10 Best Things To Do In Bath, England – Beautiful Georgian Architecture, Ancient Roman Baths & More

During my holiday in London, I went on a day tour of Bath and found many things to do here. This city is known for its rich culture and heritage. It is home to beautiful Georgian architecture, historic Roman baths, museums, art galleries, and beautiful public parks. Even some of the restaurants have longstanding histories that can be traced back to over a few hundred years ago. Therefore, it is not surprising that the city became a World Heritage site in 1987. Most of Bath’s buildings appear slightly yellowish because they are made from local Bath limestone.

We only managed to spend a few hours here because we had to rush off to the Stonehenge for the latter part of our day tour. This was a pity because I would have loved to spend more time exploring the city. Based on my personal experience and research, I have compiled a list of 10 awesome things to do in Bath below.

Taking a selfie by the River Avon

1. Bath Abbey

Bath Abbey is a beautiful medieval church built in the Gothic architectural style. This historic church was founded in the 7th century, and is one of Bath’s most famous landmarks.

The church has a beautiful interior with high vaulted ceilings, colourful stained-glass windows, and many intricate carvings on the walls.

Entrance is free, but you are encouraged to make “donations”: £4 for adults, £2 for children, and £4 for families.

It is possible to take a “Tower Tour” and climb up the 212 steps of the church tower. You will enjoy great views of the city at the top. Tickets cost £8 for adults and £4 for children (5 to 15 years old).

I was impressed with the beauty of this majestic Gothic architecture, and took many photos of it from the outside.

Bath Abbey
Address: Bath BA1 1LT, UK
Opening Hours: | Mon: 9.30am – 5.30pm | Tue to Fri: 9am – 5.30pm | Sat: 9am – 6pm | Sun: 1pm – 2.30pm, 4.30pm – 6pm |
Phone: +44 122 542 2462
Website: www.bathabbey.org

2. Roman Baths

The “Great Bath”

The Roman Baths is an ancient bathing complex built on a natural hot spring. It served as a public bathing house for the ancient Romans.

Today, the site is a major tourist attraction in Bath. I had fun exploring the various preserved sections and exhibitions in the complex.

The centrepiece of the Baths is the “Great Bath”, a large outdoor pool filled with hot spring water.

Interestingly, there were some people dressed up as Roman characters wandering around the Great Bath. I asked a pretty “Roman lady” whether I could take a photo with her, and she happily obliged.

I later found out that these are actually actors employed by the Roman Baths management.

You can click here to see the Roman Baths entrance fees. Our fees were covered by the cost of our Evan Evans day tour.

Roman Baths
Address: Stall St, Bath BA1 1LZ, UK
Opening Hours: Daily 9am to 9pm
Phone: +44 1225 477785
Website: www.romanbaths.co.uk

3. Street Performances

I came across plenty of awesome street performances when we were walking around Bath!

I saw a talented violinist playing beautiful music in front of Bath Abbey, a young man singing ballads in a public square, and several other performers.

The lovely music made our experience of exploring Bath that much more enjoyable.

4. Pulteney Bridge

Pulteney Bridge is a beautiful historic bridge in Bath that crosses the River Avon. It is built in the Palladian architectural style and was completed in the late 18th century.

Similar to the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, this is one of the very few bridges in the world that is lined with a tidy sprawl of retail shops.

I didn’t get to cross the bridge, but we took many beautiful photos of this iconic landmark from a great vantage point our tour guide told us about.

5. Royal Crescent

The Royal Crescent is an impressive row of 30 terraced houses arranged in a sweeping crescent on a lush lawn. It is a fantastic example of classic Georgian architecture.

The houses were completed in the late 18th century. Today, the Royal Crescent is home to upscale private residences, a museum at No.1 Royal Crescent, and the 5-star hotel The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa.

Here’s an interesting trivia: if you manage to visit the premise, you will notice that No.22 house’s door is yellow instead of white like all the other doors.

This is because a resident painted her door yellow in the 1970s, and defied the Bath City Council’s orders to paint it back to white. She got her way in the end, and the door remains yellow till today.

I didn’t manage to visit the Royal Crescent because it was a little too far from the rest of the major attractions like Bath Abbey and the Roman Baths.

However, I managed to catch a glimpse of this iconic landmark as our tour bus was passing by.

6. The Circus

The Circus is a circle of historic townhouses that was completed in 1768. It is a great example of Georgian architecture.

Even though it doesn’t enjoy the same amount of fame as The Royal Crescent, it is still an impressive landmark.

7. Visit the Many Museums and Art Galleries

The Jane Austen Centre

Bath has plenty of great museums and art galleries. You can click here to see the full list.

A popular museums is the No.1 Royal Crescent, which showcases the life of Bath’s wealthy residents during the Georgian era in the late 18th century.

Another famous museum is the The Jane Austen Centre, where you will find exhibits and costumed characters that reconstruct the story of Austen when she lived in Bath between 1801 and 1806, and how it impacted her works.

Having read Pride and Prejudice before, I was really hoping to visit this museum. Unfortunately, due to the time constraints of our day tour, this was not possible.

8. Enjoy The Delicious Food In Bath

I found many delicious foods in Bath. We ate delicious cookies, enjoyed cold gelato, and even drank bubble tea.

One of the most famous restaurants in Bath is The Pump Room Restaurant. This is a long-standing restaurant where customers can enjoy their food while listening to live classical music.

I also recommend checking out the famous rivalry between the two “Bath Buns”: one is the “Bath Bun” sold by The Bath Bun Tea Shoppe, while the other is the “Sally Lunn Bun” sold by Sally Lunn’s Historic Eating House and Museum.

After trying both, I have to say I prefer the Sally Lunn Bun, because it was more fluffy and fragrant.

9. Royal Victoria Park

The Royal Victoria Park is a pretty public park that was opened in 1830 by Princess Victoria. There is a large obelisk in the park dedicated to the princess.

10. Thermae Bath Spa

Thermae Bath Spa is a modern spa complex where you can enjoy the same hot spring water as the Roman Baths.

The complex houses a variety of spa pools, steam rooms, and an ice chamber. There are also various spa packages.

The highlight of the complex is the spectacular open-air rooftop pool where you can enjoy paranomic views of the city and surrounding hills.

A two hour use of the main spa facilities costs £40. You can visit their website for more details.

Thermae Bath Spa
Address: The Hetling Pump Room, Hot Bath St, Bath BA1 1SJ, UK
Opening Hours: Daily 9am to 9.30pm
Website: www.thermaebathspa.com
Phone: +44 1225 331234