The Roman Baths are the city's biggest tourist attraction and receive more than one million visitors a year. Discovered many years before, it was during the Roman occupation of Britain that the bathing complex was gradually built up. Visitors can see the Baths and Museum but cannot enter the water.
The Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, commonly known as Bath Abbey, is an Anglican parish church and a former Benedictine monastery. Founded in the 7th century, Bath Abbey was reorganised in the 10th century and rebuilt in the 12th and 16th centuries.
These delightful small, sunken gardens are Bath's most centrally situated pleasure grounds. Overlooking the River Avon they give fine views of Pulteney Bridge and the weir. There is a small entrance charge to the gardens from Easter until the end of September. Dogs are not allowed in the gardens.
Pulteney Bridge is a Grade I listed building and crosses the River Avon in the centre of Bath. Designed by Robert Adam in a Palladian style and completed by 1774, it connected the city with the newly built Georgian town of Bathwick. It is one of only four bridges in the world with shops across its full span on both sides.
The Victoria Art Gallery offers a varied programme, from historical to contemporary, embracing national and international as well as local talent. The displays are on two floors; the permanent collection occupies two rooms on the first floor, whilst the ground floor is given over to two temporary exhibition spaces.
The Jane Austen Centre houses a permanent exhibition telling the story of Jane’s experience in the city between 1801 and 1806 and the effect that living here had on her and her writing.
Open to the public on selected days each week for Guided Tours, 12 Old Orchard Street may be one of the more anonymous buildings in this city of architectural gems.
Bath has played a vital role in the development of communications, and improving the British postal service. It can thus boast many "firsts" as you will discover when you visit this fascinating museum.
Royal Crescent, The Circus and Queen Square are three famous parts of Bath that you must visit. A pleasant walk starting from Queen Square, go up Gay Street to the Circus, west to Royal Crescent then return to Queen Square via Gravel Walk (or via Royal Avenue for those with push chairs/wheel chairs).
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Royal Crescent, The Circus and Queen Square website
No.1 Royal Crescent, Bath (Grade I) was built to the designs of John Wood the Younger between 1767 and 1774 as the first house in the Royal Crescent, a Bath stone crescent of thirty houses with a uniform Palladian design to the principal facade.
Steeped in history, this is the oldest and some say finest park in the city, planned and laid out by the architect Harcourt Masters in 1795. The picturesque 12 acre grounds were very popular at the end of the 18th and early 19th century when breakfasts, promenades and concerts were held there.
The Fashion Museum is one of the world’s great museum collections of historic and fashionable dress. Designated as a collection of outstanding national significance, the Fashion Museum was recently listed by CNN as one of the world’s Top 10 fashion museums.
The Holburne Museum sits within its own grounds at the end of Great Pulteney Street with Sydney Gardens situated behind. A fascinating collection of art, porcelain, silver, books and furniture all housed in one of Bath’s fine buildings. There is now an admission charge to visit the collections.
Beechen Cliff is located just south of the city centre and although a rather steep climb, the magnificent panoramic views of the city and the surrounding wooded vales and hills make the effort worthwhile. A popular postcard view of Bath over the past 100 years which can be found by turning left at the top of the steps.
St Swithin's is a welcoming, diverse church community that seeks to live out God's Kingdom, love and grace. During the 19th Century the rich and famous worshipped here and Jane Austen's parents were married in the church.