Follow Me To: 48 Hours in Bath

Hey Owlets,

Today I'm back to share more of my travels with you and this time I want to do something a little different; I'm going to show you everything I did, but it's going to be more of an itinerary that you can use if you stay in Bath overnight. I'm lucky to live in a place that's very well connected so I'm used to popping to Bath for a few hours here and there and I thought I knew the city pretty well, but Visit Bath showed me some things in Bath that I never would've known existed, as well as some old favourites too.

Arriving in Bath by train, the first stop on the agenda was a trip to Electric Bear Brewing to taste some of their beers, produced only a ten minute drive from the city centre. When I'm travelling there's nothing better than enjoying a drink in the sunshine, and it's even better to try something that's unique to the area. Unfortunately Electric Bear isn't open to the public everyday, but it's worth checking on their website as they run loads of events at their brewery. If you can't get to one of their events then you can try their beer at one of the many bars across the city. I actually can't stand beer, but the head brewer managed to find one that even I enjoyed - if you're the same as me I'd recommend you go for the mango sour beer.

After an alcoholic pitstop (preferably in the sunshine), I'd recommend taking some time to explore the city. There's lots of touristy places like the Roman Baths and the Pump Rooms, but my favourite way to get a feel for a city is just to take a wander through the streets. I found this beautiful park just a stone's throw from the Royal Crescent which, if I'd been busy following my phone's maps, I never would've seen. One of my favourite things about Bath are all the little green spaces that are dotted all over the city where you can stop and enjoy the scenery - just as well really with all those hills, I was exhausted!

When you've worked up an appetite head over to The Locksbrook Inn for lunch with a view; the pub garden is great anyway, but it's made even better by watching the odd boat sail past. We didn't have long for lunch so we only had a pizza, but it was enjoyable, homemade and not at all greasy. The menu looked amazing so I'd love to go back and try something else another day.

Having stopped for pizza at the pub, we moved onto Swoon Gelato for dessert - it's kind of become the Instagram-lover's cult place recently. They have stores in both Bristol and Bath, and provide unique flavours with Pinterest-worthy decor to take selfies with your ice cream against; they also offer vegan options including a vegan chocolate that was so good I couldn't tell the difference between that and the non-vegan alternative. I was a little boring but it was 30º so I went with a mango sorbet to make me feel more refreshed.

After a break from the sun it's time to try paddle boarding with Original Wild - by this point the sun has gone down a little and it's the perfect time to relax as you sail around Bath's canals. I'm really sad I didn't get to have a go as my bad hip was playing up, but it's definitely something I'm planning to go back to try - everyone else said they loved it and apparently it's a lot easier than you'd think!

When you've worked up an appetite I'd recommend going to Framptons for dinner. Walking through the doors makes you feel like you've stepped back in time 70 years, the view from the windows looks more like a painting and the food is absolutely incredible. I went for the hake which was cooked to perfection, and I love the fact that they try to locally source as many ingredients as possible.

After dinner there's just time for one more stop as the sun sets - after all you are on holiday, right? We went to Le Vignoble on Milsom Place to do some wine tasting - unfortunately I'm not very good at it. When she asked what the wine tasted like, apparently "wine" wasn't the right answer... Le Vignoble offer regular wine tasting lessons, but you can also just pop in for a glass or two. The really cool thing is that you're given a card which is effectively your tab, then you walk around and tap it on the vending machines to get whichever wine you'd like.

Photo: University of Bath (my lens wasn't wide enough!)

After a glass of wine, we went back and checked into our rooms for the night. The University of Bath rent out their student accommodation over the summer and all the money is reinvested in improving the university. They're not the most luxurious rooms but they're great for a flexible, low-cost place to stay near the city. It's a 30 minute walk from the centre or a short bus ride, and they start from £36 a night. The ensuite single room that we stayed in is £50 but that's still cheaper than a hotel in the centre. The thing I loved about it is that if you're going with a few friends you each pay around £36 for your room, have a kitchen to make your own food, and have the common room to spend time together.

In the morning we were given a yoga class, which unfortunately isn't usually available to guests. However, during your stay you can have full use of the sports facilities for £10 per day or £30 per week, and that includes use of the incredible pool - word of warning, it's all two metres deep so make sure you're a strong swimmer. Breakfast is an optional extra but it's definitely worth it. As this was a press trip we had breakfast laid out for us so unfortunately you can't expect this at your table if you stay, but they do offer a buffet breakfast.

After you've spent some time enjoying the facilities it's time to get out and explore again. I've been to Bath many times and never knew this existed. Ralph Allen built a lot of Bath in the 1700s, but the story says that he wanted something to look at, so he built Sham Castle. It's really strange because it's just the front face of the castle and nothing else. It's beautiful for pictures but the view is also incredible - from the hill you can look down onto the whole city. It's one of those things that you wouldn't expect to find, and it's worth the walk just for the novelty.

Photo: Visit Bath

When it's time for a rest, I'd take a short walk and head to County Hotel's new beach bar. I've seen a lot of these springing up recently but they always seem to be in London so it's nice to see something more local. They've effectively built a beach in their back garden and it's a great place to spend a few hours drinking cocktails, relaxing on the comfy chairs and having a chat.

After all of this I was definitely ready to go home and sleep - I think I got back at 4pm and was asleep by 7, but I always prefer a busy schedule because I'm that person who wants to make the most of every second and see everything. Hopefully this has inspired you if you're planning a trip to Bath this summer, and you can take one or all of these things to personalise the trip to whatever you enjoy doing. 

Where would you like to see me go next? Let me know on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or in the comments below.

Love and Feathers, 

 The Owlet 💜 

You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Pinterest

N.B: I was a guest of Visit Bath so everything was complimentary, but all views remain my own.