20230321_152922Bath Cathedral and Roman Baths (March 2023)

Bath is located in southwest England, about 115 miles/185 km from London. It is an elegant city which gained fame during the Georgian and Regency eras of the 1710s-1830s, due to its spas (hence its full name, “Bath Spa”). I’d been meaning to visit Bath for quite some time, after seeing enchanting photos of its iconic Roman Baths– that said, I found the opportunity to take a day trip over from London to explore it and other sites it had to offer.

Although Bath became a popular destination in the 1710s-1830s, its history goes way back– in fact, its Roman Baths dates all the way to 60-70 BCE during the Roman Empire’s reign. Although one can’t take a bath in it these days, it’s still a huge draw for tourists who want to check out the renown courtyard (which was constructed in the 19th century) and gaze at the vibrant green pool– call it mesmerizing or disgusting, but it’s definitely a sight to see!

I’d booked my train tickets in advance, and I headed out early to catch the 9h00 train from Paddington Station– just before departing, I grabbed a Cornish pasty and flat white, which were piping hot and certainly hit the spot on a chilly spring morning. It was then a quiet 90-minute ride over, and I soon reached Bath by 10h30.

20230321_103036Repurposed telephone box (so pretty!)

The advantage of Bath is that it has a small city center, so most of the sites are within a 15-minute walk from each other, including the Bath Spa train station. I’d purchased timed tickets to three sites for the day, including my first stop at the Jane Austen Centre. Besides being known for its spas, Bath is famous for being Austen’s residence, who made the city her home for five years of her life. The centre isn’t her exact home, but it’s located a few houses down from where she stayed on Gay Street. Fun fact: I’ve actually never read any of Austen’s works! I plan to, now that I’ve visited the Jane Austen Centre!

20230321_104321
Jane Austen Centre

I showed my timed ticket at the entrance, and waited a few minutes for the next tour to begin. To be honest, it wasn’t much of a guided tour, but rather a brief, 10-minute introduction in one of the galleries, conducted by an employee in Regency-era costume. It was a quick presentation on Austen’s life before it was a self-guided tour around the museum. I learned a lot about Austen’s life, how she was one of eight children and never married, as well as speculations about her true identity– there were several portraits in the gallery claiming the famed writer, but there’s no knowing whether they were of Austen herself.

Besides her most-famous works like Pride and Prejudice and Emma, Austen also had two works– Persuasion and Northanger Abbey— which were based in Bath and published posthumously, as well as the unfinished work Sanditon, which has since been adapted into a wildly-popular TV series. There was a lot I discovered about Austen, who was quite ahead of her time as a 19th-century woman in the publishing world, which back then was male-dominated. Besides checking out the manuscripts and artifacts from the Regency era on display, the centre also had interactive galleries in which I could dress up in Regency-era clothes and have a photoshoot with a Mr. Darcy statue, as well as try my hand at writing with quill and ink. It was a lot of fun, and I even bought a few cute souvenirs to take home in the end.

Just a few houses down was the Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein, inspired by the author’s famous 1818 novel that, besides being a story of monsters and horror, also has a deeper meaning of man versus nature, of science and technology and how it can advance and hinder progress. The museum was more dedicated to the novel rather than Mary Shelley herself, but it had a few galleries dedicated to her life (i.e. very sad and tragic). Otherwise, it was about Frankenstein, how it revolutionized English literature and its massive pop culture influence to this day. While I enjoyed learning about Shelley’s life, I was indifferent to learning about the pop culture of Frankenstein, which felt a bit gimmicky. I didn’t enjoy it as much as the Jane Austen Centre, but I can imagine it’d be fun for fans of Frankenstein and gothic horror.

20230321_1209388-foot tall Frankenstein statue

I continued my visit by heading up past The Circus and to the Royal Crescent. Both are fine examples of Georgian architecture, designed between the 1750s to 1770s. Whereas The Circus is a full circle of townhouses surrounding a roundabout, the Royal Crescent is evidently a half-moon of row homes overlooking a small, rolling hill. They are stately sights and especially when it’s sunny, the homes have a golden glow to them– I was lucky there was sunshine that day, so the views were even more gorgeous!

