The Gypsy Caravan 2023

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

This England: Exploring Bath

All things considered, we woke relatively rested for our first full day in Bath -- and a beautiful one it was. Rick decided it was a perfect day to rent a bike and go on a long ride. I decided to go into the city. Erika asked in the last post if we had a car available or used the bus. For us, it was the bus -- usually (with a couple of exceptions) a very reliable way to get around the area.


So on this morning, I hustled down to the bus, only to stand waiting and waiting. Finally, I wondered if I might be in the wrong place (or had just missed the one before, which is what I realized had happened). Hope and Anchor had turned their closed sign to open so I crossed back over and asked if I might get a cup of tea and a little advice.


Oh, what great people these are! Sandra, the owner, and Spencer, her son (and the pub's manager) were so generous with both their time, tea and expertise, refusing to let me pay and filling me in on the bus and the app that would prove to be very helpful. I shared how much we loved our dinner the night before and how fabulous that steak and ale pie was and Sandra told me her husband was the chef.

One of our waiters (sorry I don't have his name), Spencer and Sandra at the Hope and Anchor.

They had come from Canada and bought a different pub in the next village from Midford and had just started when Covid hit and everyone was locked in. At some point during or right after, the Hope and Anchor came up for sale, so they bought that one, too. It was quite a change for them -- he had been an executive at Motorola and she was an interior designer. Spencer had just graduated from university and their younger son from high school and the timing was right. Sandra's mother-in-law lived in England and it seemed like the right place to be. Despite the slow start due to Covid, it has been a good fit.


About 45 minutes later, well fortified by the tea and company, and with a more reliable bus schedule, I was off to explore Bath. I was first taken by the way these ubiquitous telephone booths had been turned into lovely pieces of living art.


Another was used to house a defibrillator!


I wandered toward the Abbey, hoping to get a lunch at Sally Lunn's, the oldest pub in the area and in business since 1680. But the line was so long I opted to move on.


Bath Abbey is lovely. There is an admission charge but I found you can get a good look at it through its very nice adjacent gift shop. 


I especially love the fan vaults on the ceiling and the beautiful stained glass!

Then it was off to the Royal Crescent. My photos don't do it justice. You really need to see it from the air. And you probably have if you watch much British film or television! 


The museum One Royal Crescent is a historic home set to reflect life in Georgian times. I was impressed by how they handled the self-guided tour. One started in the dining room. If you look at the paintings on the wall, you will see they are actually video projections of a husband and wife talking over the breakfast  table about an upcoming party and their daughter's "chances" to find a mate at the gala. 


The table was beautifully set and hearing the voices without a headset attached was clever and worked well.


Then it was on to the study where the husband and his son were in discussion about a business deal. The details were lovely.

Upstairs we visit the daughter's room where her gown for the party is laid out and we hear a bit about the upcoming event. We also see her wig and accessories.

Another room is set for the master of the house to prepare for bed with his dressing gown and nightcap laid out.


I really liked the parlor. When music played on the harpsichord in the audio, it was very lightly projected on the wall.


So, too, was a conversation between Mother and Daughter, which you can see reflected on the back walls. When the conversation concluded, the walls returned to simply reflect the wallpaper. It's very clever -- informative but unobtrusive.


The money of many of the Georgians was tied up in the transatlantic slave trade, which is not a lovely legacy. In fact, by the 1730s, Britain was the world's dominant slave-trading nation. Slaves labored on plantations on British colonies and products were shipped back to Britain where they were sold for enormous profits, making those involved in the business even wealthier.

 

A poster tells us that most in Bath benefited from the slave trade, either through plantation ownership or by holding shares in companies engaged in slave trade.  Active opposition ended the trade in 1807 but it wasn't until 1833 that Britain passed the Slave Abolition Act, abolishing slavery in the colonies.

After leaving One Royal Crescent (which I would recommend), I headed toward the river to get tickets to the rugby game the next day. I stopped by the river for a snack (and to rest my feet!).


