Book Review: Sparkling Wine (Vineyards of England and Wales)
It would be hard to ignore the revolution that has taken place in British winemaking in recent years. Although the Romans planted vineyards in England, winemaking later became a minority interest, mostly confined to monasteries or aristocratic estates. But now there...
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Book Review: Everest England by Peter Owen Jones
Many people dream of climbing Mount Everest; few are able to achieve it. In Everest England Peter Owen Jones proposes an alternative. Twelve days of walks up English hills, which collectively total a climb of 29,000 feet, the equivalent of Mount Everest. Everest...
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Prior Park Landscape Garden: The Vision of Ralph Allen and Alexander Pope
There are several reasons to visit Prior Park Landscape Garden in Bath. The gardens and the woodland walks, the Palladian buildings, and the views across the city. Prior Park also has an important place in the history of the city, and in the history of garden design....
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Travel to Bath – Podcast with Amateur Traveler
I recently participated in an Amateur Traveler podcast about my new hometown of Bath. I've written lots about the UNESCO World Heritage city of Bath already - the Roman baths, the museums, the writers associated with Bath, and much more... But this was my chance to...
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What to See and Do in Bradford on Avon
Bradford on Avon is often overlooked by the tourists who flock to the nearby city of Bath. Which is a pity: like Bath, it has an enviable location in the Avon Valley and, unlike Bath, it is a medieval town with lots of older buildings. Whether you visit for a few...
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Visiting the Queen’s Horses at the Royal Mews, London
I was hardly aware of the existence of the Royal Mews: they were not on my “to do” list for London. In fact, they do not seem to be high on the tourist radar at all. I found them by accident, when I saw the mile long queue snaking around Buckingham Palace, and hastily...
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Where to Find Jane Austen in Bath
Even if you’ve never read any of her novels, the chances are that you associate Jane Austen with Bath. As for most people of her time and social class, Bath was an important part of Jane Austen’s world, and she mentioned it in all of her novels. Two of the books –...
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In the Footprints of Great Writers: Discover Literary Bath
For many people literary Bath is synonymous with Jane Austen, a frequent visitor and sometime resident of the city. But during Bath’s heyday in the 18th and 19th centuries many fashionable authors visited the city, and featured it in their writing. I have rounded up...
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A Tour of the Old Theatre Royal and Masonic Hall, Bath
Bath has lots of small museums. One of my favourites is the Old Theatre Royal and Masonic Hall. Mainly because, somewhat unusually, it is the building itself, with its multi-layered history, that is the main exhibit. Entry is by guided tour (see website for times)...
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Holburne Museum and Sydney Gardens: The Oldest Park and Gallery in Bath
When you visit Bath don’t miss the Holburne Museum and Sydney Gardens. Just a short – and interesting – walk from the city centre, across the Pulteney Bridge and along Great Pulteney Street. Here you’ll find the oldest park in Bath and the city’s first public art...
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