England's Green and Pleasant Land

Bath and surrounds – England
  • Hartwell House, Buckinghamshire Hartwell House, Buckinghamshire
  • beautiful Bath beautiful Bath
  • Blenheim Palace Blenheim Palace
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A Quick Glance

Destination(s) Bath and surrounds – England

Duration 3 days or more

Traveller(s) Family, group or friends

Trip highlight History, food, architecture...

Travel Advisor Josie McPaul

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Rolling green hills, stately homes with years of amazing history, quirky towns - there is a lot to like about England outside of the major cities.

Provincial England is something lots of us forget about – we rush over to London to shop and visit relatives and then we hurry over to Europe … but a simple drive or train journey can take you out of the sprawling metropolis and into a countryside which has so many things on offer – history (both recent and ancient), culture in surprising variety and good food in corner shops, Michelin star restaurants and everything in between.

Bath is a small city about 100 miles west of London – about a two hour drive once you clear the metro outskirts.  The whole place is so special that it has all been World Heritage listed.  The history goes back to before the Romans but they are the ones who initially put the place on the map and you can still enjoy the natural hot springs which have made this location famous.

The magnificent Georgian era buildings on Royal Crescent and the wonderful museums dotted throughout the town offer you hours of pleasant strolling and picture-taking… and after soaking up all that culture, there are fabulous restaurants and bars and cafes where you can while away the evenings, or The Moody Goose at The Old Priory is only a short distance from town and it has a magnificent restaurant as well as historic rooms to stay in.

Longleat House is about 30 minute drive away from Bath and it is a still fully functional and lived in example of High Elizabethan (late 1500s) architecture … but with a twist because there is a safari adventure park in the grounds, full of African animals and adventure activities for adults and kids.

A two hour drive north of Bath takes you to Blenheim Palace – the ancestral seat of the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough and birth place of Sir Winston Churchill.   Quite an amazing property and the display of wealth verges on outrageous.  Only a portion of the rooms are open to the public but they are stunning enough and even though the entrance price of GBP18 is a little  steep, it is more than worth it.  You could spend the whole day in the grounds and gardens alone – there is a maze, a butterfly house, various areas and activities for children, a miniature train ride, a lavender garden, and various exhibitions which change according to the season.  The palace itself definitely requires a guide so that you do not miss anything – some of the collections require a little explanation to fully appreciate their significance, not only to the Churchill family but to the nation as a whole…