3 Days in Southwest of England: Visiting Bath, Bristol and Castle Combe

We accidentally started a tradition on my 25th birthday, which was the first birthday I celebrated in the UK. (Okay technically the second, but the first as officially ‘settled’ in the country). So, we decided to go away for a long weekend and explore Oxford and Stonehenge which have been on my list for a long time. 

We enjoyed exploring the region, so since that first year, every year on my birthday we pick an area of the UK and just spend a long weekend there. In 2019, we decided to head to the southwest of England with the main destination being Bath. Well, as usual, we cannot visit just one place, so we actually ended up in the prettiest village in England, the smallest city in England, at a famous festival destination and of course climbed a gorge and did many more things in just 3 full days.

Day 1 – Castle Combe & Bath

The Prettiest Village in England: Castle Combe

We live in the North of England so whenever we spend a long weekend within the country, we use our own vehicle, which makes it easier to get around places and allows us to visit more than one destination and to stop whenever we want to. If you don’t have your own car but would like to enjoy the freedom of a private vehicle, then you can always hire a car to get to Bath, Bristol and Castle Combe.

On the first morning we decided to visit the prettiest village in England, Castle Combe. I wanted to be one of the first ones to arrive to this tiny but charming village because it gets very busy later on. As it was a weekday and a rather rainy day, we were pretty lucky as people weren’t that eager to head out early.

Castle Combe is located in north-west Wiltshire within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, so no wonder the old weaving town (rightfully) earned the prettiest village title. I think everyone has heard of the beauty of the Cotswolds and its iconic houses, so of course Castle Combe is also made up of Cotswold stone. When walking around the village, make sure you head towards the very well photographed bridge by the old weavers’ cottages (photo on the left) and take the iconic shot of the village. Once you have explored the Market Cross with the old water pump beside it and St Andrew’s Church, make sure you head towards the Manor House Hotel, a 5-star luxury hotel building and golf club (photo on the right), to snap another Insta-famous shot. You won’t regret it as the building and the little gardens around it are truly beautiful.

Did you know? – Probably not a surprise that the village has been used as a film location to many movies such as the original Dr Doolittle, Stardust, The Wolf Man and Stephen Spielberg’s War Horse and other episodes from TV shows.

Bath

After our short visit at the prettiest village we headed towards Bath- well known for its Roman baths (cover photo) – which has been a World Heritage site since 1987. Once we successfully parked, our first stop was The Roman Bath, the UK’s only natural hot spring, located right in the centre of Bath, next to Bath Abbey. 

Just a heads up, the admission fee is not cheap, but here are some tricks to get cheaper tickets! First of all, visit the roman bath during the week, as a weekday ticket is £3 – 4 cheaper than if you went over the weekend. If you’d like to get an even cheaper ticket, then visit during off-peak season (September – May) and buy your ticket online to get an additional 10% off. Our tickets at the time of our visit cost around £18, but I think it was worth it. Make sure you go early to avoid the crowd, spend a good 2 hours and listen to the complementary audio guide whilst you’re walking around. At the end, don’t forget to try the spa water which I didn’t quite like to be honest with you, but worth a taste. 

10 Things to Do in Bath for Free

Okay, so after spending a lot of money on the entry fee you will probably try to keep your spending to a minimum, so here are the best things to do in Bath which won’t cost you a penny:

1. Admire the exterior of Bath Abbey. Whilst you can’t enter the Abbey for free, you can definitely admire and take a ton of photos of the outside of one of Bath’s iconic buildings.
2. Pick a free museum. If you’re interested in art then head over to the Victoria Art Gallery, where you can visit the permanent collection in the Upper Galleries and exhibitions in the small gallery for free. 
3. Join the free walking tour. Yes, there is actually a free walking tour around Bath starting in front of The Roman Bath building (and it also ends there). The walking tour is run every day by multiple volunteers who will show you around the city and tell you about its history.
4. Find your next book. A recent habit of mine is to visit local book shops so if you like to read then head over to Topping & Company Booksellers of Bath and browse between the thousands of books. Even if you don’t like to read, the book shop is definitely worth exploring. 
5. Visit The Circus. Okay this is not the circus that probably comes to your mind. It’s actually a circle shaped street of townhouses with three entrances designed by John Wood, the Elder. Other than taking some creative photos, make sure you stand in the middle, where you can hear your echo. 
6. Admire the Royal Crescent. Another one of the many iconic buildings is 30 Georgian houses forming a half-moon shape. It was built in the 18th Century and designed by John Wood. It’s said that the Royal Crescent and The Circus are joined by a ley-line and their shapes represent the sun and the moon.
7. Spend some time at the Royal Victoria Park. The park is located right next to the Royal Crescent, and it has some beautiful botanical and flower gardens, ponds, the Great Dell Aerial Walkway and you can play golf, tennis, bowling or even skateboard.  
8. Do part of the Canal Walk. The 10 mile Kennet and Avon Canal runs from Bath to Bradford on Avon, but you can just do the section within Bath which will take you to Pulteney Bridge, another icon of the city. The Venetian bridge is actually one of the four bridges that has shops across its full length. 
9. Take a shot of Pulteney Weir. The iconic V-shaped weir, which was built to prevent the river flooding the city, and Pulteney Bridge are definitely worth being photographed together. P.s. the Weir was also featured in Les Misérables. 
10. Get the best view of Bath. If you’d like to get an overview of the city, make sure you walk along the 6 mile Bath Skyline. The route itself goes through some meadows, valleys and woodlands so definitely a must do. 

