DESTINATIONS UK & IRELAND | BATH
star attraction... BATH
Jane Austen isn’t the only attraction in this Somerset city, finds Alice Barnes-Brown
we love...
Pulteney Bridge Bath’s answer to Florence’s Ponte Vecchio is Pulteney Bridge, a 45-metre Avon crossing constructed in the 1770s. It is one of only four bridges in the world to have shops across its full span on both sides, from florists to jewellery boutiques. Clients can enjoy a coffee and a slice of crumbly cake in one of its two cafes, each with a view of the river rushing over the horseshoe-shaped weir.
book it...
Just in time for the return of Bridgerton to our screens next year, Shearings’ new three-day tour Dearest Gentle Reader: Let’s Tour Bridgerton’s Bath is priced from £249, including half-board accommodation, coach travel and guided tour of Bath, based on two sharing for a departure on April 24, 2026.
shearings.com
where to stay...
Royal Crescent Hotel Located in the very heart of Bath’s famous Unesco-listed street and fronted with a golden colonnade, this 45-room boutique property makes an ideal base. Clients can fuel up with a delicious meal in the hotel’s triple AA Rosette-winning Montagu’s Mews restaurant, take a stroll in the walled garden, or even enjoy a treatment in the spa – rounded off with a cool glass of champagne. Rooms from £410 a night.
44 17 JULY 2025
travelweekly.co.uk make time for...
The Roman Baths The Roman Baths, constructed in the earliest days of Roman Britain, have been a popular spot for 2,000 years. Although visitors can no longer swim in the steaming Great Bath (pictured), they can learn how the hot spring was dedicated to Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom. If clients feel peckish after their visit, the grand Pump Room restaurant does a splendid afternoon tea.
soak it in...
Thermae Bath Spa If clients want to bathe in naturally heated, mineral-rich waters just like the Romans did, recommend the 21st-century Thermae Bath Spa. Starting in the lagoon-like Minerva Bath on the ground floor, guests can work their way up via a large wellness suite, complete with infrared sauna and scented steam rooms, to the rooftop pool, where the lightly bubbling, warm waters offer a comfortable viewpoint over the city.
The Jane Austen Festival The 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth has put the Regency author firmly in focus this year – and if your clients can’t get enough Austen, Bath’s annual Jane Austen Festival takes place each September, with 10 days devoted to celebrating the author’s life and times. It begins with a costumed promenade through the city, followed by talks, guided walks, performances and a dazzling ball.
PICTURES: Visit Bath/Colin Hawkins; Jason Ingram; Sean Strange Photography; Philip Edwards; Shutterstock/Dusty Roads
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