Walking Tour of Bath, England
This spa town was developed by the Romans in the 1st Century. The great assemblage of dignified Georgian architecture and remains of the Roman Bath make this city a must-stop on any tour of England.
This walk begins in the Bath Abbey Churchyard, the popular square outside the lovely, 15th Century Bath Abbey, known especially for its numerous stained glass windows which give the interior an aura of great light, unusual for a Gothic edifice.
Just west of the Abbey are the Roman Baths, rediscovered and excavated in the 19th Century. A tour of the complex is fascinating and, even though the ancient roof is gone, visitors can still get an idea of how the facility worked and looked.
Adjacent to the Baths is the Pump Room, an elegant place for tea and a snack or to sample the spa water which people from all over the world flocked to drink, for its alleged healing properties.
Leave the area by walking west on York Street, taking a left on Stall Street and then left again on Bath Street, On your left is the Thermae Bath Spa, an opportunity for the traveler of today to soak in the legendary Bath hot springs.
From here, return to Stall Street, turn left and then left again on Westgate Street. Turn right onto Sawclose Street, passing the Theatre Royal.
Continue north (the street names change several times) and eventually you will see Queen Square on your left, one of the many areas designed by local architect, John Wood the Elder, in the 1700’s.
Continue northward on what is now Gay Street to The Circus, a circular street lined with buildings whose facades display all three types of Greek columns (Doric on the bottom, Ionic in between, and Corinthian at the top).
From the Circus, exit on Block Street which leads west to the Royal Crescent, an impressive semi-circular row of Georgian apartments set dramatically above Royal Victoria Park. Exit the area by walking south through the park to Royal Avenue. Take a left and then bear right on the Queen’s Parade to Charlotte Street. Take a left here and pass Queen Square again then left on Gay Street and right onto George Street. Turn right again at Broad Street which winds past the Bath Postal Museum (the world’s first stamp was applied here).
Take a right at the end of the road, then a left on Bridge Street, past the Guildhall Market to the Pulteney Bridge, lined with shops like the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy.
To continue the walk, cross the bridge heading east and straight through Laura Plaza to Great Pulteney Street which leads to the Sydney Gardens and the Holburne Museum (Jane Austen used to live nearby at #4 Sydney Place).
From here, walk south on Darlington Street until you reach North Parade Road. Take a right here and head back to the city center. At Pierrepont Street turn right along the Parade Gardens, then left on the Grand Parade which leads back to the Abbey and the walk’s starting point.