It was a gorgeous day and fun to watch people and the touring boats going up the river. Flowers were still in bloom.

But then it was off to the stadium in hopes to nab two seats. I was lucky. The game, between Bath and nearby Bristol, is a local rivalry and tickets were at a premium.

 

Time to head back!

Travel Tips:

  • Find out the local happening and join in. The rugby game wasn't on my radar but it sounded fun. Had we been a bit smarter, we might have purchased tickets in advance and in fact, had tried, but the website was confusing. Local sports, theatre, or festivals add to the energy of a city and a good way to get a good feel for it.
  • Check your area for bus apps, which will help save time and provide choices, if available. We did not have mobile data for our phones but could use wifi when near or public wifi, and for the most part, that worked pretty well (and saved us a bundle.)   

 (You can check out our intro to Bath on this trip HERE

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32 comments:

  1. ...you had a fabulous trip and I thank you for showing me around. It looks like you didn't go hungry!

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  2. How odd to have the pub run by a Canadian, even odder is that a local acquaintance had a child doing the same thing. I don't think it was in Bath, though. At the same time, we had an English lady running a coffee shop in town. When rent increases put her out of business, she went back home to England. I used to hang photos there in the coffee shop and sold a few. In fact, a photo went to that pub in England too when the mother took a trip there. I don't know if it was ever hung.

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  3. The Royal Crescent is lovely and I remember the house from when I saw, quite a few years ago. I haven't been to a rugby game despite living in UK for such a long time. I should get tickets for that.

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  4. If I went on vacation with Miriam and told her that I was going off to do my own thing, it would not end well! But it would never happen. We would be together, exploring nature. We wouldn’t need to buy tickets for sports events or anything else. It would be of no interest to us to know what was happening in a city. Better we never travel together, Jeanie!! I am glad that Rick got a chance to go for a bike ride. It is, after all, what he loves best. I suspect he was happy not to get dragged around the abbey and the museum. But I am very happy that you enjoyed it.

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  5. Such beautiful pictures. Looks like you did what you loved doing and Rick did what he loved doing. A perfect vacation. I have been to London and loved it and would love to go back and see other parts of London including Bath. Enjoyed your post.

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  6. Oh, how beautiful to see Bath through your lens Jeanie. We really love this city---so full of history and gorgeousness! So glad to hear you found such sweet folks along the way. Sorry about Sally Lunns being full, but it usually is. I'm enjoying your posts about your great adventure to the green and pleasant land!

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  7. Thank you for the BIG smile. Your Bath is my Perth.
    Bus, steak, pie, yippeee. Nice people. And the red phone booth - we have one, too, it is a library and I brought some books on health for the students there.
    The defibrillator-idea is great!!!! Nice to learn you can wander again.
    Interesting museum, too! Well done. I´d spend hours there. Thank you for sharing this. More?

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  8. What a great day! When we went (YEARS ago) we stayed in a guesthouse near the Crescent. I walked Olga there! I wish I'd gone to that museum; I don't even remember hearing about it, but maybe I was too focused on dog care.

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  9. What a grand adventure. Glad you enjoyed Bath, it does sound inviting with lots to see and enjoy plus nice and friendly people. Great photos, Jeanie.

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  10. Royal Crescent is lovely, but I hope you didn't miss the nearby Circus! Glad your neighbours helped out, rural buses can be hit and miss!

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  11. I love the way you travel -- and especially the way you don't get too obsessed with whatever boxes you'd hoped to check along the way. It's a great lesson in being open to unexpected gifts. From here, it looks like Bath was a great way to get your feet on the ground!

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  12. That mansion is truly beautiful. Those people were rich. David's brother had his wallet stolen in Bath last year. But, his wife was able to use her ATM card to withdraw cash for the rest of their trip.

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  13. What an adventure. Thanks for letting us tag along. Slavery is an abomination, innit.

