Your children might not go ga-ga for the Regency architecture, but there’s plenty of other stuff to keep them quiet. Head out of town to Bristol Zoo Gardens for gorillas, red pandas, African penguins and meerkats. Stay in town for Bristol Aquarium, home to 40 naturally-themed displays that include tropical sharks, puffer fish and piranhas.
Pop over to Shepton Mallet to take a ride on the picturesque East Somerset Railway, then visit the engine shed and workshop to see restoration in progress. Then it’s off to Wells to go underground at Wookey Hole, home to stunning caves plus animatronic dinosaurs, pirate golf and much more.
Paint your own pots at Crockadoodledo. Let off steam and have a go at mini-golf at Royal Victoria Park. At Victoria Falls, hire skiffs, canoes and punts and keep an eye out for kingfishers and otters. Meet miniature Shetland ponies and Dexter cattle at Bath City Farm. Or find out what the Romans did for us at the historic Roman Baths.
Ride the open-top bus and make sure to stop off at Bath Abbey, Beechen Cliff and the Jane Austen Centre. Take the historic Huntfun trail through Bath and solve the clues to find the treasure. Putt your way through crashed jeeps and mysterious islands at Congo Falls Adventure Golf. Or catch a flick at the vintage Little Theatre.
Just a few minutes’ drive from the city centre, Dearholme puts you within reach of the cosmopolitan buzz of Britain’s finest Regency city, loaded with history and brimming with beauty. You could do worse to begin than take a trip to the Royal Crescent. Drop in to the museum at Number 1 to see life as it was lived in the 18th century.
Come in the summer to enjoy Bath on the Beach, with hammocks, cabanas, table tennis and wood-fired pizza. But this is one of the great spa towns of Europe, so you’d be wise to take a dip in the mineral-rich waters. The best place for that is Thermae Bath Spa, with 360-degree views of the city from the rooftop pool.
Take a squizz at The Circus while you’re here, a Georgian architectural masterpiece from John Wood the Elder inspired by classical Roman architecture and once home to Prime Minister William Pitt the Elder. Or head to Pulteney Bridge for a taste of Italy that’s lined by shops and lit up magically by night.
Shoot for the pins at Kingsdown Golf Club, or shoot clay from the sky at The Valley. Wander around Bath Abbey, with its spectacular Victorian Gothic interior and soaring vaulted stone ceiling. Then shop the offbeat independents around the surrounding alleyways. Finish off with 2000 years of history at the Roman Baths.
