Just Back From: Bath & Cliveden, England
Bonjour!
Our first few weeks in France have been busy. Our furniture hunt is largely complete and we are just waiting on the last few big things to be delivered. I just returned from a quick scouting trip to England to put the final touches on our Hidden Gardens of the Cotswolds tour (June 2-8, 2027!). This tour will include stays in the Georgian wonderland of Bath and at Nancy Astor’s former country house, Cliveden.
Bath’s Royal Crescent is hailed as the most majestic street in England.
Why Visit?
Bath is set among rolling hills of the Avon valley at the southern edge of the Cotswolds in England. It has a long architectural tradition: the city is full of well-preserved Georgian houses constructed in the honey-colored stone of the region. Much of the city was constructed in the mid-1700s and the cohesive architecture adds to the elegance of the city. Going even further back, the city Roman Baths (1st century AD) are one of England’s greatest memorials to its ancient heritage and the Bath Abbey (1499-1611) is one of the finest Gothic churches in England.
Bath sits above a bubbling pool of water and was first transformed into a spa town by the ancient Romans and again in the 18th century by the Georgians. The Roman Bath (pictured) combine the ancient and Georgian heritage of the city.
Scouting: Restaurants & Shops
We love to receive feedback from our travelers, and one of the most common wishes we hear is for more shopping and more time in small towns. Bath checks all of these boxes: the city is full of independent boutiques, antique stores, and other English shops. There is plenty to do here, but the historic city center is compact enough for easy exploration. The restaurant scene is one of the best in England - there were so many tempting choices that I could not make it to them all!
Hotel: The Royal Crescent
No tour is complete without hotels! For our June 2027 tour we will be staying at the five-star Royal Crescent Hotel. First, it is one of the few hotels in Bath to have air conditioning (very important after this year’s heatwaves!) and it is located in the Royal Crescent, a semicircle row of Georgian houses (1767-74) that is hailed as the most majestic street in England. It is the masterpiece of Bath’s famed architect John Wood the Younger and the painter Thomas Gainsborough lived here. We love the historic location of this hotel and its updated yet classic interiors.
The Royal Crescent Hotel in Bath, located on the historic Georgian street called the most magnificent in England.
The hotel mixes Georgian classicism with more playful contemporary English interiors.
Next Stop: Cliveden House
Cliveden House, one of England’s most opulent country house hotels.
After Bath I scooted northeast through the Cotswolds to Cliveden House, an Italianate country house completed in 1851. In the 1920s and 30s it was the home of Nancy Astor, who hosted important political and intellectual society figures here. It is now a Relais & Chateaux hotel and the surrounding parklands are owned by the National Trust.
The lobby at Cliveden House
Enjoying afternoon tea at Cliveden House.
The hotel stays true to its historic heritage and maintains the interiors that were largely the work of the 1st Viscount Astor from the 1890s. After meeting with the lovely team here, Kyle and I enjoyed afternoon tea. The service was consistently flawless and I cannot wait to bring our travelers here next year!
I’ll leave you with this picture of Nancy Astor’s dining room at Cliveden:
