The first place I visited during my study abroad program, aside from Cambridge and London, was Bath. And no, I don’t mean the bathroom! Bath is a city about two hours west of London. It used to be an old Roman town, renowned for its hot springs, and now it is famous for said Roman baths (its namesake attraction), its abbey, and Jane Austen.
In order to get to Bath, I took a train from Cambridge to London (1 hour) and changed trains to get to Bath (2 hours). My friend and I arrived at noon. The train station is about a ten- to fifteen-minute walk away from the city center, where the Roman Baths, the Bath Abbey, and the Jane Austen Centre are all located.
Our first stop of the day was the Roman Baths, which have now been renovated into a museum. We bought our tickets online, which is a decision I advise everyone to do since the line to buy tickets at the door stretched around the corner. Aside from seeing the gorgeous architecture, we saw artifacts (like ancient coins) from the Roman times and learned about what life was like back then. We even got a chance to touch and taste the water from the springs; it had a metallic taste with a tang of iron, and was almost unpleasantly warm. Today, visitors aren’t allowed to swim in the water at the museum, but there are other spas and hot springs that are extremely popular!
The Roman Baths are a popular tourist attraction and are full of people. I had to lean over the edge to snap this picture so that nobody would be in the frame:
Our second stop was at the Bath Abbey. Fun fact: They are currently renovating portions of the floor since people used to be buried under the abbey and, after they started decomposing, the floor began to cave in on itself. I love seeing cathedrals, churches, abbeys, and more – I can’t get enough of the gorgeously intricate architecture. I could spend forever inside, admiring the detailing of the ceilings and the dappled light shining in through the stained-glass windows.
Pictures I took from inside the Bath Abbey! The first one (top) is of the big stained glass window, and the second one (bottom) is of the ceiling of the abbey:
During the summer, the museum attractions close early each day, around 5 pm, but the baths close later in the evening. If you are interested in seeing museums and the baths, I would recommend visiting the baths after the museums have closed.
Our last stop was the Pulteney Bridge, which we visited on our way back to the train station. It was drizzling a little as we headed back, but it seemed a fitting conclusion for a busy day!
The view from a bridge in Bristol:
We stayed in Bristol overnight, which is about a fifteen-minute ride by train away from Bath – it’s a little bit more cost-efficient than staying in Bath, too. My friend and I got to explore another new city, which is always a plus. There’s a river that runs through the city center and at night, the harbor area is full of people. There are wooden benches set up by the harbor and it’s almost impossible to find a seat among the people drinking beer or hard cider, as well as eating dinner at outdoor restaurants.
My friend and I first got some cider from a famous cider bar and pub called “The Apple.” They had a huge variety of ciders, from apple-based ones to elderberry-based ones and everything in between. It was a quintessential English experience, sipping a cider while chatting with friends by the harbor! Everyone was laughing, talking, and enjoying themselves, and I could barely hear my friend over the conversations nearby. I watched the sky change in color, from bright blue to fiery oranges and reds and pinks, and finally to a deep indigo blue.
That evening was such a fun time! Here’s the view from the restaurant we ate at, overlooking the river:
The next morning, we explored Bristol a bit and stopped by the St. Mary Redcliffe church before returning to Bath. We caught the end of Sunday service and wandered around inside the imposing gothic building. I was struck with the thought that, for the residents in the area, the interior of the church is a thing they see weekly. Imagine seeing that every day!
The outer façade of the St. Mary Redcliffe church. It was stunning inside:
We took a train in to Bath afterwards, opting to stop by the Jane Austen Centre for our first stop of the day. Jane Austen, author of famous novels like Pride and Prejudice, spent a large part of her life in Bath, and many of her novels revolved around, mentioned, or took place in the city. The Jane Austen Centre is a museum dedicated to her life and her works! It was a wonderful place to visit – they even offer afternoon tea! – especially since I was taking a course about Austen’s novels at the same time at Cambridge. I even got to dress up in period dress and take a picture with a statue of Mr. Darcy (a must for any fan of Pride and Prejudice or of Austen).
Our next stop was the Fashion Museum. They have outfits from different decades and eras throughout time, as well as famous fashion photographs. My favorite part was getting to dress up (again!) in a hoop skirt, of which I had read so much about but never got to see before.
After that, we had afternoon tea at the Royal Crescent, which is a famous crescent-shaped building overlooking a wide expanse of green. Formerly comprised of the residences of some of those who lived in Bath, the Royal Crescent has since been converted into a hotel of the same name. However, there is also a Royal Crescent museum, which is an apartment of a former Bath resident that has been preserved, its furniture and decorations kept intact.
The Royal Crescent, as captured by me from the second floor of the Royal Crescent museum:
We finished our trip with a leisurely walk back from the Royal Crescent to the train station, following cobblestone paths through the city, past the sights we visited on the first day and the museums we saw earlier in the day. One weekend was not enough time for the two cities – if I get the chance, I would love to visit Bath again and more thoroughly explore the lively city that is Bristol!
Although parts of Bath are under construction, the city is gorgeous. I loved this little square: