FROM A FEW DAYS SPENT IN BATH.

from a few days

spent in bath.

Bath has been one of my favourite cities since I first visited a few years back and every time I have the chance to visit, I jump at it– and being able to visit again a couple of months ago was a joy. What made the experience extra special this time was the beautiful place I stayed– I’ve been looking forward to sharing these photos here on the blog and I really hope they can do it justice.

I stayed in Number 3– one of the accommodations available through Kip Hideaways and before I share more about the beautiful apartment– I wanted to just share a little bit about Kip Hideaways, what they are about and what they offer. Kip features unique, self catering hideaways and to keep them feeling exclusive they run an affordable membership plan which means special access and a community of like-minded people to share the experience with. They have beautifully distinctive accommodations available all over the UK so if you’re looking for somewhere just a little bit different to stay then I can highly recommend giving Kip Hideaways a try.

The apartment I chose to stay in Bath really was such a dream– I would move in tomorrow if I could. It’s located just off of Walcott Street– known as the artisan quarter– you’re just a few minutes walk away from antique shops, art galleries and my favourite place for coffee in Bath (more on that in a minute…) it really is the perfect place to start exploring the rest of the city from. The apartment itself is set in a Grade II listed building with a lot of character– think beautiful high ceilings and large windows which makes the space feel really light and airy. Everything within the space too has been carefully curated to reflect the unique surroundings with artwork and a mix of modern and mid-century furniture. It’s balanced perfectly so while looking beautiful, it still feels like a cosy and welcoming home.

There are two beautiful bedrooms to choose from– one has lovely views across a green valley and towards the hills beyond while the other bedroom overlooks the historic St Swithin’s Church, where Jane Austen’s parents were married. While being a self-catering property you also are provided with a lot of amenities including cooking basics, toiletries and little extras like a Nespresso machine which, as you can imagine, I definitely made use of. Although we did end up eating out for a couple of the nights of our stay– on our last evening we had dinner around the spacious dining table and really made the most of the beautiful living space.

Like I mentioned earlier, being able to stay in Bath and explore more of the city and surrounding area, always ends up being a really special experience for me and this time was no different. Staying in the heart of Bath means I had the chance to visit some places that I hadn’t previously, as well as revisiting some favourites spots. I wanted to share just a few of my recommendations of things to see and do and of places to eat and drink and hopefully if you’re planning to visit Bath anytime soon, you might find these useful…

Eat & Drink

Back to the aforementioned ‘favourite place for coffee’– Landrace Bakery is somewhere I hadn’t visited before but had heard such good things about, it immediately went on my list. Then I realised it was just minutes away from our apartment so I ended up visiting multiple times during the few days we were there. It’s a bakery, shop and restaurant, with a lovely independent, neighbourhood feel, so as well as mornings spent drinking coffee and enjoying the best cinnamon buns I have ever had, they also run a lunch and dinner service. You can takeaway freshly baked bread and goods throughout the day from their shop with other deli essentials and local produce also available. I really can’t recommend it highly enough or stop thinking about those cinnamon buns.

For dinner we ate at Oak Restaurant, a place that I had also heard very good things about and that actually exceeded my expectations. Oak is a restaurant and grocer in the heart of the city, just around the corner from the Roman Baths and their plant based menu focuses on small plates of seasonal, local produce that are perfect for sharing– my personal favourite dishes were the spiced roasted carrots and the asparagus with ajoblanco– though everything we ate was delicious. The atmosphere was so warm and welcoming– as well as the food being amazing– the staff were lovely and the bistro style decor sets the mood perfectly. If you’re looking for somewhere to eat in Bath then Oak is definitely worth a visit– I’d recommend making a reservation for dinner because of how popular it is.

Another lovely spot for dinner that I can highly recommend is Comptoir + Cuisine– a relaxed bistro serving a dinner menu based around cheese and charcuterie boards including baked camembert and tapas style French sharing plates. Alongside the cosy restaurant space they also have a champagne bar and a concept store selling homeware and cookware pieces. It was a really great place for a relaxed but very delicious dinner– perfect if you’re feeling like small plates of the best French produce in a beautiful setting– definitely add it to your list if you’re planning to visit Bath.

I’d also recommend; Chandos Deli, Society Cafe

See & Do

Although I didn’t actually get the chance to visit the Francis Gallery this time around and instead admired from afar– I can highly recommend it if you’re wanting to take in some beautiful art work. The gallery space is set in a heritage Georgian townhouse designed by Cereal magazine editor, Rosa Park, to feel like a welcoming interior which "shows people how to live with their art". They run multiple exhibitions throughout the year and are open to the public on certain days of the week as well as offering appointments to view the exhibitions. It’s also just minutes away from the apartment which was just another reason why I loved Number 3 as a place to stay.

Bath has some really special bookshops– new and used (I really love the amount of charity and secondhand bookshops around the city)– but the one I really want to recommend is independent bookshop– Topping and Company. As well as locations in Edinburgh, St Andrews and Ely– they have a bookshop in Bath which they recently relocated to a beautiful building on York Street making it the biggest independent bookshop in the UK. The interiors are stunning and make browsing the over 75,000 titles over two floors really special and features the stores signature rolling library ladders– I spent a good few hours perusing the shelves and could honestly have spent the whole day in there. I loved their range of art and photography books as well as their special, signed editions, all lovingly wrapped in protective plastic. It’s definitely a must if you’re visiting Bath!

I’d also recommend; Persephone Books, The Roman Baths

My stay at Number 3, Bath was complimentary via Kip Hideaways— as always all content & opinions are my own.