Why Not Consider a Stay in Bath?

Bath is a UNESCO world heritage site and one of the most beautiful and historically interesting cities in Europe, so a stay in Bath is understandably on many people's Must Do list. Bath’s festivals, cultural events, historical sites and shopping all make this a major tourist destination. Bath has a vast number of great restaurants, parks, museums, boutique shops and other attractions to keep visitors old and new to the city as entertained as they have always been. In the 17th century Bath enjoyed a reputation as the playground for the rich and famous – a playground which may now be enjoyed by everyone who comes to stay in Bath.

Stay in Bath – Click here to find out more.

Traditionally many of the famous visitors  to Bath over the years stayed on Great Pulteney Street where Dukes is located today, being formed by two original private residences. Keeping the tradition of visiting nobility alive we have not only named ourselves after the house’s former guests but also naming our rooms after various visiting dukes across the years.

High ceilings, sash windows and antique furniture characterise the opulent Grade I listed surroundings at Dukes, which has been restored to much the same level of luxury and grandeur as may have originally been enjoyed by the visiting dukes and duchesses themselves. We have a broad range of rooms all featuring lavish furnishings and some rooms including four poster beds helping to make your stay in Bath a memorable one.

Bath has always been a desirable destination since its early days as a fashionable Georgian spa town. However long before the Georgian era, Roman settlers were drawn to the hot springs where, in 60-70 AD, they began to build the Roman Baths which can still be visited today. The Baths are comprised of the three main Baths found in most traditional Roman Baths across Europe: The Calidarium (hot bath), the Tempidarium (warm bath) and the Frigidarium (cold bath). The Romans believed in the health benefits of putting the body through these extremes in temperature as well as the health benefits from the water itself.

‘Taking the water’ was a fashion that became incredibly popular in Bath, as well as in other spa towns such as Royal Tunbridge Wells. Wealthy and fashionable people of the age would visit both of these resort spa towns throughout the year. To accommodate such visits, architects John Wood the older and John Wood the younger began setting out a new design for Bath, building large terraced town houses to accommodate wealthy visitors to the city. Building grand terraced houses helped to create a palatial impression and there is no better or more famous example of this than the Royal Crescent. What really enhanced this regal image though, was the use of Bath Stone, which is mined close to the city itself in Bathampton. Mine owner Ralph Allen decided to have a house built for himself to showcase the beauty of his stone and thus Prior Park was built, proudly overlooking the city.

The remarkable thing about Bath is these historic sites can still be seen today. The Roman Baths can be toured, the Pump Room is as glorious as ever and you may even drink the water! Through years of conservation by the National Trust and English Heritage the spirit and glory of Bath has been preserved.

Despite its grand historical origins Bath is easy to access whether domestically or internationally, so there is (perhaps sadly) no need for a horse and carriage anymore. There is a high speed train from London to Bath Spa Station as well as weekday services from Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds and other major UK cities.  Bath is connected to London via the M4 as well as being located close to Bristol airport which has a large number of international and domestic connections, making it an obvious escape destination without the hassle of having to leave the country.

When it comes to choosing places to stay, Bath offers various accommodation options designed  to meet a variety of budgets, but the central location of Dukes makes us one of the most convenient places to stay in Bath;  with the city's main attractions just a few minutes’ walk away. Finally, we would add that there are few other Bath places to stay offering ‘a Georgian experience’ that is so central to the city's history and underlying identity.

If you fancy going further afield though, there are a large number of local and accessible attractions.  Longleat is well known and you may ‘go on safari’ followed by a tour of the home of the Marquis of Bath, Longleat House. The cathedral city of Wells is close at hand; alternatively one may enjoy a visit to Bath Racecourse. For many, a strong favourite is the Bath Rugby club based at The Rec in the very heart of Bath.

Whatever your tastes may be you are sure to find something to suit you in Bath and the surrounding area.

Stay in Bath – Find out more about what we have to offer or make a booking on 01225 787960