Roman BathsThe Romans were the first to capitalize on the only natural hot springs in Britain, but it is believed that they were a local attraction long before the building of Rome. These ancient baths were once considered the finest in the Roman Empire, but in the middle ages fell into disrepair. It was not until a visit by the ailing Prince George in 1702 that the baths once again became a popular healing destination. Over the course of the city's redevelopment in the late 18th century the Roman ruins were rediscovered and restored.
Today visitors can see the seven ancient baths and view the Georgian splendor of the Pump House where the musty mineral waters can be sampled by the strong of stomach. The magnificent centerpiece is the Great Bath. Lined with lead and filled with hot spa water, it once stood in an enormous barrel-vaulted hall that rose to a height of 131ft (40m). For many Roman visitors this may have been the largest building they had ever entered in their life.
Address: Stall Street
Phone Number: (0)1225 477 785
Email Address: romanbaths_bookings@bathnes.gov.uk
Website: www.romanbaths.co.uk
Hours: Daily 9.30am to 5.30pm, last entry 4.30pm (January, February, November, December); 9am to 6pm, last entry 5pm (March to June, September and October); 9am to 10pm, last entry 9pm (July and August)
Admission: ₤10 (adult), ₤6 (child 6-16) - ₤1 more in July and August. Other concessions available. Prices include a personal audio guide
LongleatLongleat is regarded as the best example of high Elizabethan architecture in Britain and one of the most beautiful stately homes open to the public. The magnificence of the House itself is matched by the splendor of its surroundings; a spectacular mixture of landscaped parkland, lakes and formal gardens. In 1949 Longleat became the first stately home in England to open its doors to the public and a few years later opened the first safari park outside Africa - visitors can drive through eight enclosures where a wide range of animals can be seen, including: elephant, rhino, giraffe, monkeys, lions and tigers. Longleat has become one of the UK's most popular family tourist attractions. It has been the home of the Thynn family for more than 450 years and is currently lived in by the eccentric 7th Marquess of Bath, Alexander Thynn.
Address: Longleat is on the A362 Warminster - Frome road
Phone Number: (0)1985 844 400
Email Address: enquiries@longleat.co.uk
Website: www.longleat.co.uk
Transport: 20 minutes south of Bath by road
Hours: Daily from 11-19 February and 1 April to 5 November; from 25 February to 26 March open weekends only. Longleat House open daily 10am to 5.30pm on weekends and holidays; 11am to 3pm rest of the year on a guided tour. Safari Park open daily 10am to 4pm (until 5pm on weekends and holidays), closed
Admission: Separate tickets are available for all 12 attractions at Longleat, but a passport allowing access to all is £20 (adults) and £16 (children) and is much better value for money. Longleat House: £10, Safari Park: £11
Berkeley CastleBerkeley (pronounced 'barkly') is a perfectly preserved 840-year-old castle with a keep, dungeon and splendid staterooms with the original tapestries, furniture and silver. It was most famously the scene of King Edward II's gruesome murder in 1327. It is believed that Edward was deposed by his French consort, Queen Isabella, and her paramour, the Earl of Mortimer. The castle also played an important role in the English Civil War (1642-1649). The oldest part of the castle was built in 1153 by Roger De Berkeley, a Norman knight, and has remained in the family ever since. The surrounding meadows, now the setting for pleasant Elizabethan-style gardens, were once flooded to make a formidable moat.
Phone Number: (0)1453 810 332
Email Address: info@berkeley-castle.com
Website: www.berkeley-castle.com
Transport: 40 minutes from Bath by road. Take Exit 14 off the M5, the castle is signed from the A38 between Bristol and Slimbridge
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 11am to 4pm, Sundays 2pm to 5pm and Bank Holiday Mondays 11am to 4pm (April to September); Sundays only 2pm to 5pm (1-29 October)
Admission: £7.50 (adults), £4.50 (children). Family tickets and group concessions available
Building of Bath MuseumThe fascinating story of Georgian Bath is encapsulated in the only museum in the city about the city. The Building of Bath Museum is the natural place to start a sightseeing expedition. It is housed in the Gothic Countess of Huntingdon's Methodist Chapel, built in 1765 and renovated in 1984 by the Bath Preservation Trust. Inside visitors are treated to a unique exhibition, which describes how Bath developed from a small provincial spa to the most fashionable resort in Georgian England. Using models, maps, paintings, reconstructions, live crafting demonstrations and hands-on exhibits, including a touch-screen computer, a visit to the museum is an informative and entertaining experience.
Address: The Countess of Huntingdon's Chapel, the Vineyards, the Paragon
Phone Number: (0)1225 333 895
Email Address: amanda@bathmuseum.co.uk
Website: www.bath-preservation-trust.org.uk/museums/bath
Transport: 10-15 minutes on foot from Bath bus and train station
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday (and Bank Holiday Mondays) 10.30am to 5pm with last admission at 4.15pm. The museum closes for winter from the end of November until mid-February
Admission: ₤4 (adults); ₤2 (children 6-18); concessions available
William Herschel MuseumDistinguished astronomer William Herschel used a telescope he built himself in this delightful Georgian townhouse to discover the planet Uranus in 1781, securing his place in history as one of the greatest astronomers of all time. His observations, and telescope constructions, doubled the known size of the solar system in his time. Visitors to the museum can view his workshop, the original kitchen, and the music room in the Herschel house, where William lived with his sister, Caroline, at the end of the 18th century.
Address: 19 New King Street
Phone Number: (0)1225 446 865
Email Address: admin@herschelbpt.fsnet.co.uk
Website: www.bath-preservation-trust.org.uk/museums/herschel
Hours: Monday to Friday except Wednesdays 1pm to 5pm; Saturday and Sunday 11am to 5pm. The museum closes for winter from 12 December to February
Admission: ₤3.50 (adults); ₤2 (children under 15). Concessions and student prices available
Museum of CostumeBath's comprehensive costume museum brings alive the story of fashion over the last 400 years from the late 16th century to the present day. The huge collection is fetchingly displayed on hundreds of dummies, providing a chronological journey through changing styles over the centuries. Visitors can listen to an audio tour or take a conducted guided tour through the ages.
Address: Bennett Street
Phone Number: (0)1225 477 173
Email Address: costume_enquiries@bathnes.gov.uk
Website: www.museumofcostume.co.uk
Transport: Lansdown buses 2 and 9 from city center stop nearby. Round trip sightseeing bus stops at the adjacent Assembly Rooms
Hours: Daily 11am to 5pm (March to October), 11am to 4pm (January, February, November and December)
Admission: ₤6.50 (adults); ₤4.50 (children up to 16); under 6 free; other concessions available
Jane Austen CenterBath's best-known resident, period novelist Jane Austen, is celebrated in this permanent exhibition which showcases her life and work. Bath was her home between 1801 and 1806 and her love and knowledge of the city is reflected in her novels Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, which are set in Georgian Bath.
Address: 40 Gay Street, Queen Square
Phone Number: (0)1225 443 000
Email Address: curator@janeausten.co.uk
Website: www.janeausten.co.uk
Transport: Park & Ride bus to Queen Square (center is close to the bus stop). The Round the city sightseeing buses stop outside the center
Hours: Daily 10am to 5.30pm; 11am to 4.30pm (30 October to 3 March)
Admission: ₤5.95 (adults); ₤2.95 (children 6-15); children under 6 free; other concessions available
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