GO CITYBREAK:IF YOU ARE a Jane Austen fan, Britain's most perfectly preserved Georgian city will provide plenty of Northanger Abbey flashbacks. While the mineral-rich waters of its thermal baths have made it a cradle of health tourism for some 10,000 years, Bath is also a thoroughly modern city with hip bars filled with contemporary bodice-heaving flirtations.
First up, you must take the waters. The thermal springs are the reason Bath actually exists. They were first discovered by conquering Celts who established their shrine to Sul and then when the Romans arrived they merged her with their own goddess Minerva. Every day a staggering 264,000 gallons of 113-degree water rise through a geological fault called the Pennyquick and the mineral-rich waters reputedly relieve maladies that run the gamut from rheumatic disorders to infertility. Amazingly, the salubrious and slightly smelly water is believed to have fallen as rain 10,000 years ago.
In modern times, the springs lay idle for almost 28 years but reopened in 2006 in Nicholas Grimshaw’s spanking new spa complex of glass walls and rooftop pools that offers long menus of modern spa treatments to tempt 21st-century visitors. Decide for yourself if you like this glass and ceramic cube backing on to Bath’s Georgian gems, but the open-air roof top pool has one of the best views in Bath.
Next door, Bill Bryson’s rather sardonic audio commentary on the Roman Baths gives a vivid evocation of day-to-day life in Roman Britain. This is one of the best Roman sites this side of the Alps and still holds a temple as well as the original bathhouse that attracted visitors from all corners of the Roman Empire. You can inspect the largely intact Roman plumbing and generally enjoy this splash of history.
The elegant Pump Room was built by Thomas Baldwin and John Palmer in the late 18th century. It is here that the haute mondegossiped and drank the spring water. Jane Austen wrote: "Every creature in Bath . . . was to be seen in the room at different periods of the fashion-able hours; crowds of people were every moment passing in and out, up the steps and down . . ." The scene today is just as frenzied and it's the perfect place to take a cream tea of finger sandwiches and tartlets as you listen to the trio of piano, violin and cello.
Otherwise, Sally Lunn’s is a tourist trap but still worth visiting. The setting is Bath’s oldest house that dates back to 1482 and the small basement museum presents the history of how in the 17th century, a young French refugee started baking the original buns here. The recipe hasn’t altered and the Sally Lunn bun remains a lightly sweet, round brioche. If you add a Welsh rarebit topping, it makes the perfect lunch.
If you’re more in mind for an Emma-style picnic, then make for the restored 18th-century gardens at Prior Park. The Capability Brown-landscaped gardens include a striking Palladian bridge across an ornamental lake and impressive close-ups of Prior Park house. Stop off first at Paxton Whitfield on John Street to fill your hamper with their artisan breads, cheeses and mouth watering sandwiches.
VOLUNTEER guides provide free walking tours of the city’s architectural wonders most days and 18th-century European architecture doesn’t get much better than the sweeping majesty of Bath’s Royal Crescent. It is a sublime curve of 30 buildings anchored by 114 Ionic columns. It was designed by John Wood the Elder to mirror Stonehenge and then built by John Wood the Younger. It was built to be approached from Brock Street since this angle of approach conceals the view until the very last minute guaranteeing maximum impact. Actor Nicolas Cage is a former house owner.
The adjacent Circus, with its frieze and three tiers of striking double columns, is a giant Georgian traffic circle and once upon a time was the nub of Bath. Nearby Pulteney Bridge is Bath’s answer to the Ponte Vecchio. Follow the tasteful signposts to Jane Austen’s shrine in a narrow townhouse on Gay Street. With well-informed staff, a lovely period atmosphere, books, film and costume exhibits, it’s very illuminating of Jane’s time in the city.
BATH ABBEY is a late gothic gem and another must do. Its exterior dates from the 15th century and legend says that it was commissioned by God to bishop Oliver King in a dream. Particularly lovely are the angels climbing Jacob’s Ladder on the restored West Front and try to attend a service to hear the sounds of the choir fill the vast nave.
“Oh, who could ever be tired of Bath?” Catherine Morland swoons after a shopping spree in Northanger Abbey. “I really believe I shall always be talking of Bath.” The very same buildings where Austen rustled her petticoats two centuries ago now house swanky bookshops selling her novels. But quirky shops can also be found in Bath, particularly in The Suffolks and Montpellier districts. Alexandra May on Brock Street is excellent for costume jewellery, Mee on Bartlett Street sells luxurious lingerie and Pink Lemons Too on Lower Church Street has a great selection of British labels such as Ollie Nic and Soo Lee. Don’t leave without a visit to the Bath Sweet Shoppe on North Parade passage to stock up on sherbet pips, mint humbugs and clotted-cream fudge.
