Activities in Bath

There is no shortage of things to do in Bath whatever the weather or season, some expensive, but also a surprising number of free activities.

With a couple of central Bath premises, The Makery offers a range of ‘Handmade’ Parties in their pretty studios. How about learning to make your own garters or knickers? Or a giggle-filled Life-Drawing workshop perhaps? (Taught by a female art teacher, but with a handsome male model, of course!) Or you could make surprisingly impressive-looking fascinators or jewellery to wear to the wedding!

Afternoon tea can be served in the sun-trap garden on vintage crockery, or you’re welcome to take your own food & drink. And they can always bring a Makery party to your venue if you prefer. Lots of fun, and you get to take home something you’ve made yourself along with some new skills!

A recent addition to the activities that Bath can offer is a private lingerie party service in an exclusive lingerie boutique. The event includes complementary bubbly, a ‘bride to be’ gift set for the Bride to be, and a subcontracted stylist or makeup artist can be booked in to make a presentation, demonstrate and answer questions. For details telephone 07876 061123 or email contact@hannahdulcie.co.uk.

Secret Tea Party – Mrs Stokes organises vintage tea parties in a secret location every couple of months and serve afternoon tea on vintage china along with a glass of bubbly. She always has hair and make-up specialists there to give everyone an any-era makeover (extra payable on the day) and there is always some kind of workshop/entertainment like Burlesque workshop, tea-leaf reader or Charleston dancers.

She also arranges lots of private tea parties for hens in Bath who book her to either bring the tea and china and entertainment to them or to do all that and find the venue. They start from £12.50 a head for a private party (catering provided) and from £25 a head for a party in a venue (usually using the venue’s catering). The parties often form part of a longer weekend and often kick-start it as when the stylists are there everyone gets a makeover and then hits the town. The parties tend to be stylish and fun and a good ice-breaker.

The Secret Tea Party can be contacted on secretteaparty@mrsstokes.com or ring 07769 707636.

Door 34 Cocktail Academy offers two fun and inspirational courses for groups of budding cocktail shakers

The Cocktail Academy A two-hour session will teach you all you need to know to make classic cocktails. Your mixoligist trainer will talk you through the theory of muddling, building, shaking and layering a perfectly balanced drink and then you will have the chance to try your hand at creating your own. Perhaps a scrumptious Sour or a mouth-watering Mojito?

Bring the party to you? The Cocktail Academy can provide a bartender and stock with fruit and ice to any location and run the interactive fun sessions at your house, hotel suite, field… you name it!

Contact drinks@door34.com or call 01225 444770
34 Monmouth Street,
Bath,
BA1 2AN

Revolution in Bath offer cocktail masterclasses, where mixology can be experienced at first hand and you get to drink the results. A number of packages are available offering a variety of food options.

Also operating out of Revolution is Spin City Bath, a new pole dancing school. The venue is amazing – hens will have the whole 1st floor to themselves, in a relaxed non-threatening environment, and arrangements can be made for a barman to be in the upstairs bar afterwards.

Shopping

Peerless for a City the size of Bath, particularly if you like small independent retailers. Clothes and shoes of course, but also books, cosmetics, antiques and food – Bath supports two specialist cheese shops.

Bath’s Milsom Street has been voted the best fashion shopping street in the country. The wide Georgian street was given the title in an internet poll organised by Google Streetview, which also rated the Royal Crescent as the second most picturesque street in the UK.

Some other activities

There seems to be no end to the activities available in Bath and the surrounding area. Here is a selection:

Adventure Golf – Victoria Falls Adventure Golf
Afternoon Tea – The Pump Room Restaurant
Ballooning – Ascent Balloon Company, Bath Balloons
Bike Hire – Bath Bike Hire, Bath By Cycle
Boat Hire for Hen Parties- Bath Narrowboats
Boating – Bath Boating Station
Bus Tours – Bath Bus Company
Cabaret/Comedy/Music – Komedia
Chocolate Initiation Workshops – Minerva Chocolates
Cinema – Little Theatre Cinema, Odeon
Comedy Walk – Bizarre Bath
Cookery Courses – Bertinet Kitchen
Ghost Walk – Bath Ghost Walks
Glass Blowing – Bath Aqua Glass
Hula Hooping – The Joy of Hooping
Jewellery making – April Sparkles
Paintball and quad bikes – Hamburger Hill
Psychic Evening – Arhianna, Psychic Reader
Pole Dancing – Poledancingbath.com
Racing – How about a day out at Bath Racecourse?
River Trips – The Pulteney Princess
Rugby – Bath Rugby Club
Tattoos – Broad Street Studio, Electric Vintage
Theatre – Theatre Royal, Rondo Theatre
Wine and Champagne Tasting – The Bath Wine Tasting Company

Parks

The parks in Bath are good, and there is a lot of choice. Victoria Park is ideal for picnics, frisbees, feeding the ducks and a walk in the Botanical Gardens. The stroll into town from Victoria Park does not take long, and you pass the Royal Crescent on the way. Henrietta Gardens is pretty central, behind Great Pulteney Street, again good for impromptu picnics sourced from Waitrose. Another good spot is Alexandra Park, with fantastic panoramic views over Bath. Sydney Gardens, which has the unusual feature of a main-line railway running through the middle is an attractive starting point for a canal walk to the east of Bath. Parade Gardens is right in the centre of Bath, with its own refreshment pavillion, bandstand, immaculate flower beds and fabulous city and river views. There is a small admission charge for non-residents.

Architecture

A well-planned walk can take in most of the of the classic Georgian buildings. Do not miss the Royal Crescent, the Circus, Pulteney Bridge and Great Pulteney Street, but try and make time to enjoy some of the less frequently visited areas, such as Lansdown and Camden Crescents, both of which have good views over Bath.

Museums and galleries

Not as stuffy as it sounds. The Roman Baths are very impressive, more so when there are less people there, so try and visit early or late, or out of season. It can get very busy. The Bath Fashion Museum, located in the Assembly Rooms, is well-presented, interesting, and more hands-on than you might think. The Holburne Museum of Art has some notable articles in its collection, and the building and its situation are spectacular if you ignore the traffic. No. 1 Royal Crescent is at the City Centre end of the Royal Crescent, is open Tuesday to Sunday, and the interior has been restored to how it would have looked in the late 18th century. The Victoria Art Gallery is central, free, and often has good visiting exhibitions. There are also plenty of commercial galleries dotted around the centre of Bath.

Jane Austen

Jane Austen is big in Bath. She lived in the city between 1801 and 1806, and Bath is featured in Persuasion and Northanger Abbey. Jane Austen enthusiasts are well catered for by the Jane Austen Centre in Gay Street.

Street Entertainment

There is plenty of street entertainment all year round in Bath, ranging from bagpipes to the famous semi-naked acrobats in the Abbey Churchyard.

Pampering

A hen party favourite is a visit to the Bath Thermae Spa, with its truly spectacular roof-top swimming pool, but there are other options, such as Green Street House and Champneys.

If you want to venture beyond Bath some suggestions are Wookey Hole and Caves, Longleat and Mad Max Tours.