January 2026


www.nitravelnews.com


“Oh! Who Can Ever Tire of Bath?”


Heidi McAlpin, husband Ray and teenage son Freddie take a week-long trip via Stena Line to Bath and Longleat with a stop off in Hereford along the way.


H am n et - inspired destinations.


If


Sensibility spent a significant time in the city of Bath. Its Georgian splendour and social norms inspired her writing, and subsequently spawned generations of visitors.


As 2025 closes the book on the 250th anniversary of her birth, the Austen effect continues to shape this elegant destination. No surprises, then, that our now annual Stena Line road-trip sees us heading south via the Belfast-Liverpool ferry to explore Bath and the surrounding countryside. I love that feeling driving onto the big ship and settling into the Stena Plus Lounge with its comfy seats and complementary scran. Eight blissful hours later and we’re ready to explore Britain’s f as c i na t in g history and glorious landscape. With seven days booked in a self- catering cottage in Frome village, we’re breaking up the four- hour drive with an en-route overnight in Hereford. Dating


to 1708, historic


back the


Green


WHEN Jane Austen committed nib to parchment, little did she know she was creating a tourism industry that endures to this day. The 19th century scribe behind Pride & Prejudice and Sense &


Dragon Hotel was our well- heeled base for the night. Within its


grand façade nestles a cosy cocktail bar with crackling fire – ideal for a classy nightcap before hitting the hay ahead of our day exploring this medieval city.


Hereford sits on the River Wye, and its cathedral famously houses a copy of the Mappa Mundi. This 13th century map has Jerusalem at its centre and includes our very own Bangor,


itself


a former monastic site of some renown. The city streets are lined with impressive Tudor architecture,


and


a life-size bronze Hereford bull stands sentry outside the particularly eye- catching Jacobean Old House Museum. Nearby villages add to the region’s bucolic charm which lured the makers of the new feature film Hamnet, starring Paul Mescal and based on the tragic death of Shakespeare’s only son. The team at Visit Herefordshire are cleverly getting in on the act to coincide with the film’s


January


release. Check out Through Tudor Landscapes,


their compilation of


anyone can give Jane Austen a run for her tourism money, it’s surely Shakespeare! Onwards to Frome and self- catering Fern Tree Cottage with plenty of room for the three of us to eat, sleep and plan our next adventures. This picture- postcard Somerset village is abrim with independent shops and cafes. And, best of all, its very close to Longleat House and Safari Park -


another of our must-see attractions, and an easy train journey to Bath on the Great Western Railway network.


Which is where we headed the next day to wallow in its Thermae Bath Spa whose waters are


heated from the same springs that served the Roman Baths. An early arrival had us luxuriating in the rooftop pool overlooking Bath Abbey before the daily cavalcade of bathers descended. What a delight! Indoor saunas and steam rooms, and another large pool completed our genteel introduction to this enchanting city. As well as the Romans, it’s Jane Austen -


and a bawdy sprinkling of Bridgerton - that keeps this city afloat. Magnificent Georgian buildings attest to Austen’s famous tomes, from the Royal Crescent’s row of thirty stylish houses (one of which is a museum) to Pulteney Bridge which, like Florence’s Ponte Vecchio, has an array of shops spanning each side.


The gothic splendour of Bath Abbey was next on our historic hit list. Ascending its


Tower’s


212-steps provided sneak peeks into the Roman Baths, itself another hugely p op u la r city centre attraction.


EXPLORE BATH AND HEREFORD | 61


lion - which would give Hereford’s bull a run for its money - stands at the entrance of this 16th century house, providing a foretaste of things to come. In 1949, Longleat became the first stately home to open to the public, and the drive- through Safari Park followed in 1966 to create this unique day out. House tours showcase its Elizabethan splendour, but it’s those lions, monkeys and other exotic animals that keep the crowds coming back for more.


Cautious motorists can detour Monkey Mayhem but we’re happy to watch our cheeky cousins clamber all over the car. Which is exactly what they did, gnawing at nuts and bolts and giving us quite the view as they scampered across our glass roof. Talk about an eyeful!


Lion Country had us within roaring distance of these kings of the jungle. An awe- inspiring site as they sauntered round the car while warning signs reminded us not to wind down our windows. Not that we were tempted. Our adventure continued in the Bat Cave, with dozens of free-flying bats swooshing round our heads, before getting lost in Longleat’s


The


hop-on hop-off TootBus is a great way to see all the sites, and they even offer Austen-themed bus and walking tours for all you bookworms. A visit to The Jane Austen Centre should also be factored in to complete your page- turning pilgrimage.


Two full days in beautiful Bath covered all the main sights but another equally splendid destination lay ahead.


Created by the


eccentric 7th Marquess of Bath, Longleat House and Safari Park is an eclectic meld of grand mansion and wild animals. A huge bronze


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