Manxlife travel
There’s nothing like a beautiful, Simon Richardson visits England’s most beautiful small city
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relaxing (visit to) Bath…
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The saying goes that there’s no such thing as bad publicity. It’s just as well given the less than complimentary things that the city of Bath’s most famous former resident, Jane Austen once said. The writer of ‘Pride and Prejudice’ lived there for six years from 1801 to 1806, a period in which the city was a playground for rich and decadent Londoners, drawn by its remarkable beauty and its invigorating natural springs. Inevitably it also attracted – to Austen’s disdain – more than its fair share of thieves, beggars and prostitutes! Today the city’s architectural and historical pedigree remains firmly intact and it’s possible to walk in Austen’s footsteps – and enjoy a rather less bohemian experience than the author. Modern Bath is one of Britain’s most beautiful and historically important cities. It achieved World Heritage
site status back in 1987, and attracts over 3.8 million visitors each year. Bath lies within the county of Somerset, in beautiful rolling countryside at the southern edge of the Cotswolds. That’s why it’s preferable to have your own car and mix the wonders of the city with the geographical delights of the region. The City of Bristol is just 13 miles away. We sailed to Liverpool aboard the Steam Packet’s superb fastcraft Manannan, and drove south. It’s an easy journey of around three hours 20 minutes. The fastest route takes you M6 to Birmingham then M5 to Bath. If time isn’t an issue you can
‘Rooms at The Francis are individually designed and delightfully eclectic.’
www.mgallery.com/Bath
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stop off on the way down at any number of interesting places – maybe incorporating an overnight stop en route. Our Bath base was the beautiful 4 star Francis Hotel on Queen Square in the heart of the city. It’s formed from a terrace of seven elegant, Bath stone, Georgian townhouses and offers extremely comfortable, stylish accommodation, which takes its inspiration from the Regency period. The hotel underwent a comprehensive £6 million refurbishment programme in 2012. Dining at the hotel is a joy. An excellent selection of dishes is available daily from 10am to 11pm in the lovely lounge and bar area, and for the slightly more formal dining experience, there’s a superb Raymond Blanc ‘Brasserie Blanc’ on site.
Rooms at The Francis are individually designed and delightfully eclectic. There are 98 in total and guests can expect a sublimely comfortable bed, Egyptian cotton linen, bathrobes, luxury toiletries, flat screen TV, air-conditioning, safe and WiFi. The hotel provides two WiFi packages for your convenience including: Free WiFi - ideal for basic browsing and emailing. Premium WiFi charged at £10 for 24hrs ideal for browsing, emailing, streaming and accessing your VPN. In truth if your visit to Bath is for pleasure, the historic and cultural attractions of the city far outweigh those offered by any tablet or smartphone. There really is plenty to see and do in and around Bath. Furthermore the city’s compact nature makes it easy to explore on foot. The Roman Baths draw huge numbers of visitors each year. A tour of the complex takes in
the Sacred Spring, the Roman Temple, the Roman Bath House and the Museum with its fine exhibits from Roman Bath. The buildings above street level date from the 19th century. (If you’re looking for a Manx connection the first shrine at the site of the hot springs was actually built by the Celts). The warm, thermal spring water in the original baths isn’t considered safe for bathing as it’s transported through lead pipes, but the nearby Thermae Bath Spa provides the opportunity to immerse yourself in the mineral rich water drawn from recently drilled bore holes. It percolates down through limestone aquifers to
a depth of between 2,700 metres (8,900 ft) and 4,300 metres (14,100 ft) where geothermal energy raises the water temperature to between 64 °C (147.2 °F) and 96 °C (204.8 °F). Under pressure, the heated water rises to the surface along fissures and faults in the limestone. It’s a stunning facility with an open air, rooftop spa pool, providing bathers with an unrivalled cityscape. We sent Manx life reporters Hayley Richardson and Jamie Doubleday to sample the delights of the Spa – all in the name of research, of course! Read their verdict on the next page.
There really is plenty to see and do in and around Bath. Tourist information: visitbath.co.uk is a lively and useful website with a helpful “What’s on” section. The Bath Visitor Information Centre is at: Abbey Chambers, Abbey Churchyard Bath, BA1 1LY Open: 9.30am-5.30pm Mon-Sat 10am-4pm Sun
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Manxlife travel
Treat yourself at the
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The saying goes, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”. Over 2,000 years ago, the Romans visited ‘Bath’ to do just that; bathe. Now, visitors can experience the healing properties of the mineral-rich spring water for themselves, just as the Romans did. Located (ironically) on Hot Bath Street - close to Bath Abbey and the historical Roman Baths - the award-winning Thermae Bath Spa is a blissful retreat for anyone wishing to escape the historic city’s hustle and bustle The mineral-rich thermal water which fills all four of the baths at Thermae is sourced from the city’s natural hot springs. Equipped with soothing steam rooms, intense ‘tropical’ showers and a traditional thermal ‘Minerva Bath’ (with a contemporary twist), the Thermae spa is open all year round from 9am - 9:30pm. Our highlight was the impressive open-air rooftop pool, which offers stunning views of the city’s striking skyline and neighbouring hills and is naturally warm even on a frosty day in February. Thermae does get particularly busy at weekends (we visited on a Sunday morning) – for a more intimate Spa
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experience, perhaps try the ‘Cross Bath’ which is in a separate building. Thermae offer a 2-hour, 4-hour or luxuriant Full Day spa session with additional treatments and specially-designed packages also available You can hire towels, robes and slippers from Reception (all three costing £9); I’d suggest bringing a couple of towels, as you’ll want one to carry around with you as you move between areas. Of the treatments on offer, we opted for a fully body massage – perfect for easing any aches and pains after carrying around those heavy shopping bags. Having only ever previously experienced aggressive sports injury massages, I opted for the ‘Serenity Candle massage’; a relaxing treatment designed to hydrate and nourish the skin. A special candle releases warm shea butter and almond oil, which is then poured onto the skin and used as a lubricant for the massage. Before the treatment my therapist – Alex – immediately put me at ease and took the time to ask if I had any specific areas of tension, which
stu nning Thermae Bath Spa The mineral-rich thermal water which fills all four of the baths at Thermae is sourced from the city’s natural hot springs.
he then worked on with an appropriate amount of pressure. My partner and I both emerged refreshed and revived, with only a tinge of disappointment that the treatment only lasted an hour, as we could have easily stayed there all day! Post-spa, we enjoyed a healthy (but tasty!) meal at the Springs Cafe and Restaurant. The ambience was peaceful and relaxed, with many diners in their spa robes and slippers. – Hayley Richardson As well as massage, Thermae also offer facials, body wraps, hot stones therapy and luxury treatments for hands and feet. More information and prices can be found on their website www.thermaebathspa.com Bath has many ancient attractions but it’s certainly not a city for fuddy duffies! It’s home to one of the country’s most respected universities and a leading professional Rugby club. As you would therefore expect Bath pm has a real buzz. There are countless restaurants, traditional pubs and trendy bars by night and cosy café’s and coffee shops by day. Southerners call it Baarth, northerners call it Bath and Bathonians opt for a kind of halfway house stretching the ‘a’ sound – Baaaath. Whatever you call it it’s impossible not to fall for the charms of the place.
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