I'm a firm believer of two birds one stone, one day I’ll cram 20 jobs in so the next day I can do nothing and still feel (relatively) satisfied. When I was heading down to Bristol for my friends birthday in January, I wanted to utilise the day the best I could. I’ve been to Bristol a few times, and whilst I love it, it felt like the perfect opportunity to spend a few hours in Bath instead to explore a new place I still hadn’t been to.
It’s criminal that I lived in Cardiff for 3 years and never once jumped on a coach to see Bath sooner, but honestly, what a stunning city. Last year I visited York for my first (proper) trip there and fell so heavily in love with it, and Bath reminds me so much of it that it felt heavenly.
8:03am - I jumped the train from Manchester Piccadilly to Bristol Temple Meads with a coffee in hand and a good 3 hours to do my Instagram research to see what I should visit, where I should eat, etc in Bath so I wasn’t totally wandering around lost and picking things at random. I then sat back and relaxed with a fizzing excitement in my tummy.
11:22am - Changed trains at Temple Meads and caught the 12 minute train to Bath Spa. It’s crazy just how close they both are and it was only £11 for an anytime return
11:34am - Arrived in Bath! I’d pre-booked a luggage storage stop with Stasher so I dragged my case off there so I could explore case-free (I knew that would hinder my day massively and it was only around £5).
11:45am - My first stop was to see Royal Crescent and The Circus, it’s such a famous area in Bath and key filming spot in Bridgerton, it would have been criminal to have not wandered around there! It’s gorgeous and I was so lucky with the blue sky and sun lighting the city is sparking glow.
12:10pm - I then headed over to see the famous Pulteney Bridge, as a Les Miserables fan I couldn’t miss this, this is where the famous bridge scene was shot with Javert meeting his end. There’s something so relaxing and serene walking over that bridge with the cool air and sun shining on your face.
12:25pm - Wandered through the streets across Bath Abbey which is truly a stunning piece of architecture. I didn’t visit the inside but outside was impressive enough, walking the perimeter had my jaw dropped in awe and amazement, like oh my god this is stunning! Across from there is the Roman Baths, again I didn’t take the tour, however walking around this area is truly incredible.
12:35pm - Wherever I visit, I have to seek out bookstores, I may not buy anything but they’re always a marvel to wander. Topping & Company Booksellers is gorgeous, located in the Grade II listed former Masonic Hall, there are three levels stocking around 70,000 books! It’s a readers paradise (it took everything I had to not buy a book or an accessory that I really didn’t need).
1:00pm - I stopped off for lunch at the teeny, tiny Pulteney Bridge Cafe which has a few tables with windows overlooking the River Avon. It’s lovely but get there early (because virtually everything I wanted to eat was sold out) and be prepared to wait because they have very a limited number of tables. I had a very peaceful lunch stop with my brie & cranberry baguette and my reading book.
1:40pm - The shopping selection is stellar in Bath so I had a good browse around a load of high street stores (I had to resist buying loads because I had very limited room in my suitcase) and only bought a few bits in Zara (there were no queues!!!).
Following this I just walked streets and streets, naturally looping around areas I’d been down countless times that day (my Strava map was WILD) and taking in everything I hadn’t already. I know I make it sounds so boring that I spent about 2 hours walking around with no aim but it was bliss and it’s something I love to do when I visit somewhere new. I didn’t book anything or have any plans, my idea when I visit a new place (on a day trip) is to just get my bearings and have a relaxing time, seeing the main things I need to. I like to gauge if I want to go back and then do the tours, visits, exhibitions etc, it’s safe to say I’ll be doing these things when I do visit again!
16:20pm - After a little browse around Waterstones, I took a seat in their upstairs cafe for a pot of tea and a bit of content writing/planning to end the day before my train back to Bristol. Fully recommended actually because it was so quiet and peaceful with low lighting so it felt cosier!
All in all, I had a great visit to Bath and I absolutely adored it. I’m itching to go back!
What other cities like this should I visit? I love the architecture and old England feel to it.
S xo
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