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Bath

Dark side of the Moonfrog1

11:55 / 07.03.06

I've passed Bath a number of times on the train and I've always thought it looked like quite a nice place. Consequently myself and Mrs Moonfrog have decided to visit for a long weekend. Can anybody recomend any good hotels in the city?

Also if anyone knows of any good touristy sights to take in, and or clubs, pubs or general fun things to do, could they advise?

12:25 / 07.03.06

The Roman Baths.

Seriously - really interesting walking around where all the Romans once did. Not allowed in the green murky water anymore and probably for the best! I believe they are building / have built a modern Spa which you are allowed in but I havn't been down there for a while.

My brother used to live there, and I visitied a fair few times. There's also the Royal Cresent on a hill overlooking Bath which is good to visit but there's not a lot else to see there except rich people.

We went on a open top bus and went at least 3 places which claimed to be Jane Austen's house. There's also a bridge with buildings on both sides which is the only one in the UK or Europe or something.

I suppose the oddest (and in a way most charming) aspect of Bath is that all the buildings from the Cathedral to the shops, the mansions to the council houses are all built in the same stone, a kind of washed out yellow stone which looks very pretty.

pointless & uncalled for

13:21 / 07.03.06

If you're a carnivore, there is a sausage shop worth searching out.

Mon Oncle Ignatius

13:29 / 07.03.06

The American Museum has lots of quilts and suchlike. And some other old American things too. But mostly quilts.

14:58 / 07.03.06

If you're not a carnivore - or even if you are - there's a veggie restaurant called Demuths that's meant to be great.

15:14 / 07.03.06

sorry to be a downer but...

the best bit about bath is in fact the train journey. I don't mean that lightly - i have never been on a more picturesque stretch of track anywhere in the UK that is more god damn lush than the last ten miles before and entering bath (from london direction that is). the view of the city, the churches and huge lovely old terraces, i absolutely love it every time i do it.

once you're there: pricey book shops, rugby boys out the arse, snobby locals, rubbish- or no-comic shop. bah.

[lots of pretty good places to eat though (though my experience is more cafe ish than restauranty), and the baths are interesting. if i was you i'd make a list of all the lush churches I spotted from the train on the way in and try to visit each one.]

15:28 / 07.03.06

Demuths is, indeed, pretty good (breakfasts especially). I bought a very good risotto pan in a very good kitchen shop in Bath. I love the Costume Museum, which has amazing embroidery of yore, but Tangent got a bit bored in my twentieth minute of enthusing over the tininess of stitches in Jacobean garments.

Just walking round looking at the architecture is probably the best bit... OMG, that and Secession Books, where you can buy gorgeous T-shirts which are made of a wood-derived, non-cotton (ie non-pesticide-dependent, fair-traded) material which is very soft, and which say snooty grrl: see also, erudite, bookish, juvenile delinquent, sexy librarian type I love them. They stock books by Persephone OMG so pretty, and they have a very good selection of cultural theory/philosophy books. They are just the best bookshop in the country maybe. (The best tiny bookshop - they don't have much space.)

15:53 / 07.03.06

Marlborough House is one of the best B&Bs I've ever stayed in. It's run by a lovely American woman who's got a fairly encyclopedic knowledge of the city and does stuff like leaving freshly baked cookies in your room for you when you're out. It's walking distance from lots of sights, the rooms are beautiful and breakfasts are lush.

Bard: One-Man Humaton Hoedown

17:15 / 07.03.06

Outside may not look like it (and its been 6 years), but George's Hotel wasn't too bad when my father and I stayed there.

I was in Bath back in August, just for a day mind you, and it was GREAT. Beautiful town. There was an open air market in one of the parks when I was there, I think its a weekly thing, and the food was just fantastic. All sorts of fancy-type stuff. View's absolutly brilliant when you start heading uphill.

The Roman Baths are, of course, the major thing to see, but I had a great time just meandering my way around, poking my head into various shops and the like. I really can't remember what I did for food, though. I think I may have bought something at Tesco's or the like to nibble on and then had an actual lunch...but for the life of me I really can't remember.

Also, for some reason, IIRC they have one of the largest Games Workshop stores in the UK. I mean...it was just really fricking BIG inside.

17:22 / 07.03.06

Last time I was in Bath, I went to a nightclub, Moles, which played indie alternative music as far as I remember, and there was a really heavy rock band playing that night, but other rooms that were a bit more chilled.

17:38 / 07.03.06

Deva:

God I want one of those T-shirts so much - can't find anything on the web though. Tempting to go to Bath just for those! Sounds like a great bookshop as well.

18:56 / 07.03.06

Have a Bath Bun. My mum loves em.

Bard: One-Man Humaton Hoedown

19:31 / 07.03.06

I'm afraid to ask what a "Bath Bun" is.

Spyder Todd 2008

20:00 / 07.03.06

I spent an evening in Bath during Spyder's British Tour 2003! which was very enjoyable. I didn't spend as much time there as I wanted, but I was going to a lot of places in that 3 week period. I saw a production of Fiddler on the Roof there, which is the first time I've seen a production of a show that I acted in previously, which was kind of interesting. I should go back sometime.

20:27 / 07.03.06

Bath Bun, Bard, from The Great British Kitchen:
Bath Buns were originally made by Dr W Oliver, an eminent 18th century physician who treated many of the Londoners visiting the Spa at Bath to take the water. He invented a rich, sweet bun that his patients adored. Unfortunately, they ate too many and undid all the good of his treatment. Being a good business man, he then cunningly invented a plain biscuit for his patients, which was not as fattening as the buns. These are known today as Bath Oliver biscuits.

The crunchy sugar scattered over today's Bath buns is a last remnant of the crushed caraway seed comfits which were used to flavour buns as late as the eighteenth century. Comfits were made by dipping aromatic seeds over and over again in boiling sugar, until they were thickly coated. There is a recipe for making them together with a list of equipment in Sir Hugh Plat's 'Delight for Ladies' of 1605. Sugared almonds are made in the same way. You can still eat Bath buns at Bath, one of the best known places is in the Pump Room.

Tried to post a picture here of a tamed and tethered Bath Bun but have been thwarted. There's one in the link above.

21:26 / 07.03.06

when I last visited, in 1994, they had a lot of heroin addicts living in Bath, I guess. do they still?

08:48 / 08.03.06

God I want one of those T-shirts so much

They are so good. The woman who was there when I bought mine was really nice and helpful and brought a load out of the back room for me to see all the different colours and styles - I bet if you rang her she would find a way to sell you one without you going to Bath.