Christmas in Bath
Quietly, like a beautiful butterfly flying in the wind, the city of Bath has been building, developing and investing in its festive offerings, so much so that when we came across an itinerary of what they have on offer this year, we spluttered in our hot chocolates with marshmallows in them.
To start with, naturally, Bath’s Christmas Market, which is in itself enough to warrant a short break or family holiday in the city.
Kicking off on November 14th, the self-described biggest and most beautiful Christmas market in the south-west, rocks your jingle bells for 18 magical days, against a backdrop that is simply arresting.
With the Bath Abbey and Roman Baths acting as epic feature points, the Christmas market exudes a certain quaint charm, made all the more glorious by the sheer number of wooden chalets – 130 in total!
Plus there’s loads of bustle coming from the plethora of entertainment on offer. From Natural Theatre Company performances to Grenville Jones choir recitals to seasoned busking, you will not be short of some sort of welcome distraction.
Elsewhere, the Jane Austen Centre – she spent six years of her life writing in Bath – flips the script and gets Christmassy with a wonderful insight into how this time of the year was spent in the 1800s.
The Holburne Museum of Art meanwhile, will be adorned with 1,000s of tiny fibre optics, bringing a festive glow to the newly refurbished space that is principally home to the art collection of Sir Thomas William Holburne.
Finally, Longleat House, a stately house that is one of the best examples of high Elizabethan architecture. It is striking in every way. The big thing this year is its fairy tell and Christmas story recreations.
“Sleeping Beauty dreams away 100 years in our exquisite Chinese Bedroom. A hearty feast is set out in the Dining Room ready for when stingy old Scrooge discovers the spirit of Christmas,” Longleat House informs us. “In the Great Hall Cinderella is whirled across the dance floor by her handsome Prince Charming. Discover Marley’s ghost and much much more!”
Indeed, quietly, Bath has built up a wonderland that is up there with other UK cities in terms of fostering the Christmas spirit. Have fun and make sure you have your woollies on when you’re out and about.
