WT1 Walking Tour: Less Discovered Bath - Five Georgian Crescents

Start: in the centre of The Circus, near the trees (BA1 2ET)
Finish: outside Bath Assembly Rooms (BA1 2QH)

DATES/TIMES:

Saturday 18 May 10am - 12pm
Sunday 19 May 2pm - 4pm
Monday 20 May 10am - 12pm
Wednesday 22 May 10am - 12pm
Friday 24 May 5.30pm - 7.30pm
Sunday 26 May 2pm - 4pm

• Distance: around 1.7 miles
• Not suitable for wheelchair users

This walk will be repeated several times throughout the festival. When booking you will be asked to select the date and time of the walk you wish to book, click Book Now and use the dropdown to select your preferred date.

ABOUT THIS TOUR
Bath has seven Georgian crescents, each a graceful and uplifting symphony in creamy Bath Stone. This walk around Bath’s immensely beautiful steep northern slopes takes in five of the crescents, as well as the city’s most complete Georgian square. Most of the route is completely off the beaten tourist track, covering parts of Bath that visitors rarely get to explore and even many locals are unfamiliar with.

Led by qualified Blue Badge tour guides, the tour will explain the significance of the crescents in relation to Bath’s topography. There will be panoramic views across the bowl of the city to enjoy, and residents’ associations private gardens to snoop on. You’ll see a host of eye-catching architectural details – ornate pediments and keystones, decorative wrought-iron overthrows and snuffers, and much else besides. You’ll also hear about some of the Upper Town’s significant former residents, including Sir William Holburne, whose collection formed the nucleus of the original Holburne Museum, and the enormously rich William Beckford, who built Beckford’s Tower high up on Lansdown Hill. You’ll also pass the highly unusual home of Thomas Barker, one of Bath’s best-known painters in Georgian times. Expect some literary links too, to Charles Dickens and Jane Austen.

Important note: the walk includes climbing a steep slope and flight of steps, so a certain level of fitness is required. However, the walking pace will be gentle, with frequent stops.

Organised by Fred Mawer Tours

ABOUT FRED MAWER TOURS
Fred Mawer Tours offers entertaining and informative guided tours of Bath and the South West of England, for individuals and groups. The tours are led by Fred, a Bath resident and award-winning, professional Blue Badge-qualified tour guide, or by another expert local guide. In Bath, tours range from introductory explorations that are ideal for first-timers to the city, to off-the-beaten-track itineraries, and thematic tours such as looking at the city’s all-important spa history, its royal links and TV and film locations. 

More information: fredmawertours.co.uk

Contact: +44(0)7941 371439 / [email protected]