Walcot & Artisan Quarter

Walcot Street runs north from the city centre and is Bath's most independent stretch: antique shops, second-hand bookshops, independent cafes, and a Saturday market that draws local sellers rather than tourist stalls. The Thermae Bath Spa (Hot Bath Street, GBP 42 for 2 hours) is at the southern end of this neighbourhood, a short walk from the city centre: the building is contemporary glass and Bath stone, the rooftop pool gives a direct view of the Abbey tower, and the water is the same hot spring water the Romans used. The spa is the experience that most distinguishes a Bath visit from any other English city break. Walcot Street proper starts at Northgate and runs north: the antique and vintage shops here are better value than those in the centre, the Saturday Walcot Reclamation market is worth arriving early for, and the coffee shops (including Colonna & Small's on Chapel Row, the best single-origin coffee in Bath) are much cheaper than the tourist-zone equivalents. The neighbourhood borders on Larkhall and the edge of the Georgian new town: it has the most everyday character of any area close to the city centre.