Page 297 - Lonely Planet Europe’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

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Marlborough Buildings Victoria # Brock St Circus Russell St Bath The Paragon # e 0 0 0.2 miles 44
Royal
400 m
Crescent
4 44
The
Assembly
Royal
Rooms
Sydney
#
Park
Royal Ave
Park
# Georgian Alfred St Henrietta Gardens 4
Garden
Car Park # . River Avon Great Pulteney St
# . Broad St Walcot St 44
Queen Sq George St Milsom St Green St Laura Pl
Queen
Upper Bristol Rd
Sq # # ò Pulteney
Tasting Room Bridge 44
Barton St Recreation
Ground
Bath
Upper
Borough Walls Westgate St Stall St Abbey Parade 44
Gardens
#
# ï
Midland BridgeRd Roman Baths # # York St Cricket 44
44
North Pde
Grand Pump
Green
Park Room Abbeygate St Ground
Henry St
44
44
J # . St Lawrence St Pul teney Rd
SouthGate # 444
Green Park Rd
%
44
Lower BristolRd
River Avon
# £ Bath Spa Station 444
444
Bath Assembly Rooms Georgian Garden
When they opened in 1771, Bath’s As- The tiny, walled Georgian Garden (off
sembly Rooms (NT; www.nationaltrust.org.uk; Royal Ave; h9am-5pm) features period
19 Bennett St; h10.30am-5pm Mar-Oct, to 4pm plants and gravel walkways. They’ve
Nov-Feb) were where fashionable social- been carefully restored, providing an
ites gathered to waltz, play cards and intriguing insight into what would have
listen to the latest chamber music. Tour lain behind the Circus’ grand facades.
the card room, tearoom and ballroom.
The Walk » Pass through Queen Sq, the oldest
The Walk » Next it’s into The Circus (1768), of Bath’s Georgian squares to skirt the elaborate
a gorgeous ring of 33 houses divided into semi- Theatre Royal (1805). Upper Borough Walls marks
circular terraces. From there gracious Brock St medieval Bath’s northern edge; from here it’s a
gradually reveals Bath’s exquisite Royal Crescent. short stroll to the Pump Room.
Royal Crescent Grand Pump Room
The imposing, impeccably grand Royal The centre of the grand 19th-century
Crescent (p196) curls around private Pump Room (www.romanbaths.co.uk; Stall
lawns. Designed by John Wood the St; h10am-5pm) is filled with restaurant
Younger (1728–82) and built between tables, but the interior also shelters an
1767 and 1775, the houses appear per- ornate spa fountain from which Bath’s
fectly symmetrical from the outside, but famous hot springs flow. Ask staff for a
no two houses are quite the same inside. (free) glass; it will be startlingly warm –
an impressive 38°C (100°F).
The Walk » From the Crescent’s far end, stroll
back along Royal Ave. Opposite the bowling The Walk » Cut down Stall St, back into
green pavilion, cut left from the main road, up an St Lawrence St and back to your car.
easy-to-miss path to hunt out the gate in the wall
leading into the Georgian Garden.
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