iKnow Somerset
Bath & North Somerset Accommodation
Bath's famous hot mineral Roman Baths are a must-see
The Royal Crescent is one of many examples of typical Georgian architecture in Bath
The iconic Clifton Suspension Bridge at Clifton Bristol
Bristol makes a fantastic modern city break especially for the arts
Bristol has retained its historic buildings tucked amongst the modern city
Frome's medieval streets and historic building in north east Somerset
Follow Frome's Heritage Trail to see the sights
North Somerset Coalfield mining history at Radstock south of Bath
Explore the Mendip Hills between Bristol and Bath in north SomersetBath and North East Somerset Bristol Tourist Information
North Somerset has gems ideal for city breaks like Bath - world famous for its Roman Baths and Georgian architecture. Apart from the beautiful sights around the city, there are stacks of museums that can easily keep you occupied for days. Over to the west, Bristol on the other hand is a vibrant city with a fantastic arts scene and contemporary centre excellent for shopping or sipping coffee in street cafes.
The countryside around Bath and Bristol enters the Mendips with their rolling green hills punctured with underground caves. To the south of Bath was the centre of Somerset's mining industry and you can find out more about this lesser known element of social history from museums like the excellent Radstock Museum at Radstock Midsomer Norton.
Bath Tourist Information Somerset
Bath is world famous for its Roman Baths and Georgian architecture. It is hugely popular, attracting visitors from all over the world. As such there is an excellent choice of hotel and bed and breakfast accommodation both within the City of Bath and around the historic centre. Bath is excellent for a romantic or luxury break with many hotels offering top end quality accommodation. This means that the standard of all hotel and bed and breakfast is of generally of high quality so even the lower priced accommodation outside the historic centre offer good quality accommodation. Often those guest houses, bed and breakfasts and hotels outside the centre of Bath are only a short walk away but offer better value for money. Bath has a compact but full shopping centre with a mix of high street stores and independent boutique shops. Many of the shops are open seven days a week. There is also a good choice of cafes, restaurants and tearooms - many offering top quality menus perfect for the romantic dinner for two.
Bath's historic centre and most of the tourist attractions are in a relatively compact area of Bath. Touring the centre on an open top bus sightseeing tour is a nice, easy way of getting an introduction where everything is. If you want to exercise those legs there are a wide choice of walking tours of all the sights or themed tours such as the Jane Austen Walking Tour organised by the Jane Austen Centre. If you want to find your way around independently the Visit Bath website has some downloadable Mp3 tours to introduce you to the city and its attractions.
The centre of Bath is dominated by the beautiful Gothic Abbey. You can spend hours just looking at all the intricate carvings on the outside, let alone the interior. There is a regular programme of services and concerts including Christmas Carol Services. Bath Abbey Choir are well known having performed at the Three Tenors for the opening of Thermae Spa and made several recordings. Bath has also been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its fantastic examples of Palladian Georgian Architecture. It's like walking around a film set and it's amazing how well preserved the historic centre of Bath is. When the Austen Festival is taking place with people walking around the streets in period costume it really is like travelling back in time.
Bath has huge choice of different museums for its relatively small size. There's everything from the world famous Roman Baths with its hot springs to The Fashion Museum that looks at the changing face of fashion from Georgian to Punk! Some are related to Bath's social history such as The Jane Austen Centre and the Bath at Work Museum, while others show how Bath in its Georgian heyday would have looked such as at No 1 The Royal Crescent. Bath is also home to several art galleries including the Holburne Museum of Art, the Victoria Art Gallery and the Museum of East Asian Art.
Around Bath
Bath is in the far north east of Somerset. From here you can explore the Cotswolds by picking up the Cotswold way that wends its way north through some of England's most picturesque towns and villages. Over to the west of Bath are the Mendip Hills and countryside. There are lots of walks over the green, rolling countryside. Chew Valley Lake provides both fishing and birdwatching opportunities.
Just outside Bath is Bath Racecourse at Lansdown Hill - the highest racecourse in Britain. To the east of the centre, overlooking the city and the wooded Limply Stoke Valley is the eighteenth century Claverton Manor and Gardens. The Manor has been converted to house the American Museum which covers all aspects of American history.