20230321_123033The Circus


20230321_123415Royal Crescent

Just before lunch, I had a quick gander at Persephone Books, a small bookshop that exclusively sells works from women writers in the 20th century. I then headed to Sally Lunn’s, one of the oldest homes in Bath that dates back to the 15th century– it’s now a restaurant-museum that serves the famous Sally Lunn bun, which I opted to have for lunch. I found it to be tasty enough, as it reminded me of a toastier brioche, but otherwise thought it was a bit gimmicky.

20230321_130605Cute and charming


20230321_135025Cinnamon-flavored Sally Lunn bun

I spent the early part of the afternoon with a stroll along the Avon River and checked out the Pulteney Bridge. I also checked out a covered market that sold souvenirs and takeaway food, including the famed Scotch egg. I ordered a black pudding one, which was dense and savory– it was tasty, but what surprised me was that it was served cold! I had the impression it was a hot dish, but despite the initial reaction, I enjoyed the egg and it kept me full until dinnertime.

20230321_144507Pulteney Bridge


20230321_145823Black pudding Scotch egg

At mid-afternoon, I finally entered the Roman Baths with my timed ticket. I spent some time wandering the various exhibits, including remnants of the original Roman Empire spas and the famous 19th-century courtyard with the algae-green water. One could spend easily two hours going from exhibit to exhibit and dive into the history of it all, but to be honest, I was tired after visiting two other museums in the day, so unfortunately, I didn’t really appreciate my Roman Baths visit as much. All I could do was admire the courtyard and try a drink of spa water (which tasted warm and metallic– not my style) before I left.

20230321_160139The courtyard

The Roman Baths were my last stop, and I caught the 17h15 train back to London shortly thereafter, arriving back around 18h30. It was a long and exhausting day in Bath, but I enjoyed seeing the city. In retrospect, it was more of a museum-goer’s visit, as I saw three museums– Jane Austen Centre, Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein, and the Roman Baths– in that one day. I’m honestly not a huge fan of museums while traveling, but I did appreciate checking out the Jane Austen Centre and the Roman Baths. I’ll be mindful of packing too many museums, if any at all, for the next trip, though!

Thanks for reading, and more of my England posts are coming soon!

— Rebecca

Published by Rebecca

Blogger, world traveler, poet, foodie, part-time penguin. Welcome!

57 thoughts on “Destination: Bath, England”

  4. Never been to Bath. Must go one day. Jane Austen books tell us a lot about the the classes in this period. I am not usually a fan of “the film of the book” but I would recommend the 1995 film “Sense and Sensibility”. Good film and cast, and very faithful to the book.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Bath is only a train ride away from London, so it makes for a convenient day trip! Funny enough, I’ve never read nor watch any of Jane Austen’s work (although I know of the stories), so I’ll have to pick them up and read/watch them, now that I’ve visited the Jane Austen Centre!

      Like

      Reply

  6. I spent several summers of my teenage years in Bath and finally went back last summer for a weekend. As well as the personal memories, I rediscovered with new eyes all those places with their beautiful Georgian architecture. I loved my visit to the Roman Baths where the museum is really well done, showing the impact of Roman civilisation on Britain. I’ll be publishing about Bath next month.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. From youth to adulthood, I can see that Bath has left an impression on you, since you returned there! It’s a city steeped in history from Roman to Georgian times; I look forward to reading your thoughts on Bath soon!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  7. You hit all the highlights in Bath Rebecca! It’s such a lovely, entertaining city; one of my favorites in the UK. The baths are so interesting, along with all the artifacts that have been found there. I’m looking forward to reading more about your time in the UK.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thank you! Bath is a lovely little city steeped with so much history and beautiful Georgian architecture. Glad I finally went, and more of my England adventures are coming soon!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  10. Looks like a great day trip! I agree that it is hard to appreciate a site after visiting two museums. The architecture is pretty stunning though! The Black pudding Scotch egg looks delicious, I was surprised to read it was cold, weird!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I am not a huge museum goer to begin with, so packing three museums in one day was especially draining for me. I hear Scotch eggs can be served warm or cold, and honestly, I wasn’t a huge fan of the cold version; I’ll have to try the warm version to see if I like it! Thanks for reading, Lyssy!

