Last October held a significant birthday for my wife S. To mark the occasion, I took her away on a surprise trip. We boarded a train and were sat opposite a friendly man who was also celebrating a birthday. He had plenty of drinks to keep him going for the journey to see his family and was very pleasant, albeit slightly inebriated. He bade us farewell as he departed the train at Bristol. Having not changed trains ourselves, it was at this point that S began to figure out where we were probably going, and it was no surprise to her that I got up to get the luggage as the train approached Bath, or Bath Spa as the station is called.
Bath has the very rare accolade of being a doubly inscribed UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 1987, it was inscribed for its Roman archaeology and beautiful Cotswold Stone Georgian architecture. Although dating from pre-Roman times, much of Bath was built during the Georgian period including gems such as The Circus, The Royal Crescent, Pulteney Bridge and Great Pulteney Street. Famous residents during this time included Beau Nash, Thomas Gainsborough and Jane Austen.
In 2021, the city’s 2nd World Heritage Site inscription was given for being one of the Great Spa Towns of Europe. There’s evidence that the hot springs were used 2000 years ago by Celts, but it was the Romans who put Bath on the map as a spa town.
S and I caught a taxi at the station for the short journey to the appropriately named Bath Spa Hotel. Set in lovely gardens and with spa facilities (of course), this was to be our home for the next 2 nights.
Our first task was to have lunch on the garden terrace, with a glass of bubbly for the birthday girl. Bath was experiencing an Indian Summer, so it was lovely and warm. After lunch, we explored the hotel gardens which ran almost seamlessly into Sydney Pleasure Gardens.
Sydney Pleasure Gardens were opened in the late 18th century and named after the local Viscount Sydney, as was the city of Sydney in Australia. They are a rare surviving example of Georgian pleasure gardens. Jane Austen was a regular visitor and is said to have enjoyed concerts at the bandstand. These days both a railway line and the Kennet and Avon canal run through the gardens. S and I crossed them and strolled through to arrive at the Holburne Museum.
Originating from the private collection of local resident Sir William Holburne, the museum was established after his death, when his relatives donated his artefacts to the city. Many items have been added since, but the collection retains the character set by Holburne. Art is at the centre of the museum, and there are many portraits by Thomas Gainsborough. Wealthy and prominent people in the city were very keen to be painted by the great artist. They included the politician Earl Nugent and Henrietta Pulteney, responsible for the development of the elegant suburb of Bathwick and the imposing Great Pulteney Street. Nugent assisted the expansion of the Slave Trade, but Gainsborough also painted prominent abolitionists. Among them was Charles Ignatious Sancho, an escaped slave who became a writer and is believed to be the first man of African descent to vote in a British election in 1774. A portrait of Gainsborough’s physician, Dr Rice Charleton, also appears in the gallery. It is thought Gainsborough paid for his treatment in paintings.
As well as Gainsborough’s portraits, Holburne collected many landscapes painted during the Dutch and Flemish Golden Age.
When we visited, there was an exhibition devoted to local artist Sarah Biffin (1784-1850). Born without arms and legs, she painted holding the brush with her mouth and specialised in miniature watercolours. She gained notoriety and was patronised by the British Royal Family. Biffin became a mentor to aspiring female artists. Below is a self-portrait, painted after she moved to Liverpool.
We also saw this grand piano, once owned by Rachmaninov.
After viewing the extensive collections of sculptures and porcelain, S was ready for more refreshment at the museum café. First though, I nipped across the road to 4 Sydney Place.
I needed to take a photo of the property where Jane Austen once lived. As I was snapping, a resident had the cheek to walk past me onto the porch and enter through the front door. I suppose people taking photos of your front door can get a little irritating, but living in the same house as one of Britain’s most famous authors must be some compensation.
After a drink, we walked back to our hotel for a relaxing soak in its outdoor hydrotherapy pool – a fitting end to the first day of S’s birthday weekend.
Factfile:
Location
Bath is in south-west England, UK, 114 miles west of London and 12 miles east of Bristol
Transport
Bath has direct train services from Bristol (11mins), Cardiff (1h 4mins) and London (1h 20mins). From destinations in the Midlands and Northern UK, change at Bristol. For motorists, the city is south of junction 18 on the London – South Wales M4 motorway. The nearest airport is Bristol (19 miles)
Information
Click the links for more information on the Holburne Museum and Bath
Travelgarb 
It’s a very beautiful city. I remember a wonderful walk down from the heights to the riverside in brilliant sunshine. A rarity, maybe!
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Well it was nice and sunny when we were there! Thanks for dropping by.
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