Last week the husband and I enjoyed a trip to Bath. With only two days to explore we were determined to pack in as much as possible, so arrived early to make the most of our short time there.
So, of course, our first stop was breakfast – well, you can’t do much on an empty stomach, can you?
Refreshed, we then headed out down Milsom Street to explore. Although I know Bath quite well there are still lots of small streets and alleyways to discover.
Beaufort Square was looking as elegant as usual and this time there were no parked cars spoiling the view. Some of you may know it was used as a location in Bridgerton.
I made sure to take a photo of George Street. This is where Freddie Lanyon, the main character in my forthcoming book, A Plethora of Phantoms, has an unfortunate encounter with a mugger! Happily, our stroll down this street was crime free.
After walking the length of George Street and along the Paragon towards Walcot, we arrived at St Swithin’s church.
George Austen, father of the rather more famous Jane, is buried in the crypt and there is is also a memorial to him in the churchyard. He and Cassandra, Jane’s mother, were married here in 1764, so this church has quite a few connections to the Austen family.
Further walking took us in the direction of Sydney Gardens, located behind the Holburne Museum. These gardens feature in two of my books. In An Adventurer’s Contract, Jack escorts Gabrielle around the gardens after they have discovered disturbing news about her missing cousin. During the Regency period, visiting Sydney Gardens was one of the enjoyable pastimes open to those who could afford the entrance fee.
Thankfully, the gardens are free to enter these days. Kate and Tom, the antagonistic neighbours from The Unquiet Spirit, have a bit of a moment here on their visit to Bath. Where better to clear the air than in the seclusion of a well-tended garden before they visit Tom’s uncle on Great Pulteney Street?
On my own walk round the gardens I discovered an unusual memorial sculpture to Admiral Arthur Phillip (1738-1814). Installed by the British-Australia Society, it is a tribute to the Admiral who was the first Governor of New South Wales and the founder of modern Australia. The memorial is in the shape of an armillary sphere and the bands are engraved with details of the Admiral’s life.
It was a bit difficult to get decent shots showing these details, but there was one that I found particularly interesting. It is a quote from the Admiral: ‘There will never be any slavery in this land.’ A statement that he ensured would prevail.
Admiral Phillip returned to England in 1793 and settled in Bath, where he died in 1814. I think I will research more about this gentleman; who knows, he might make a guest appearance in one of my stories.
The second day of our stay involved more walking, this time down to Manvers Street to visit one of my favourite book shops, George Bayntun. Said to be one of the world’s most famous bookshops, it acts like a magnet to me whenever I’m in Bath. It is home to the Bayntun-Riviere bindery, which dates back to 1829. I always head for the basement, which houses the second hand book department.
This time I purchased a copy of A Goodly Heritage a history of Jane Austen’s family by George Holbert Tucker. Unsurprisingly, Bayntun’s stock of Austen literature was sparse, due to the large influx of visitors calling in this, her anniversary year.
Another place worth a visit is the Bath Market. Built in 1861, this impressive cast iron and glass building houses about thirty stalls. In the centre of the market is the original market stone pillar dating from 1768 used for the transaction of business or striking bargains.
Known as the ‘nail’ it is said to be the source of the saying ‘pay on the nail’.
My final photo is of Gay Street; this is where Marcus Spender lives in the apartment above his antique shop. You can meet Marcus in A Plethora of Phantoms. He has a very unusual door keeper!
Well, that’s about it for my trip to Bath. I hope you found it interesting. If you know of any quirky or special places in Bath that I haven’t discovered yet, please let me know.
Notes
An Adventurer’s Contract, a Regency mystery/romance, is available as an ebook and a paperback on Amazon here. It’s also free to download with Kindleunlimited
The Unquiet Spirit, a contemporary mystery/romance with spooky elements will be released soon. Kate Wilson doesn’t think her new home in Cornwall is haunted, but can she afford to trust her annoying next door neighbour to help her discover what is really going on?
A Plethora of Phantoms, the second of my contemporary mystery/romances with spooky elements is coming soon