      Like

      Reply

  11. Bath is one of my favourite English cities and Jane Austen my favourite author. I hope you do read some of the novels, they’re surprisingly witty (more so than the films imho, which tend to focus on the romantic storylines at the expense of the minor characters who are often the most amusing).

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  12. Looks like you had a fantastic time visiting Baths and its many tourist attractions, Rebecca. It is certainly among England’s prettiest cities with an unmatched historical charm. It must be a fantastic experience to walk in the footsteps of the Romans and see the original bathhouse from thousands of years ago which is such a well-preserved relic from the times of Ancient Rome. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks, Aiva! Bath is such a pretty little city with so much history, from the Roman Empire to the Georgian era. It’s a charming place to stroll around and admire the buildings and landmarks throughout. Definitely worth visiting while one’s in England!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  13. A great roundup of your visit to Bath. I haven’t been in the Frankenstein museum but noticed it when we went to the Jane Austen one nearby. Bath has some beautiful architecture and I’m so pleased you made it to the Roman Baths. Have a great Easter break Rebecca. M.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  16. My best friend who studied in Bath once showed me a picture of the Royal Crescent. And that is now what I associate the city with, even more than the Roman baths themselves after which the city was named. I didn’t know you can actually go there on a day trip from London!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. How awesome! The Royal Crescent is iconic, too, and worth a visit on a nice day. Bath is about a 90-min train ride from London, so it’s a very doable day trip. Definitely worth a visit!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  19. I read and enjoyed Pride & Prejudice very much as a preteen, so visiting the Jane Austen museum sounds wonderful. We have a Bath in Jamaica, named after the Bath in England, so I’d love to visit to see the inspiration behind the name of our little village. You definitely packed a lot into your daytrip so I completely understand the exhaustion. I try to limit my sightseeing to 6 hours per day for that reason. Anything over that is exhausting.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    2. Nice! I’m sure a visit to the Jane Austen Centre in Bath would be a lovely one, as you enjoy Austen’s work! I did sightsee for about six hours, but given that I visited three museums and the city in that time, it was very exhausting! Still enjoyed Bath nonetheless 😊

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  20. I enjoyed this read as I haven’t actually been to Bath. One day…. It was good to see the well-known sights through your eyes and one or two spots I didn’t know about. I would love to dive into the Austin and Shelley stuff that’s for sure. Your article consolidates what I already thought about Bath, that it is an architectural gem! And oh boy I have never tried a Black Pudding Scotch egg, that would surely be my first culinary treat if I ever make it to Bath.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thanks, Leighton! Bath is a beautiful city filled with history and gorgeous architecture. Funny enough, I haven’t read anything by Austen or Shelley, but I plan to read their works after visiting the museums! To be honest, I didn’t love the Scotch egg, but maybe I should try eating it warm next time! Hope you can go to Bath some day 😊

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  21. You really got around Bath! My son and I visited years ago. It was Boxing Day and very crowded, and back then you didn’t need timed tickets to the Baths so we spent quite a bit of time there. While looking for a place to eat, we looked in the window of a pub and then a couple of fighting men tumbled out into the street! We decided not to eat there.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Bath is a walkable city, so I managed to get to the places I wanted to see in a day! Sounds like your visit to Bath was different from what I experienced, from not needing timed tickets to the Roman Baths to a drunken brawl 😅 Still sounded like a fun time!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  22. What a magical day trip you had. I visited the Roman baths almost 15 years ago and I’ve always wanted to visit again. You managed to fit in a lot more than we did on our one day there

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a comment