Bath Walking Tour

A guided walking tour of Bath covers the city centre and the main Georgian set-pieces in a coherent sequence that self-guided walking often misses: the connection between the Circus (designed by John Wood the Elder, completed after his death by his son) and the Royal Crescent (designed by John Wood the Younger as the next development), the function of the Assembly Rooms in the Bath social season, the role of the Pump Room and the Roman Baths in Georgian society, and the Jane Austen connection (she lived here 1801-1806, disliked the city, set two novels here: Northanger Abbey and Persuasion). Good tours cover the Pulteney Bridge, Pulteney Street (the longest Georgian street in Britain), and the social hierarchy of Bath society in the 18th century. Tours typically run 2 hours, from outside the Pump Room or the Abbey. Many operators offer a Jane Austen-themed circuit that focuses on the locations mentioned in the novels and the period detail of Bath in Austen's time. GBP 12-18 per person for group tours; private tours GBP 80-120 for up to 6 people.