An expedition to Bath

With work increasingly taking over my life, I recently treated myself to a day out in the form of a solo shopping and Instagramming trip to Bath, which was just the tonic I needed to be able to press on with my ever-hectic work schedule. My first port of call, as ever, was the Abbey square.

I started the day with a cappuccino sitting outside at the Roman Baths Kitchen, where this was my view. I can definitely recommend the Roman Baths Kitchen if you’re ever in Bath. I’ve been there quite a few times, and I like it because of its proximity to the Abbey and Pump Room.

One last wonky pic and then back to some level ones!

The famous view towards Pulteney Bridge. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I am not a city person, but if I were to be forced to live in one, it would certainly be Bath. I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say that Bath is the most beautiful city in the UK. I seem to love it more and more every time I go.

On this street, you can just make out Sally Lunn’s – the oldest house in Bath – where Lee and I had those delicious buns on his first visit to Bath a couple of years ago.

How I should like to have been the heroine of a Jane Austen novel, sitting with my book at one of these windows looking out for callers! I don’t think this view can have changed at all since Jane herself frequented Bath.

The elegantly carved street names are one of my favourite things about Bath. You just don’t see elegance like this in anything produced nowadays – there just isn’t the effort put into anything anymore. Nothing seems to be built to last, or to look beautiful. Yet the difference it makes to one’s state of mind to be surrounded by such beauty can hardly be overstated.

I don’t know what this little square is called, but that tree is splendid.

Later, after depositing my purchases in the car and eating lunch at Yo Sushi, I had a walk through some of the residential streets around the Royal Crescent. I found this little walk up to said Crescent. You get a great view of the back of some of the townhouses, which all look different from behind.

I really liked all the little green garden gates.

And this is what those townhouses look like from the front, with imposing neoclassical porches.

Brock Street leads up to the Circus, which I personally find more impressive than the Royal Crescent. If I had unlimited funds I would buy a house here.

This house had beautiful clematis in flower on its railings, with a little note saying to enjoy photographing the flowers and to make a contribution to their chosen charity by leaving a donation in an accompanying box. I thought that was a nice idea, so I made my donation and spent a few minutes photographing the flowers from various angles.

A little further round the street was this amazing old iron thing, a lamp holder maybe? I wasn’t quite sure. Anyhow, it had a lovely feeling of a bygone era about it.

More gorgeous street name carvings and neoclassical splendour.

It was nice to be in a hilly place for a change. It’s so flat where I live that I barely see hills at all anymore!

Here’s the full version of the photo you saw in my wisteria post the other day.

This is Hay Hill, yet another corner of Bath that makes you feel you’re stepping back in time.

Even more so with this amazing ‘ghost’ sign writing.

Before I left Bath I had a brief wander around the inside of the Abbey, which I’ve not been in for several years. I sang in Bath Abbey once upon a time – Brahms’ German Requiem, if I recall correctly. It’s always an odd feeling to stand in the same spots in which important moments of one’s life once played out; to compare the difference between circumstances then and now.

My final view of the Abbey before I left to go home came complete with a seagull.

I snapped one last picture while sitting in traffic when it was time to come home. I used to sing in this church every Saturday morning with Bath Minerva Choir, a good 15 years ago now. It feels like a lifetime ago. The main reason for the photo, though, is that utterly fabulous sign writing on the side of the building next door. That’s the great thing about Bath – there are echoes of the past everywhere. Echoes of my past, too. And no matter what changes in my life – and heaven knows my life is VERY different now to 15 years ago – Bath will always be just as wonderful.