Bath: Rich History and Stunning Architecture

Welcome to the beautiful city of Bath in the United Kingdom. You are going to want to check this place out. It is absolutely incredible! Before we get into the adventures we had in this amazing town, I want to make note of something that happened to us before we went to Bath. This took place after we left Stonehenge and were trying to visit France as our next stop. At this point on our trip, we had only been in the UK for about nine days, and they required 14 days of quarantine before traveling elsewhere.

We were trying to enter France and made it all the way to the ferry before being stopped. There, a French lady screamed at us because we had only been in the UK for nine days instead of the full fourteen. She insisted that we leave France immediately. So, we were escorted back to the UK by three police vans to ensure that we stayed there and did not try to enter France again until the fourteen-day time period had passed. I just want to be completely transparent and let you know that they take these policies very seriously. In the end, this allowed us to explore the city of Bath, which was incredible!

The City

This amazing town is located in the southern part of the United Kingdom. Bath is located about 100 miles west of London and 10 miles east of Bristol. The whole place is absolutely stunning. From the incredible architecture to the huge river running through the city, this place is honestly breathtaking. The richest of the rich live in Bath and it is considered very prestigious.  The Romans used this town for bathing, taking shelter, and attending church. 

You can wander and explore at your own pace and easily guide yourself throughout the entire city. As you explore, you will see the underground rivers and the plumbing system installed in the city over 900 years ago. There is also an iconic landmark there, called the Royal Crescent, that we were unfortunately unable to visit. It consists of 100 homes constructed to look like a Roman wall. The architecture is amazing and it’s one of the first things you notice when you enter the city.

Right next to the Roman Baths is Bath Abbey, a historic and stunning place of worship whose site dates back to 757AD. The unique and gorgeous fan-vaulted ceiling at the East end of the abbey is worth the tour alone, not to mention the stain-glassed windows. It is the last great medieval cathedral built in England, with rich history and interesting facts. I highly recommend taking a tour!

COVID-19

The UK was fairly relaxed when it came to COVID-19 policies. However, shortly after we left, the UK had a surge of cases. So, I’m sure that policies became more strict after we left. We wore our masks the whole time we were there when we were indoors. The city of Bath had very similar requirements to the United States, so nothing really caught us off guard. 

Should You Go? 

This city is absolutely stunning. I couldn’t recommend this location more. I would recommend someone spending 5-7 days in Bath because it was a bit of a drive from London. It is also rich in history, and it was very interesting to explore. You can also tour all of the buildings, which made for a great time exploring.

As far as difficulty goes, it’s a lot of work. There are a lot of hills in Bath, similar to San Francisco. It feels like it’s all uphill. The trek was very hard for me as a big guy, walking throughout the town. However, it was more than worth it! I would highly recommend this spot to any person no matter their age, shape, or size. Just be prepared for a lot of walking!