Pad and I recently escaped London for a weekend, and headed up to the gorgeous city of Bath, which is about 2.5 hours by train. After stalking the internet and train times, I found a First Great Western route that went direct (and anyone who knows me will know…. I’ll always choose the direct trains!)
Ever since Pad and I returned from our RTW trip I’ve been really excited about finding UK destinations to visit on the weekend. I probably haven’t seen as much of the UK as I’d like, and when you’re working a full-time job, budget and time becomes pretty tight. With all that in mind, little mini weekend getaways to places like Bath seem perfect for us – because the travel is cheap and it takes no time to get there from our base in London.
I actually found a pretty useful app by First Great Western (whilst stalking their website for train tickets) that gives you suggestions on city breaks and weekend away destinations within easy reach of London. This was pretty useful for me (as someone who doesn’t know much about the South of England – as I grew up in the North!) so I thought I’d refer anyone over to it in this post in case you’re feeling inspired…. So just click here to have a play around.
Anyway back to the weekend and beautiful Bath!
Unfortunately (yet again) we were plagued with bad weather! So the photos aren’t as gorgeous and sunny as I’d have hoped! But moving on…. a little bit of rain has never stopped us before.
Here’s how we spent the weekend:
1. The Royal Crescent
I kind of feel like this area of Bath, sums up the whole city. It’s a bit of a walk away from the shops and city centre – but so worth it. The houses are gorgeous, and the views are pretty special too. I’m a sucker for architecture and beautiful buildings, so this was bound to be my favourite place in the city! It was pretty blustery and cold for us (the weather never seems to be on our side at the moment!) – but I imagine in the summer time it is just stunning up there.
2. Bath Ales
A weekend away for Pad and I always includes finding a lovely food place. My favourite place that we found in Bath was actually a gorgeous bar right outside the station called Graze, owned by a special brewing company called Bath Ales. Pad is a big beer fan, and especially loves his IPA’s and special brews – so the bar we found was like striking gold for him! Definitely a recommendation for anyone who fancies some nice drinks in a beautiful atmosphere, with lovely views.
3. Spa Treatment!
It’s not called Bath Spa for nothing! Whilst a lot of people head to the Roman Baths (which are pretty spectacular!) we headed to a local spa around the corner instead called Champneys Spa. It meant we avoided the tourist crush and the big queues, and that the experience was truly relaxing. We both opted for a back and shoulder massage and it was great. The spa was even in one of the old Bath buildings, meaning the treatment rooms had lots of character and history. It was like an hour of heaven after aching from all the walking we’d been doing! I might make it a permanent addition to every city break I do from now on!
4. The sights, sounds and shops
Bath has a fair amount of places to see and discover over a weekend, and one of my favourite places was the gorgeous riverside. It was a little flooded during our visit, so we could head down into the public park – but we happily enjoyed the views from the bridge and road instead. It’s probably Bath’s most iconic area and the bit that springs to mind when describing it. I love all the old building down by the river bank and the shops and cafes that run over the bridge too. It reminds me of a little ancient ‘Harry Potter’ style town. Does that even make sense? Probably not – but anyway, it’s all very nice! Sometimes, all you need to do to enjoy a new city is walk around and soak in how lovely it is – even if you’re in the rain!
So that’s what we spent our time doing in the city! There was plenty more to explore (ideas here) but as we were only there for a short weekend, and the rain made being outside a little unbearable – this is just about all we could fit in!
Would I recommend Bath? Definitely! It’s a great little city and it feels far from the hustle and bustle of London – making it the perfect mini-break on the cheap. We stayed a little B&B called Grays Hotel, and I’ve already reviewed it here, if you want to take a read!
If you did anything special worth a mention in Bath, or have any restaurants / bars to recommend, share them in the comments below 🙂
Did you like the photos featured in this blog post? Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @TheWorldAndThenSome where I post lots more gorgeous photos from my travels!
Elle these are such gorgeous photographs, especially the one with the birds flying away.
We have been in London for 5 years now but haven’t made it to Bath yet ;). Would you recommend staying for a night or two or is a day trip enough?
Thanks Savi! I was surprised how nice they came out- because the weather was so bad! I’d probably recommend one night – I don’t think you’d need more than that to be honest! It’s very small compared to other cities! x