Eateries here range from ordinary to super ambitious but all serve very good, locally-sourced grub. Ring O Bells started out as an alehouse in 1837 and a 2002 makeover saw it emerge as Bath’s leading gastropub. The pan-European menu changes monthly, and there are plenty of beers on tap as well as an excellent wine list.
At the upper end of the market is Stephen Shore’s Moody Goose. It’s located outside town in pretty Midsomer Norton and has a menu where all-English seasonal produce are given modern makeovers. You can expect pies of wood pigeon and rabbit, Cornish lobsters and poached sweetbreads. There’s also Jamie’s Italian on Milsom Place. It’s Jamie Oliver’s latest venture and while the food is simple, it’s good and economical.
After dark, you’ll soon dismiss any notions that Bath might be the overbearingly genteel, even staid, home of dowager dames. Try the Dickensian atmosphere at Bell Inn on Walcot Street for ales in its beer garden and later Second Bridge on Manvers Street is a classy option to bop the Bath night away.
The city is brimming with arcadian spaces, so finish up by following the six-mile Skyline Walk that rambles up the sloping woodlands and meadows on Bath’s southside. The panorama is stupendous as you contemplate your perfect costume drama escape in beautiful Bath. Unfortunately, Mr Darcy isn’t included.
Get there:
Ryanair (ryanair.com) flies from Dublin to Bristol. Bristol airport is 20 miles from Bath by bus or taxi.
Bath where to . ..
Stay
Value:Bath Holiday Homes, 00-44-1225-442-238, bathholidayhomes.co.uk. This agency has a stable of 20 fully-equipped weekly rentals. The apartments and houses range from the traditional to contemporary, but most are housed within genuine Georgian buildings. Rates vary.
Mid-market:Ayrlington, 24-25 Pulteney Road, 00-44-1225-425-495, ayrlington.com. This is a homely family-run affair close to the town centre. The exterior showcases the distinctive honey-hued Bath stone and inside is a curious mix of Victoriana and the Orient with four-poster beds, deep-pelmeted windows and an array of Asian antiques. The walled garden contains oriental plants. Doubles start at £110 (€126).
Upmarket:Bath Priory Hotel, Weston Road, 00-44-1225-331-922, thebathpriory.co.uk. Play Mr Darcy in this rambling 19th-century country house-style hotel. It's set in four acres but still super close to the Royal Crescent and is a full on chintz-fest. Rates include the use of the indoor colonnaded pool. Double rooms from £195 (€224).
Eat
Value:Sally Lunn's, 4 North Parade Passage, 00-44-1225-461-634, sallylunns.co.uk. Sally Lunn's is an institution and claims to be a truly authentic English eating house. The food here is based on the eponymous bun. You can try a sweet or savoury version, but there are also finger sandwiches and more substantial dishes such as steak and mushroom casseroles and Somerset pork.
Mid-market:Ring O Bells,10 Widcombe Parade, 00-44-1225-448-870, ringobellswidcombe.co.uk. This country feel gastropub with flagstone floors has a wide selection of beers, real ale from Moles of Melksham and international wines. A typical dinner might be slow roast pork belly on roast potatoes with apple and calvados sauce followed by Pimm's jelly with English strawberries and white chocolate ice cream.
Upmarket: Moody Goose, Old Priory Hotel, Church Square, Midsomer Norton, 00-44-1761-416-784, moodygoose.co.uk. The menu here is trad fare with a twist. Recent menus included poached boudin of rabbit saddle, baked polenta cake with a port wine cream sauce or pressed terrine of wild pigeon, pear and black pudding with celeriac puree. Owner Stephen Shore also offers one-to-one cookery tuition sessions.
Shop spot
Bath’s Upper Town is crammed with hidden shopping gems housed in the beautiful Georgian architecture. A short walk from Milsom Street leads you to Bartlett Street and Saville Row. Further up is the Royal Crescent and Margaret’s Buildings, a pedestrianised lane with boutiques, galleries and antique shops to visit. Check out the Artisan Quarter for some quirky treasures in its selection of independent craft and curio shops.
Night spot
Sub 13, 4 Edgar Buildings, George Street, 00-44-1225-466-667, sub13.net. It’s easy to miss this tucked-away basement bar on George Street, but if you did you’d miss some of the best cocktails in town. All the classics are present and correct; you might also be tempted by the Bison Grass and Elderflower Royale. The vibe is good and the decor is elegant.