The quieter side to Regency Bath

Wow, November already! Where did the year go? By way of dealing with my huge backlog of posts to write, I’m going to intersperse some write-ups of trips from earlier in the year with newer stuff; I hope you don’t mind. Today’s post is from a day back in February (!). It is impossible to go to Bath without taking a million photos, and although I’ve shared plenty of photos of it on here before, I felt some more of my wanderings wouldn’t really go amiss. Starting with the perfect flat white at the Society Cafe.

This is, of course, the classic shot of Pulteney Bridge and the weir – 0/10 for originality, I know, but when the subject matter is so elegant, it’s difficult to resist getting the camera out.

This is what the bridge looks like when you’re actually on it. I can’t tell you how long I lingered opposite this florist trying to get a photo with no people!

Another view of Pulteney Bridge looking towards Laura Place.

This is the little alleyway that connects Abbey Green with a beautiful little hidden away street. This is the view looking towards Abbey Green…

…and this is the view when you emerge. This can’t have changed at all since Jane Austen’s day, and you can imagine settling yourself into one of these gorgeous townhouses and waiting for callers! At the end of the street is Sally Lunn’s Historic Eating House, said to be the oldest house in Bath (dating to around 1482, would you believe) and home to the Sally Lunn bun, which is a bit like brioche and worth queuing up with the tourists to try at least once (take a look at this post for more).

So far, so touristy, but my last few photos for today are of a side to Bath that I don’t think many visitors ever explore. Cross the river by the station – the point at which the Kennett and Avon canal joins the River Avon – and you’ll reach Widcombe, a quieter part of town still full of desirable Georgian terraces like this one, which still has its original lantern.

There’s also a cracking view over the rooftops from some of the little lanes off the main road leading up the hill. I liked the mangled bit of fencing in the foreground there; it felt as though it would have a few stories to tell.

I love a good roofscape; there’s something about them that captures the imagination. I think about each of the chimney pots having a cosy fire crackling companionably at the other end, with people gathering around it. Also, they always remind me of that bit in Mary Poppins when all the chimney-sweeps dance on the rooftops.

What’s your favourite thing to do in Bath?