 1774, the Royal Crescent is one of the great highlights of 18th-century British town architecture. No 1 was the first house to be completed in the Crescent, and it was used as accommodation for aristocrats visiting Bath to take the waters and “do” the social season.
Today, No 1 Royal Crescent is an immersive museum, designed to give visitors an insight into life in late 18th Bath, both upstairs and downstairs.
Lunch at No 15 by GuestHouse
No 15 by GuestHouse is a stylish boutique hotel on Bath’s widest street (at 100 feet) and one of its grandest, Great Pulteney Street, lined with beautiful examples of honey-coloured Georgian houses. The hotel is open to non-residents for drinks, afternoon tea, dining and spa treatments.
I went along to No 15 for canapés in the bar followed by a bounteous lunch in the Pulteney Room.
A beautifully presented snack of Bath soft cheese, endive and hazelnut praline sent a clear signal that lunch was going to be good.
A plateful of goat’s curd and truffle honey-stuffed courgette flowers was just one of the standout dishes we were treated to at No 15. If you go and you’re a meat-eater, you must try the Bath Chaps. They’re a bit like pork crackling, but softer and more delicious.
Recommended, and well-placed for a pre or post-lunch visit to the Holburne Museum at the end of the road.
Gelato at Swoon
Despite the relentless drizzle, I couldn’t resist a pistachio gelato from Swoon. The team at Swoon make their ices from scratch onsite with Somerset milk. They even source their pistachios from Bronte in Sicily ensuring a rich, savoury flavour.
Hotel Indigo Bath
My home from home in Bath was the welcoming and comfortable Hotel Indigo Bath. It’s perfectly positioned just a few minutes from Bath Spa station – so no need for a cab unless you are very heavily laden – and in short walking distance of all the central Bath attractions.
The hotel occupies 11 Georgian buildings on South Parade and in fair weather has a large street-side outdoor terrace. The staff here couldn’t have been more helpful.
The decor at the Hotel Indigo is at the quirky end of the spectrum. Think Alice in Wonderland meets 19th-century zoological expedition. Anyway, it’s a lot of fun and everything is designed for optimum comfort.
There is yielding velvet upholstery all over the hotel, while in the room there are copious cushions, smooth bedding, a roll-top bath and a walk-in shower, a coffee machine, and fluffy dressing gowns. Plus there’s a fridge filled with goodies that are free to eat and drink as well as a plate of fine chocolates waiting on the bed.
I slept beautifully at the Hotel Indigo.
Any hotel room with a “reading corner”, ie an armchair plus footstool, is a winner for me.
The comfortable velvet extends to the lovely restaurant where I ate a large breakfast. There’s plenty of choice at the buffet and a longish menu of cooked items.
I had to try The Indigo’s full English. Top marks for scrambled eggs just the way I like them – I could have done with double the quantity.
It would be wrong to say that much had changed in the 15 or so years since I last visited Bath. After all, the centre of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and much of the architecture is also heavily protected by Grade I or II listing. What I did question on this short visit was why it had taken me so long to return.
Useful information and links
For general tourist information check Visit Bath: visitbath.co.uk
Information about the Holburne Museum is here
And about No 1 Royal Crescent here
For more about the Indigo Hotel Bath: bath.hotelindigo.com
If you’d like to try paddleboarding – check Wild: The Bath Standup Paddleboard Tour
For more about Bath Aqua Glass and their glassblowing classes
If you fancy trying floristry – The Bath Flower School
Information about The Roman Baths Torchlit Summer Lates and more can be found here
For more about The Abbey Hotel check their website
And for No 15 by GuestHouse check here
Finally, if you fancy a gelato, check out Swoon