What to do at Bath? Besides bath.

The following excerpt is what I found to do while not researching a lot and being there for 1.5 days.

While on the overnight flight to Heathrow, a nice British woman started a conversation. After small talk, I told her the first stop on my UK Travel is Bath. She recommended two things: History and Shopping. I knew about the Roman Baths but not familiar with anything else.

I took the 1 hour bus ride from Heathrow to Bath station. The immense church steeple pierces the sky as you approach the outskirts. Across from it is a river with old stone bridge. The history is visceral. After arriving, it was a 5-10 minute walk through the newer built retail buildings to the Hilton near Bath College.

I arrived before checkin at 4pm and decided to wander around. To my surprise there were many people and more streets blocked off only for pedestrians. Many young people but also non-locals. All of the streets had retail and restaurants with some selling high end jewelry, clothes, and watches.

Serendipitously, the Roman Baths are in the same region, almost connected to the Bath Abbey.

The UNESCO Roman Baths cost €30 per person and were fully booked until later that night. I went the next morning. It is worth the money because of the grand scale and use of technology to immerse the audience. The ticket building was constructed in the 19th century after ‘re’discovering the Roman ruins under the Kings Bath. It is a beautiful entrance with grand circular ceiling leading to the ticket office. If you have children, they allow you to park the stroller and even have baby carriers. Descend to the antiquity levels and learn about the constructions and purpose of the many chambers. The museum uses large projections to include actors that plunge you back into ancient times. At the end you can taste the Healing waters. 10/10 will recommend, and I usually do not like museums.

Across from The Roman Baths in the same square of the Abbey are a series of buildings. Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein, lived in a flat there while she began writing her draft after attending a lecture on electricity.

Down the way from the square is another historic place but for another reason. You must stop at Sally’s Buns for, well, the famous delicacy. These are, to the unknowing, different from London area buns. Sally’s is one of the oldest buildings dated to 1680. It is beautifully decorated inside with varying colors and English-inspired murals. A popular offering is Afternoon Tea that includes buns, which are light and airy, similar to the inside of a croissant and come as sweet or savory.

For the inevitable Pub visit, try The Raven or Saracen’s Head. Both equally have intriguing names, and a good selection of beer and food. The Raven had the best sticky toffee pudding in Bath. Saracen’s Head had the best beer. The latter also is Bath’s oldest pub established in 1713.

Most surprising are the fabulous Sydney Gardens at the end of Great Pulteney St. behind The Holburne Museum. The residential units along the street are one of the top five largest in Europe the United Kingdom. Towards the end near the Museum is where Jane Austen lived for 4 years. The gardens are large and have a wonderful children’s play area. There is plenty of green space with swings, slides, basketball, jungle gyms, and a castle to climb.