Every year since Effie was born my mum’s taken Freya and I on a girls-only trip somewhere. Back when Effie was a tiny baby and Freya was four we went to nearby Exeter for the day to watch a play and have lunch. We did the same the following year and then, last year, ventured further to Bristol. This year our January trip took us to Bath for the weekend, which is officially the most Instagrammable city in the entire universe. Fact.
Seriously though, Bath is so pretty. Growing up in Bristol I used to spend quite a bit of time in Bath. It’s where my Dad worked and at one point I used to hang out there every weekend looking for boys we’d met at the local nightclub’s under 18 “nappy night”. All the class.
Anyway, the last time I went to Bath was on my trip to Badminton with the Joules team which was more about horses than hanging around the city taking pretty pictures. Freya’s never been to Bath before so it was interesting to see it through her eyes (tip: there’s a treasure trail for kids which is a great way to explore the city – although completing all 23 of the clues might be a tad optimistic). Here’s a little video from our weekend, if you want to see the treasure hunt in action:
If you’re off to Bath any time soon and wondering where’s good to explore then pretty much all of it, is my answer. However, there are some places that are better than others for photos and history and interest and stuff. Here are the places I loved (P.S. I’m over here on Instagram, if you haven’t found me there yet!)…
1. Pulteney Bridge Flowers
If, like me, you regularly see photos of the Liberty flower shop in London on Instagram and get envy that you live nowhere near such a pretty place you’ll fall deep in love with the florist’s on Pulteney Bridge in Bath. Pulteney Bridge Flowers is right in the middle of the bridge with views over the Weir, a beautiful display of flowers outside (and I say this in January – just IMAGINE what it would look like in spring!) and a rather stunning building.
2. Pulteney Bridge
Once you’re on Pulteney Bridge you’d be forgiven for not actually realising you’re crossing a bridge as it feels just like a regular street. The real beauty of it is in the approach. Walking up towards the bridge you have lovely views of the river and the Weir, the Georgian buildings – and about a gazillion other tourists all enjoying the same view. Still, if you can get a snap without any other tourists in shot then this is a lovely place for a photo.
3. The Royal Crescent
Ironically, I hardly took any photos in the Royal Crescent. Freya wasn’t that bothered (I guess seven year old’s have different priorities on city breaks!) and was keen to get to the art gallery we were planning to visit before our train home. But if you’re after some quintessential Bath history then no trip there is complete without a wander along the very posh Royal Crescent.
4. Henrietta Park
By the time we got to Henrietta Park Freya was cold, hungry and verging on the edge of a bad mood, so I didn’t take a single photo. HOWEVER, if it had been sunnier / warmer / I’d been there on my own I probably would have taken lots of photos in the sweet Memorial Garden.
5. Anywhere
The thing about Bath is that pretty much everywhere is crammed with pretty corners and beautiful buildings, so you’d be hard pressed to find a NON-Instagrammable corner (in the city centre at least). Even a shot of a regular window is attractive, with the view of the Bath Stone on the other side. The streets are curved, elegant and dripping with history (and wealth!) so it’s a brilliant place just to walk around and take in the sights.
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