A World Heritage City
The World Heritage City of Bath provides world class shopping and eating, combined with stunning Georgian architecture, Theatres, a Comedy Club, Casino and the Thermae Bath Spa.
Bath is located in the South West of England and is highly accessible. It is approximately 45 minutes by car from Bristol International Airport (a bus and/or train offer an alternative but slightly longer option), 1 hour 30 minutes by train from London Paddington and accessible from both the M4/M5 motorways.
Bath boasts cultural events throughout the year including the The Jane Austen Festival, The Children’s Festival of Literature and The Film Festival. The Christmas Market has grown into a national treasure and this is complimented by the music, food and boule festivals. What’s on in Bath can be researched at Visit Bath or Bath Festivals Box Office.
Bath is set amid areas of outstanding beauty which encourages guests to get out and about. Activities of walking, cycling and canoeing are all accessible directly from the city centre.
Regional attractions within an hour’s drive are Stonehenge, Westonbirt Arboretum, Glastonbury and Wells not to mention The Haynes Motor Museum, Cheddar Gorge and Longleat for some family days out.
A real-life movie
Bath is used to being the main character in period dramas. Local folklore has it that the Jane Austen Centre was established due to the influx of tourists arriving on a pilgrimage to the city in response to the BBC’s 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, featuring Colin Firth as Mr Darcy. It has since been the backdrop for films such as Vanity Fair and The Duchess, starring Reese Witherspoon and Keira Knightley respectively. The city has also appeared on the small screen in dramas such as Belgravia, the Sixties-set The Trial of Christine Keeler, and more recently McDonald and Dodds, a contemporary police series. There was also a time-travelling episode of Sherlock in 2015.
The latest is Netflix’s drama Bridgerton which entered our realm recently and is a period drama with a twist. While it is largely set in London, much of the drama was filmed here in Bath.