A Resident’s Guide to what to see and do in Bath, Somerset
SEE
1. American Museum and Gardens
This museum, housed in the early-19th-century manor house designed by Jeffry Wyatville, is the only collection of American decorative arts outside of the US, the excellent curation of which gives a vivid history of American settlers as much as it expounds on their craft and culture (the surprisingly avant-garde Amish quilt collection is of particular note). Though the museum is just outside of Bath, together with a stroll in the gardens this makes for a worthy half-day visit.
2. Francis Gallery
It’s easy to get lost in the calm, muted and Korean-leaning aesthetics of Rosa Park’s gallery and forget about the art altogether. But that would be a folly. On display are works by a tight roster of highly original contemporary artists, varying from the melancholy and primordial alabaster sculptures by Bath’s own Paul Philip to the charmingly dishevelled paintings of Parisienne Rosemarie Auberson.
3. The Holburne Museum
This encyclopaedic anthology of paintings, books, sculptures and objets d’art once belonged to Sir William Holburne, 5th Baronet of Menstrie, but was bequeathed to Bath in 1882 and, since 1916, has been housed in the temple-like former Sydney Hotel, one of the country’s finest examples of Georgian architecture. If in major cities we take an Old Master for granted, an encounter with a Gainsborough or Guardi becomes all the more special in the intimacy of this unexpectedly world-class collection.
EAT
4. Landrace Bakery
There are plenty of cafés in Bath for a good Chelsea bun and the like, but few places here make bread and pastries quite the way Landrace does. The grain comes from two local millers, is stone-ground and the dough is then kneaded in-house. Equal care and national pride goes into the rest of the delectable produce on offer: eggs from Gloucestershire, cheddar from Somerset and chocolate from Suffolk. The pièce de résistance? The bacon bun.
5. The Beckford Bottle Shop
This is the sort of bar where you pop in for a glass, stay for dinner and end up buying a case to take home. Though the selection is literally floor-to-ceiling, Beckford’s wine list is in fact carefully-picked and highly inventive, with curious drops such as organic French Malbec and a Syrah-Vermentino rosé blend, plus a couple of outstanding bottles of English sparking white – all of which are best paired with one of the cheese and charcuterie boards.
6. Corkage
Though the name sounds like an invitation to bring your own bottle, you’d be missing out if you did. Corkage offers a top-draw selection of wines (both by the glass and bottle) that you probably won’t find elsewhere – such as orange Catarratto from Sicily and Grüner from Wagram, Austria – plus misleadingly-named small plates that actually arrive as hearty helpings of Cornish crab on sourdough or pork belly with burnt apples and savoy cabbage. There are two spots in town but we recommend the Chapel Row outpost for its idyllic little garden.
Also try:Colonna & Smalls
Head here for a silky flat white and a reprieve from the tourist beat. The light-filled space, and nostalgic school-boy furniture, might keep you grounded for a second cup.
SHOP
7. Topping & Co, Mr B’s Emporium
Pop in for a browse, lose yourself in an armchair and even stay for a cup of tea. Such is the welcoming air of these two booksellers, whose amiable staff will help you find something to your taste.
8. Found
Found’s subtitle says it all: ‘an original store’. The independent concept store, opened by owners Olivia Brewer and Nik Blake in 2010, prides itself on an equally independent list of brands, from jewellery by New Yorker Laura Lombardi, men’s workman jackets from the unambiguously-named Le Laboreur, and Italian stationery by Kilzia 97.
9. 8 Holland Street
Interior designer and collector Tobias Vernon opened this gallery-cum-vintage furniture store in June 2019: a sibling to his original outpost in Kensington, London. The eclectic effect of the wares – Giò Ponti chairs, a French mirror from the ‘60s, contemporary etchings by Sir Terry Frost – are magnified by the superb space: a mezzanine-level former grocery, complete with original cabinets (sadly not for sale). We’re most taken by the inimitable collection of 19th-century Japanese rugs, who’s blockish patterns seem far ahead of their time.
Also try:Magalleria
Whether you’re after the latest issue of the The New Yorker or the first edition of Sandwich (a magazine dedicated, yes, entirely to sandwiches), this emporium is a bastion of print media.
DO
10. Bath Farmers’ Market
Somerset is rich in produce: it’s the home of cheddar and cider, just to kick things off. For a rounded tour of its bounty, head to the Bath Farmers’ Market, which takes place every Saturday morning at Green Park Station. Besides buying raw produce, the gathering makes for an unbeatable breakfast before heading out to explore the town: try a pastry from the Pullins Bakery stand and a coffee by Roundhill Roastery.
11. Botanical Gardens, Sydney Gardens, Skyline Walk
There’s no shortage in Bath of beautiful spots for a walk, a gander, a layabout. The Botanical Gardens at Royal Victoria Park are an aromatic and ostentatious show of 19th-century horticulture (as well as providing a pleasantly shady spot on hot afternoons). From Sydney Gardens you can join the locals for a ponderous stroll along Kennet and Avon Canal. And if you’d really like to explore the environs, consider the Skyline Walk, which loops over some six miles around the city and offers incomparable views of Bath and the countryside beyond.
12. Thermae Bath Spa
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Though thankfully the Thermae Bath Spa, built in 2006, two streets away from the original Roman complex, offers a somewhat more elevated experience than the cavernous public baths of yore. Besides a variety of treatments, highlights include an open-air thermal bath and a rooftop swimming pool.
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