Bath - What Lies Beneath

The pandemic conjured up all sorts of new vocabulary, one being stay-cation which meant we were forced to look within our own back garden for a vacation we needed more than ever.

We decided to visit the city of Bath on the basis that it was still a city with plenty to do, but not too big and suffocating.

Bath, the famous English city named after its Roman heritage has been a World Heritage Site since 1987 and pulls in over 1.3 million visitors per year. Naturally, its biggest pull is the unique Roman Baths. With it being such a compact city and parking looking to be rather scarce we looked for accommodation in the surrounding area and came across Lucknam Park, which we almost booked after just seeing the first picture. Only 8 miles away from Bath, this 17th century manor house is a sight to behold. It’s tree-lined driveway and imperious architecture ooze elegance and luxury.

Importantly, Lucknam Park isn’t just a pretty face. It’s Restaurant Hywel Jones, has held a Michelin star since 2006 and the Spa has won a plethora of awards. The exterior grandeur is reflected inside with brocade wallpaper, antique furnishings and oil paintings that constantly put a refined smile on your face, we could’ve quite easily stayed within the grounds for the entire weekend and felt content.

Lucknam Park spa — The Spa at Lucknam Park

The drive from Lucknam to Bath is a rural one, having to navigate through narrow but beautiful one-way lanes. Our friends at Lexus Liverpool kindly lent us their NX 300h model, a mid-sized hybrid SUV that glided effortlessly over any imperfection in those notorious country roads.

Being a small yet busy city, it’s rather tricky to find an easy place to park but after a short time ‘space-searching’ we found a space, which with the help of the reversing camera we could begin our tour. You cannot visit Bath without visiting the Roman Baths, which are very well preserved and the tour is very well thought out. Via headset we were able to soak up Bath’s Romanic heritage at our own pace and never felt bored, lost or wanting more.

The Roman baths tour inspired us to soak up some more of the city so we meandoured around for a while longer before hopping back in the Lexus back to our humble abode, for one night anyway! After being on our feet all day we decided to unwind before dinner at the spa, which was spectacular, the highlight without doubt being the heated pool that extended outdoors.

We had a relaxing dinner at the brasserie, nothing fancy and left us with no choice but to retire for the evening in one of Lucknam Park’s lounges. There was something special about it, with the roaring fire and drinks served from a trolley, it was as if we’d been transported back in time. You could faintly hear other conversations between the crackling of the fire and pouring of drinks, one of those experiences that puts an ear-to-ear grin on your face.

The evening lounge at Lucknam Park Hotel

Next morning we sauntered downstairs for a sumptuous breakfast in the main dining room before hopping on bicycles provided by the hotel to explore Lucknam’s preened grounds, which are extensive enough to make you feel very relaxed.

The grounds at Lucknam Park were spectacular

We reluctantly said goodbye to Lucknam’s staff who kindly loaded the Lexus with our bags then we set off for our final day in Bath. It was a Sunday so would’ve been sacrilege not to enjoy a Sunday lunch. With so many good options in Bath we did our research and opted for the restaurant at No. 15 Great Pulteney which had some very encouraging reviews. The venue is also a hotel which looked pretty stylish from what we could see. The restaurant was very quaint and well decorated with hand-blown glass lamps and vintage apothecary bottles, which according to the manager were left by the previous occupant some years ago. So the interior ticked all the boxes but what about the food? We both opted for the shoulder of lamb which was indirectly recommended by the opposite table and it didn't disappoint. Flavoursome, well-presented and it definitely filled us up, highly recommend. Our attempt to walk off a fabulous lunch lasted an hour as we took in the sights of Bath for the last time.

Lexus NX 300h — A final picture of the Lexus outside Lucknam Park as we said goodbye

Overall Bath is a very beautiful city that deserves a visit, it’s a unique city that replenished our appreciation for England’s rich history, and on that note, Lucknam Park is a very special venue that befits such an experience and we couldn't recommend it enough.

For more information head here to Bath’s official tourism site.