Visiting South West England
- Kaitlen Elaine
- Sep 25, 2022
- 7 min read
Updated: Oct 12, 2022
The captivating city of Bath is only 115 miles away from London, so you're close enough for a weekend getaway or even a day trip—if you leave early enough. Regardless, you'd be far enough away from London for a real change in scenery. The fastest way to get to Bath from London is to take the train, through the National Rail. It costs around thirty-five pounds, depending on the days and times, to make it to Bath using the train as your transportation method—but it only takes an hour and twenty minutes to get there (which compared to other options is fast). If you're running short on time or you've decided to take a last minute trip, then I would recommend this option if you don't mind spending a bit extra on travel expense.
Below I have linked the National Rail Enquiries website:
If you're looking for something more affordable, the cheapest option would be taking a bus, which roughly costs between seven to eighteen pounds (or nine to twenty U.S. dollars). If you catch a direct bus trip, it takes around two hours and fifty minutes to get to Bath from London—it can take longer though if you have a bus change in between your journey. The National Express website will tell you whether or not your bus is direct or includes a change before you make your booking!
Below I have linked the National Express website:
For my personal journey to Bath, I hopped on a National Express bus and spent the time reading and looking out the window to admire the scenery. It's quite relaxing to just sit back and watch the foliage pass by in streams of various colors of green. If you stare at the blurs of innumerable colors for a while, they start to resemble painted brushstrokes quite like the ones Vincent Van Gogh would imprint into his artwork. I admire United Kingdom's historic cities and villages, but being surrounded by the picturesque countryside that seems to beckon to be explored is breathtaking.
I booked my hotel stay with "The Z Hotel" in Bath, because it was fairly priced and located in the heart of the city centre. The rooms at the hotel are very compact, but they utilize the space well—it offers everything someone would need for a short stay. Everything is in walking distance from the hotel, which allows me to do almost everything by foot (which I enjoy doing when I can). I appreciate the fuss-free, minimalist approach to furnishings and fittings as well—there is even a designated 'reading light' above the bed right under the ceiling, which I cannot remember any other hotel that I've stayed at having. It was a charming touch to the tiny room.
Bath is a remarkable city. I'd even consider it one of the most famous places to visit in the United Kingdom for its renowned ancient Roman history, Georgian buildings, and Medieval cathedral. It's like traveling back in time when visiting and wandering the historic streets. You can explore ancient Roman baths, the Bath Abbey, the Jane Austen Centre, take a dip in a natural thermal spa, take a stroll along the 'Bath Skyline' walk, and so much more.
On my 'Bath To-Do List,' I started my day at the ancient Roman Baths—which is a Roman bathhouse and temple centered in Bath, England. Conveniently, I was able to walk there from my hotel (a four minute walk, it really can't get better than that). These Roman Baths are pretty much the reason why the city was established and named "Bath," quite obvious I guess, huh? In around 43AD, Great Britain was invaded by the Romans, and by 75AD, they had built this religious spa area. Remarkably, the Romans figured out how to heat the water in the spa, which came up from underground. For hundreds of years, the Romans used these baths for public bathing and rituals. Unfortunately, you're unable to take a dip in the Roman Baths now (or even touch the water for that matter); however, Bath offers other places for you to experience the unique, mineral-rich hot springs like the Romans did 2,000 years ago.
The Thermae Bath Spa in Bath offers a modern (with a touch of an old Roman style) thermal bath for visitors. The 'New Royal Bath,' allows you to enjoy a two hour spa session, which includes full access to the warm waters of the Minerva Bath, a Wellness Suite, and the 'open-air' Rooftop Pool with an incredible view of the skyline of Bath. They also offer an exclusive bathing venue that can be rented, the "Cross Bath," if you're wanting something more private. It makes for a relaxing addition to anyone's day.
Below I have linked the Themae Bath Spa website—where you can read all about the history of the spa and all of the different treatments!