Much of the countryside south of Bath was once part of the Somerset Coalfield. This is an area rich in industrial history with coal bringing about the Somersetshire Coal Canal and railways to the area. You can find out all about the social history of the area by visiting Radstock Museum in Radstock Midsomer Norton.
Bristol Tourist Information
Bristol is an exciting, modern city with a huge array of attractions for visitors. It has long been regarded as a media and arts centre and there are a whole host of art galleries and arts centres to suit all tastes. There is a fantastic choice of museums both related to Bristol's history and culture and the influence Britain has had across the world. It is only now that the darker side of Bristol's past prosperity is being acknowledged and accepted as an important part of the city's culture.
Bristol today shows how modern development can enhance a city. The decline of Bristol as a port and the modernist development that scarred the city is now being turned around with regeneration of the docks making it the social hub of the city. It is now full of stylish apartments, street cafes, art galleries and museums. Despite the ongoing updating of the city, Bristol has retained some of its historic buildings particularly in the Old City. Many of these reflect the history and culture of the city. Bristol is second to none for shopping. Not only do you have the Broadmead area for high street names, but there are St Nicholas Markets and Park Street for independent shopping. Being a university town there is a good range of pubs, clubs, bars and restaurants. It is also one of the few places in the South West with a prominent gay scene which is centred around Frogmore Street and the Old Market.
Bristol is renowned for being a centre for contemporary and media arts. This is certainly echoed in the attractions of the city - many of which are linked to the arts in one way or another. For art buffs you'll be in heaven with contemporary arts centres like the Arnolfini and Spike Island Artspace or for immersing yourself in the arts social centre head off to the Watershed for films and food. More traditional art exhibitions can be seen at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery or the Royal West of England Academy of Arts in Clifton. Bristol prides itself in having spawned a variety of contemporary artists in a variety of media. These range from social commentator graffiti artist Banksy to the more cuddly animations from Aardman Animations who have been based in Bristol since the 1970s.
You can spend several days just exploring the wealth of museums in Bristol. All the Bristol City Council run museums are free (although donations do help). These include the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery, Blaise Castle House Museum, Georgian House Museum, the Red Lodge Museum, Kingsweston Roman Villa and the Museum of Bristol when it opens. In addition, the highly acclaimed British Empire and Commonwealth Museum is set in the Brunel-designed Temple Meads Railway Station. @Bristol is a complex full of family oriented science and exploratory displays and interactive activities. In the heart of the city and the magnificent SS Great Britain on the Harbourside and its accompanying Maritime Museum investigate the maritime history of Bristol. Many of the museums within Bristol have a changing array of exhibitions often related to Bristol's role in history.
Around Bristol Clifton Bristol Zoo Portishead
There is a good choice of hotel and B&B accommodation around Bristol - either along the coast at Portishead, the suburbs of Bristol or out to the east heading into the Mendip countryside.
There's plenty to see and do whether its Bristol Zoo and Gardens or the Bristol Balloon Fiesta at Long Ashton just outside Bristol city centre, or further afield like Blaise Castle in Henbury. As you head out into the countryside around Bristol there are plenty of walks or viewpoints along the Chew Valley or Mendips.
Portishead has become more of a household name since the nineties Bristol band of the same name hit the charts with their atmospheric trip-hop music.
The town is being reborn from its commercial port heritage as the marina and docks become developed for accommodation and sailing.
Frome Tourist Information North East Somerset
Frome is traditionally regarded as an ancient market town with a medieval centre and this is certainly true. However, these days Frome is the hub in North East Somerset for a lively arts and crafts scene where the social calendar is dotted with festivals and events.
Frome has hundreds of listed buildings that are still very much in use rather than being mothballed and the narrow, steep and winding street certainly conjure up life in medieval Britain. But many of the buildings now home contemporary cafes and eating places and a good range of shops. The town has three theatres all offering a different programme of theatre, dance, musicals and music from both local theatre groups and national productions.
Frome is a lively place to be if you like the arts and live music and theatre. The town has three theatres all offering a different programme of theatre, dance, musicals and music from both local theatre groups and national productions.
The small town museum gives you an insight into the social history of the town and nearby you can visit Radstock Museum for more on Somerset's Mining History.
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