Day 2 – Cheddar Gorge & Glastonbury

Cheddar Gorge

The next morning we headed towards our next destination – Cheddar Gorge – located 25 miles to the southwest of Bath.  This limestone gorge is indeed Britain’s highest inland limestone gorge with a maximum depth of 137 m. A road runs along the bottom of it which will make your drive an unforgettable one. If you climbed the 274 steps of Jacob’s Ladder and are finished admiring the breathtaking view from the top, you can definitely explore the ‘underworld’ of stalactite caverns created by Ice Age meltwaters. If you’re still unsure why Cheddar Gorge is a must visit, it is actually designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation, and it was named as the second greatest natural wonder in Britain, so, you see, it’s a must stop! 

Did you know? –  One of the gorge’s caves is where the over 9,000 year old complete human skeleton, called ‘Cheddar Man’, was found in 1903. P.S. My photo on the right was actually shared in an article ‘101 of the most Instagrammable places in the UK’.

The Smallest City in England: Wells

Only a half an hour drive to the southeast from Cheddar Gorge is where the medieval City of Wells is located. As it is the smallest city in England with a population of 12,000, we just had to stop here and look around. It has a lovely historic centre with a beautiful 13th Century Cathedral that you cannot miss as this is the reason why the place can call itself a city and there are other beautiful historical buildings such as the Bishop’s Palace, Vicars’ Close, St Cuthbert’s Church and a local museum. It’s definitely worth stopping here and spending some time exploring the city and I recommend having a picnic in front of the cathedral if it’s a sunny day.

Read about 5 Things to do in Wells, Somerset, the Smallest City in England.

Glastonbury

After walking around the smallest city, we headed towards Glastonbury, which is only a 15 minute drive from the city of Wells. Glastonbury is well known for its famous five-day festival and its ancient and medieval sites that are rich in myth. If you visit the town, make sure you walk in and out of the local shops which are selling amazing things like oils, candles and herbs and aromatherapy products, books and countless other merch and knick knacks. 

To get the best views of the area definitely head towards Glastonbury Tor which is visible for miles. The trail starts at Well House Lane, and it takes a good 30 minutes to get to the top (158 m). I think the first part is relatively steep, but the panoramic view is totally worth all your efforts.  The hill actually acted as a spiritual magnet for centuries, for both Pagans and Christians. St Michael’s Tower is located on the top of the hill. The site is designated as a scheduled monument and maintained by the National Trust which – in case you don’t know – is an independent organisation for both environmental and heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Island. 

According to some legends, there is a hidden cave beneath the hill that allows you to pass into the fairy realm of Annwn. Other well-known legends identified Glastonbury as the Isles of Avalon where King Arthur was taken to heal after his battle. The monks of Glastonbury Abbey actually claimed to find the grave of Arthur and Guinivere in 1190. Others suggest that Joseph buried the Holy Grail here. 

Whether you believe in some of these legends or just want to enjoy some stunning views and local shops, Glastonbury should be on your bucket list. 

Day 3 – A quick stop in Bristol

Before we started our drive back home, we decided to stop in Bristol. The city is probably not on many people’s bucket lists when visiting England, but if you’re exploring the southwest of the country I highly recommend incorporating a stop-over in your itinerary.

10 Cool Reasons Why You Should Visit Bristol

1. A green city. It is the only UK city that won the ‘European Green Capital‘ for 2015 and was one of the first cycling cities in the UK.
2. Clifton Village. The bohemian artistic village which is also the most beautiful shopping area in Bristol is where some of the most iconic spots in the city are located such as the Clifton Suspension Bridge (photo on the left), the Observatory and Bristol Zoo. 
3. Amazing architecture. Just walk around the city and you’ll find some amazing buildings everywhere you look.
4. Street Art. Whilst admiring the beautiful buildings, you’ll definitely find some amazing street art that adorns many of the buildings.
5. Colourful houses everywhere. If you enjoyed Notting Hill in London, then you’ll definitely enjoy exploring Bristol’s colourful houses. Cliftonwood Crescent is one of the most popular ones.
6. Brandon Hill Park. The city centre park is definitely the best picnic spot. Make sure you climb up to the top of the 32 m tall Cabot Tower (photo on the right) to get some panoramic views of the entire city.
7. The university’s botanical garden. If you didn’t know Bristol is a university city and it has the most amazing botanical garden and a greenhouse filled with cacti!
8. The Florist. Well if you’d like to snap the perfect Instagram shot whilst enjoying some food then go no further, this is your place to be.
9. Nightlife. The city is well known for its nightlife so if you can stay at least one night in the city and enjoy what it has to offer at night that is a must! 
10. Festivals, festivals, festivals. If you like festivals, then definitely attend one that takes place around the time you’re planning on visiting. Just to name a few: Balloon Fiesta which is Europe’s largest annual meeting of hot air balloons, Walk Fest which offers help for tourists to get to know the city, Theatre Festival, Foodies Festival, CrimeFest, Gin and Beer Festivals, Bristol Harbour Festival; the list goes on.  

As always, here is a map of our trip showing the places we managed to visit within three days. Have you been to any of the above places before? What was your favourite thing to do? Let me know in the comments section below.