At the ancient Roman Baths, along with the main geothermal bath, there's the Temple Courtyard and Minerva, where Roman worshippers gathered to pray to the goddess 'Sulis Minerva.' There are so many artifacts on display, like pre-Roman coins, the bronze head of the goddess Sulis Minerva, and also fun, realistic-looking videos in different parts of the baths depicting life-size Romans going about their daily lives using the public baths, bartering at markets, and more (the videos really allow you to experience what life was like for the Romans in this exact location—which I find so fascinating)! Visiting the baths is a rather nice change of pace from the more typical 'English' sites. The Roman Baths are special place to explore, and easily one of the best things to do in Bath if you love history.
Another place that I recommend visiting while in Bath is the Jane Austen Centre. Whether or not you love reading or not, visiting The Centre allows you to experience what it would be like to live in the Regency times, like Jane Austen herself. You can explore the fashion, the food, the society—basically everything that would have inspired her to write her timeless novels. The Centre shows how the city of Bath impacted Jane Austen’s life while writing her beloved books. Within a lot of Jane Austen's works, many of her characters visit Bath at some point. In 'Persuasion,' Bath is a major location, as it is a bustling social centre. Once you've finished exploring the Jane Austen Centre, you can go upstairs and have some delicious afternoon tea at The Regency Tea Room!
Jane Austen was smart to set up camp here. After visiting the centre and reflecting on the way of life in the 1800s, I decided to take a stroll around Bath just to appreciate the Georgian architecture and the places that inspired Jane Austen to write such prodigious works. I popped in and out of stores, sat on a park bench and listened to the street performers, and walked near the Royal Crescent (which was built around 250 years ago and is considered one of the best Georgian buildings to see anywhere in the United Kingdom). I didn’t pick up my phone as often as I typically would—only when I wanted to simply capture that “I’ve been to Bath and all I took were these photos” photos.
Later in the day, as I was sitting on a bench reading in Queen Square park, I had started a conversation with a couple who were locals in the area that were walking by. They were so sweet and recommended that I should visit 'The Salamander' if I wanted a nice dinner and great ale on tap. I decided that that was actually a great idea, and I had been pretty hungry after my adventurous day. The Salamander happened to be incredibly close to Queen Square, so the walk was quick. When I had arrived, I was greeted with a lovely pub in the center of Bath. The exterior was gorgeous and decorated with colorful flowers, and the interior revealed a very old bar establishment with no hint to modernization—which made the place special. They had a big menu and tons of gluten-free options. I'm not an ale drinker, or an alcohol drinker in general, but I felt like I needed to order a draft beer to see what 'the hype' was all about. Everyone around me was drinking some, so I'd feel out of place if I hadn't ordered one, ya know? Some of their popular draft ales were 'Bath Ales,' including Anthem, an amber session ale, Lansdown IPA, a 'hoppy' west coast ale, and Gem, the premium amber ale. Like I said, I am not an ale connoisseur, so my opinion is probably irrelevant—BUT, the Anthem ale was pretty good! The Salamander is definitely worth a visit if you're wanting local ale and great food, especially if you can’t have gluten because their whole menu has a gluten free option!
After dinner, and with my very full stomach, I walked back to my hotel room and called it a day. There's something about visiting so many historical sites in a day that makes me want to have a sit and reflect on all the events that have happened between then and now—maybe that's just me though. It is honestly quite overwhelming to think about all the events and changes in the world have happened in the last 2,000+ years. The past sort of allows us to learn without actually having to endure. We can explore how others coped with certain events and how they survived hard times—it's quite incredible and we can be grateful for travel writers and artists during that time to help document these events for the future!
Tomorrow, I plan to visit Stonehenge: a prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plains in Wiltshire, England! I love Stonehenge for its mystery. Why is it there? Who build it? How did they build it? There are fun folklores surrounding the reasonings, so I am excited to go back and check it out again!
Have you tried a natural thermal spa, or hot spring in your travels? If so, did you enjoy it? If not, would you give it a try?
Comment below!
I traveled through central England by train a few years ago and found that to be a very pleasant experience. In the afternoon, staff move through the compartments with tea and snacks--how civilized!