From a literary amble to a historic city stroll, John Curtin suggests some great routes to suit all interests
Step from the mock Georgian façade of Bath Spa station and head north towards the town centre along Manvers Street. You’ll soon reach the real Georgian terraces made of golden sandstone. Keep to the right-hand side of the road as it becomes Pierrepont Street. Below you to the left are Parade Gardens. Across the River Avon, you’ll see the “Rec”, home of Bath’s rugby team. Continue along the river past the elegant curved terraced weir to Pulteney Bridge, a sight that helped Bath become a Unesco World Heritage Site. The graceful street leading away on the far side of the bridge is Great Pulteney Street, an equal of any grand European boulevard, where you’ll find the Holburne Museum of Art.
Return to Pulteney Bridge and head along Bridge Street then turn right into Walcot Street. This is Bath’s bohemian shopping area, selling everything from cheese to historic statues. At the roundabout, turn left into the curving Georgian splendour of The Paragon. Amid the terraces, take the first right into Guinea Lane, left into Lansdown Road and right into Bennett Street. On your right are The Assembly Rooms—the city’s fashionable hub in the 18th-century, now home of the Fashion Museum.
Bennett Street leads right into The Circus, a circle of Georgian homes around a central roundabout of trees and grass. Head west, into Brock Street. This takes you to the Royal Crescent (pictured); Number 1 is a museum of Georgian life. Marlborough Buildings at the end may look grand but it was built as a windbreak for the Crescent. Head south, then left into Royal Avenue, through Royal Victoria Park’s flower-filled urns and exotic trees, and an authentic Georgian garden designed with gravel instead of grass to protect long skirts from staining. Continue through the gated entrance, across a car park to emerge in Queen Square. Head for the far corner, south into Barton Street. On the right is the intricate façade of the Theatre Royal. The road bends left—keep straight into Westgate Buildings. An alley to your left takes you to a hidden square and the glass and steel building of the Thermae Spa. Left of the entrance is the colonnaded stretch of Bath Street leading to the Roman Baths, and the path to Abbey Church Yard is under an archway to the left. On the right is The Pump Room restaurant, and ahead is Bath Abbey.
Head to the right, behind the Roman Baths and across the square, with the Tourist Information Centre on the corner, into York Street for a glimpse of pre-Georgian Bath. York Street brings you back to Pierrepont Street, which leads along Manvers Street, back to the station.
Details of other great walks starting and finishing at stations across the South West Trains network.