BATH: Sustainable Staycation in Somerset
I recently took a sustainable staycation on a 3 day trip to Bath and thought I'd highlight some key places we visited and how we made our time there as sustainable as possible. With Lockdown limiting opportunities to escape, my girlfriend and I took a chance to book an Airbnb in Bath for a few days midweek. Here’s how we maximized our time there, all with minimum impact.
Getting there:
We drove down on Tuesday night after working a full day, arrived at Saco Homes’ Aparthotel and unloaded the car (making use of the free parking after 8pm!). The car’s not as sustainable as taking the train, but for our needs, it was the best for this trip. NB: the aparthotel was literally a stone’s throw from the station, so perfect for next time when we do take public transport!
Accommodation:
We booked our stay with Saco Homes through AirBnB. The staff were friendly and helpful. Annoyingly, our room did not reflect the photographs used on Airbnb - not a deal breaker, just a little frustrating when tired after a long journey.
The apartment itself was roomy and well decorated; a separate lounge/kitchen from the bedroom made it a very comfortable place to stay and work during the day. It also gave us the option to cook for ourselves, so we didn’t have to rely on eating out ALL the time; saving money and packaging!
✔️ Tall Man Tick: The hotel used Who Gives a Crap (not normal to get excited about toilet paper, but I was :P), along with Ecover washing up liquid and dishwasher tablets - great alternatives to conventional products (and an easy swap!)
Exploring:
Any place I visit, I like to book onto a walking tour. You get your bearings, you learn about the history of the city or town, you discover hidden gems off the beaten track and you get knowledge and advice from a local. Walking tours are much more sustainable than an open top bus tour, plus walking is a great source of exercise… win win am I right?
On the tour, we learnt that Bath Abbey is naturally heated through Bath’s hot springs. I thought this was so cool; making use of nature’s amazing gifts! I am a bit of a sustainability nerd, had you guessed?
✔️ Tall Man Tick: We visited some wonderful shops, rooting through charity shops for any hidden gems, but none this time. We did however find an awesome shop called Mabboo, which sells products predominantly made from bamboo - great to see on the highstreet!
✔️ Tall Man Tick: We stumbled across a bookstore called Persephone; they celebrate female writers and have the most elegant book covers. I would highly recommend taking a look at the shop. Here is a link to their website (https://persephonebooks.co.uk/). We then spotted another independent bookstore up the road, Topping & Company, which just looked beautiful (pictured below). I find simple joy in browsing through bookstores, thinking about what I can get lost in.
✔️ Tall Man Tip: If you’re in to walking and looking for places to enjoy the landscape around Bath I strongly recommend taking a walk along the Bath Skyline, a wonderful hilltop walk with breathtaking views of the city that no photograph can truly capture. Head to Bathwick Hill to start and enjoy some meadow-like walks… if you’re lucky you might make some farmyard friends.
Eating Out:
✔️ Tall Man Tip: Great places to eat can make a trip, so on our first day we did some scouting. Our first meal was a trip to Thoughtful bakery where we were so excited to try so many things on the menu. This place offers food for all dietary requirements with delicious veggie and vegan options. All their food is sourced locally and in season, making it an amazing place to have brunch. Definitely recommend going there if you’re visiting Bath. (https://thoughtful-bakery.myshopify.com/)
One afternoon we spotted a bagel shop. As a person who is very fond of bagels, I had to try one from Bath. The Whole Bagel was a nice bakery, the menu looked incredible and the selection of bread types and veggie/vegan options were great. Bit of a disappointment was that the avocado in the bagel was not ripe, so we had some rather tough avo. I’d still go back again and try a different option. It could have been someone's first shift etc, no reason not to support a local shop that uses zero plastic packaging!
http://www.thewholebagel.co.uk/
Those who know me know my love for sorbet, so we also took a trip to the gelateria Swoon. One thing we noticed whilst eating the delicious sorbet was that the spoon they gave you to eat with was biodegradable and a bit of me lit up upon discovering this.
Other amazing places for food in Bath:
Pinxto de Bath: a beautiful spanish tapas restaurant. There’s no reservations so we tried our luck and got a seat. The food was delicious and the sangria slipped down very well.
Opa: Greek style tapas restaurant located on the river Avon, with the best viewpoint and an enchanting seating area. They do 2for1 cocktails in the week to enjoy as the river calmly runs past.
Final thoughts…
Bath is absolutely stunning! Beautiful architecture, the city was kept so clean, you’re able to walk everywhere or even rent an electric scooter/cycle, you can be in the countryside in a matter of minutes from the city centre and there are some amazing small businesses operating with a conscious mindset.
I definitely recommend a trip!