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  14. Looks like a lovely day! I remember the buses being confusing and not at the times I needed in Bath. I did a lot of walking. How fun to get to go to a rugby game! I don’t understand the rules, but I would still want to go.

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  15. A fantastic day in Bath!
    The Hope and Anchor experience with Sandra and Spencer is such a nice touch—love when locals go out of their way to help!
    Your visit to One Royal Crescent sounds amazing especially the immersive tour. And how awesome that you caught the rugby game!
    Local events like that really bring a city to life.

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  16. That pub:) And the peeps:) You are good to adventure out alone:) (might be a new word:)) I have zero sense of direction and can get lost in one of those phone booths.I never thought I would like travel until I tried it:)

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  17. That sounds like a lovely first day. And I like the idea of getting rugby tickets. One thing about traveling is seeing and doing new things. And getting to meet people only adds to the experience. It looks like a lovely trip, and I bet your'e having fun reliving it as you write these posts. And thanks for answering my question. It's nice when you can grab a bus and not need don't worry about parking and all that comes with it. hugs-Erika

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  18. Jeanie, Bath is beautiful with lots of history. Walking is a great way to take in the culture, the sights, and sounds. You chose what you wanted to do and Rick enjoyed a bike ride. Thank you for taking me along!

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  19. Now I wish I could go back to Bath. I wanted to eat at Sally Lunn, but also didn't get to do that. The Crescent and that museum sounds amazing. I love stepping into history like that, so very clever.

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  20. Your day was a wonderful way to start your trip. I love venturing out on my own like you do, always an adventure. We have never been here, hope to someday soon. I am enjoying your photos and it's interesting to see how you spend your time. I know this must have been a satisfying trip!......

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  21. How wonderful to meet friendly Canadians who gave you real insight into Bath. Of course the day sounds fantastic. I'm looking forward to more adventures.

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  22. Hello Jeanie,
    Wonderful photos from your visit to Bath! Looks like a great place to visit. I am sure Rick enjoyed his bike ride. Happy Halloween! Take care, have a great day!

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  23. coolest way ever to take an old phone booth and making it a beautiful garden, and not an old booth that no one uses anymore. I love the stone houses and with the flowers growing on them, so pretty. Touring with you is fun, only way I will ever get to see over there....

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  24. Wonderful walk about in Bath. Love the Royal Crescent.
    Happy Hallowe'en, Jeanie.

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  25. That looks lovely. Thanks for sharing. Sounds as though you met some lovely people. The public looks great, and I probably would’ve spent a lot of time in there talking with people. When we would go to foreign countries, we would take the public transportation from one end of the line to the other …learned a lot, saw a lot.

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  26. I would have enjoyed that museum! We did get to Sally Lunns for tea when we were there. So charming. But never saw the Crescent, how did we miss it?

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  27. What wonderful, kind, helpful people at the restaurant!
    Love what they have done with the old phone booths.
    The fan vaults are amazing. Always love sunlight through stained glass.
    That story-like tour with the audios being played sounds like such fun!
    Not sure a rugby game would be too interesting to me, though--lol! I am not into sports at all.
    I hope Rick had as great a time as you did. :)

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  28. how awesome that you both enjoyed your day...doing what you love!! awesome pictures, the phone booths were my favorites!! i always look for locals to strike up a conversation with, they are such a wealth of information!!

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  29. How lovely, and the projections is an amazing idea as it gives LIFE to the rooms and possessions. I'm glad they included the slave trade...it's an abomination of proportions we can't even imagine. What a lovely day, and totally love the phone boths, too. Hugs, Sandi

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  30. It looks and sounds a lovely first day.
    Looking forward to reading and seeing more.

    All the best Jan

    PS Happy Halloween/End of October/New month of November wishes.

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  31. When I saw the sign for Sally Lunn, I thought immediately of the brioche-like bread called Sally Lunn. Well, of course there's a connection. When you have a minute for a half-cup of tea, I know you'll enjoy this history/myth of how the Sally Lunn (or Bath bread) became established in Bath, and became so famous!

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