A Pocket Guide To Bath

Easily reached from London via a 90-minute train journey or two-hour drive, Baths feels a world away from the capital with its winding streets and historic buildings. The best thing to do is to explore on foot, taking in the Georgian houses of Royal Crescent, visiting the Abbey and walking along the banks of the River Avon. The city is also known as a spa town with natural thermal waters – one of the many reasons why the Romans loved it. Visit Thermae Bath Spa, Britain’s only natural thermal spa, or book in at The Spa & Bath House at The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa for a massage, a session in the herbal steam room and a swim before afternoon tea in the gardens. The Fashion Museum is also worth a visit for it world-class collection of historic and contemporary clothing, as is The Holburne Museum, which showcases fine and decorative arts in a Grade I-listed building. Tucked behind Sydney Gardens – the oldest park in the city – it offers changing exhibitions of classic and modern artists.

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Bath’s restaurant scene continues to impress thanks to a string of top chefs who have opened outposts in the city. Newcomer The Beckford Canteen is from the group that runs The Talbot Inn in Somerset and The Bath Arms in Wiltshire. The 40-cover venue occupies a Georgian greenhouse on Bartlett Street where diners can enjoy modern British dishes made from local produce. Everything is designed to be shared over a long meal – think monkfish with curried butter, confit pork belly and quince, and black treacle and ginger sponge with brown butter ice-cream. Its sister venue Beckford Bottle Shop is worth a visit for wine and small plates at the bar, before browsing its selection of local beers.

Ed Schofield

For chic bistro dining near the Royal Crescent, try The Circus with its candlelit tables. Bread comes from the neighbouring Bertinet Bakery and the meat is delivered from the team’s local family run butcher. Corkage on Walcot Street is just as nice, with over 70 wines to choose from alongside a selection of small plates like hake with hoisin glaze and salted courgettes, confit duck with fennel salad, and lamb rump with crushed potatoes. Then there’s Menu Gordon Jones which offers relaxed dining in its chic restaurant – set aside the whole afternoon or evening to enjoy a tasting menu of elevated British classics.

Bath also has a selection of traditional gastropubs like The Marlborough Tavern which serves classics with a twist. The fishcakes with fennel and samphire, and fondant cakes with chocolate soil, are not to be missed. For fish and chips, The Scallop Shell is home to a huge bathtub filled with ice and the day’s best catch. If you have time, The Mint Room is just outside the city centre and is worth the trip for excellent contemporary Indian food. If you want to bring something home, go to Bath’s famous farmers market on Saturday morning to find everything from local cheeses and freshly baked bread to veg and meat pies.

Central Bath has all the usual high-street names, but some of the best boutique stores are tucked away along the cobbled streets. For interiors and fabrics, visit Always Sunday and 8 Holland Street, both of which have a great selection of decorative pieces and haberdashery accessories. Sam Wilson is another great option for interiors. You’ll find a range of country-inspired homeware there, like ceramics, modernist French furniture and candlesticks. Clothing wise, Vintage to Vogue has an extensive collection of pre-loved pieces by designer brands from Dior to Dries Van Noten, while Found stocks international brands like Comme des Garçons, Laura Lombardi, Karen Walker and Seoul Import.

Bath has no shortage of excellent hotels and B&Bs. No.15 by GuestHouse is one of our favourites. This listed Georgian building is within walking distance of some of Bath’s best sites. For a special stay, book one of The Pulteney Rooms designed by Martin Hulbert and make time for a treatment at the hotel’s subterranean spa before enjoying champagne in the Retreat. The food is something to get excited about – guests can take afternoon tea in the sitting room and enjoy hearty British dishes at the restaurant, where Sunday lunch is particularly good. Just a short walk from Thermae Bath Spa, the five-star The Gainsborough hotel is another top choice, surrounded by cafés and beautiful limestone buildings. Book the Bath Spa room for in-room access to the hotel’s healing thermal waters or choose one of the suites for city views. The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa is another smart option set across two townhouses in Bath's showpiece Georgian crescent. Combining 18th-century heritage with 21st-century indulgences, there are chic bedrooms and suites to choose from, all of which have unique interiors.

For something more modern, Broadstreet Townhouse in the centre of town offers 11 rooms and all stays include a picnic basket breakfast delivered to your door. And finally, The Yard In Bath is a contemporary 14-bedroom property set in a former coaching inn. The building has been carefully restored by the owners, and each room has simple yet chic interiors. Freshly made breakfasts are delivered to your door each morning – think warm pastries with jam and butter, organic natural yogurts and homemade granola – while a coffee and wine bar awaits downstairs. Each bedroom has king-size beds, plush furniture, and rainfall showers or free-standing baths.

Nathan Rollinson

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