A tour of Bath and Stonehenge on The English Bus
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Selecting just one day tour from London was a difficult decision. We knew a few places we were interested in – a Brighton, Stratford, or Stonehenge tour were all appealing options. Basically, a ton of notable sites are accessible from the city, and decisiveness just isn’t one of our strengths. Luckily, there are “small group” tours from London to see a variety of sites without too much hassle. And without the crowds of the big bus experience? Sold!
Usually the tour options combine 2-4 stops outside the city, but no option combined Stratford with Stonehenge. We had to make a choice. Frankly, we weren’t buying the myth that those legendary rocks were just an unimpressive roadside tourist stop, so we chose Neolithic rocks over Shakespeare.
The Van Life
On the day of the tour, the promised luxury van was mysteriously absent. Do you hear ominous music playing? Ahahaha. Nooooo, you don’t. Pessimist! As it turns out, London was experiencing some crazy traffic delays – even more than usual! The van did arrive, though, and it was a comfy ride seating no more than 16 people, exactly as advertised. Soon, we were off to the Cotswalds!
There was a bit of chatter with the driver/guide in the beginning, especially to pick our brains about our greatest interests. Based on his questions and the iconic options in the area, it seems that most tourists are interested in Downton Abbey, Harry Potter, and Jane Austen. I’m a huge Terry Pratchett fan. So, yes, I find this list both uninspired and disheartening. But that’s mostly bitterness talking. #oook
Our first stop was the guide’s choice. A third stop, a “secret place”, is always included in this tour. I must not divulge the secret!
But the stop was a very cute, idyllic spot in the Cotswolds. It was nice to walk through a village and take a few photos. There was a little local bakery where one could acquire pasties and sweet doughy treats. They probably weren’t the best life choices I’ve ever made. Whatever, I tried legit pasties in England! I regret nothing.
I mean, I suffer from a bit of anxiety and lots of irrational guilt so I actually regret TONS OF THINGS. But nothing about that particular snack. Don’t be so literal.
The Baths of Bath
Our next stop was the city of Bath, which is a UNESCO world heritage site. When we arrived, we briefly toured some highlights outside of the center, including a quick stop at the Royal Crescent. This building is a sweeping arc of terraced houses built of Bath stone. The scale of this structure, set beside a large green space, genuinely is eye-catching even if one knows nothing about its architectural style. That describes me! But in case you’re curious, it’s an example of Georgian architecture.
Once we reached the city center, we immediately headed to The Roman Baths. This was actually one of the more expensive attractions we paid for during our entire vacation (21-23 pounds for a single adult ticket). The entry included an audio guide to use while walking through the bathing complex and exhibits.
Soon we were walking on the terrace above the bathing complex, surrounded by Roman statuary. This is an iconic view of these baths, and it’s really a wonder to see in person. The audio guide is informative, and they’ve done a good job of inserting all sorts of points of interest from daily objects to the culture found in Aquae Sulis, the name of this town when founded by Romans around 60 A.D.
Once finished with the terrace, there are many numbered exhibits and points of interest within the rooms of the bathing hall. And after descending to the ground floor, it’s also possible to access the lower level of the courtyard, where people once bathed.
Bath Abbey was also an important point of interest for us. Its entrance is found on the same square as The Roman Baths. It was easy to stop by the Abbey once I had completed my self-guided tour of the bath complex.
The Abbey was established as early as the 7th century and has been rebuilt a couple times through the centuries. Although some of the exterior was behind scaffolding during our visit, the interior was open to appreciate.
Bridges and Walls
I split away a bit early, because one of my weird travel loves is pedestrian bridges. And there is one in Bath that held some allure. Just down the road from Bath Abbey, the Pulteney Bridge crosses the River Avon.
Only four bridges in the world were constructed with shops along their full span, on both sides of the bridge. This bridge is one of those four.
I don’t even know why I care or why this matters at all, but I have now walked across three of these bridges (my other two being the Rialto in Venice and the Ponte Vecchio in Florence).
Now I feel some strange need to cross the Krämerbrücke in Erfurt, a bridge I’d never heard of in a city I’d never heard of. And this is exactly why one should never be a completionist: irrational compulsions to go to a random place in central Germany just to walk across a cobblestone bridge. I won’t do it!!!
Okay, full disclosure: I probably will do it… someday.
Also, the walk along the river is nice here. If given enough time, the city of Bath recommends a nice walk through its parks, along the river. They provide a map, and suggest a few options with a range of distances. The recommended tour covers highlights from the baths to the Royal Crescent. It sounds like the perfect outdoor activity for anyone spending a bit more time in Bath.
Rocks that Rock
After a few hours of free time in Bath, we headed to the last stop on our day tour – Stonehenge. I could probably just stop writing here. Let’s face it – we all know this site to some degree. It’s a large circle of standing stones; one of the most famous neolithic sites in all the world. It’s iconic.
Visitors to Stonehenge first stop at the new visitor center, opened in 2013, to purchase tickets, then you can hop on a shuttle to get to the site.
Now, technically this is a walkable distance. I was very tempted to do just that after too many hours in the van. Unfortunately, it had been raining most of the day, so I grudgingly chose dry feet over being rebellious.
An audio guide is provided with entry, and many numbered stations along the path designate points of interest discussed on the guide. Sometimes I am not the greatest student of the audio guide, but this one was pretty compelling.
There aren’t many stopping points, so it didn’t tax my attention span to actually listen to the guide. But mostly, it’s just really interesting in a “mysteries of human history and cultural development” sort of way. Think about it: Even the largest stones were moved miles for… what purpose? How was it even achieved?
And its development and expansion took place over centuries. There are burial mounds throughout the property, with interred remains from various points of origin, from various time periods.
I’ve read reviews of this site describing it as unimpressive. It’s just some rocks in the middle of a field. Apparently the rocks aren’t as big as people expect?
I suppose I can understand that perspective, without the historic context. But if you go because you are inspired by this spot, by it being important for centuries to untold people for a purpose we don’t understand… simply seeing these stones in person is probably gratifying, regardless. These are not simply big rocks. This was an important site for honoring the dead. For centuries.
I’m not sure there is content here that can’t be learned online. It’s just nice to be there myself and have a greater appreciation for both place and context. Isn’t that one of the fundamental benefits of travel?
A Nice Addition
Once we were back on the van, our guide did make a quick stop at Woodhenge. It’s an area dominated by wooden markers, which are set in concentric circles. This is another monument and burial ground within the larger Stonehenge UNESCO World Heritage site. We just saw it briefly in the fading light. I couldn’t see much of the pattern created by the markers, but the contrast with Stonehenge itself was obvious. And we did appreciate the thoughtful addition of this site to our Stonehenge tour.
With that last view, we ended the day with a long uneventful drive back to London in the dark.
Given the distance covered, we did spend a lot of the day in a vehicle. But there was flexibility and independence at our destinations. The guide was helpful and made interesting observations at the destinations and during the journey. And at the end of the day, we saw several gems in England’s countryside with very little stress or hassle. Beyond the tour itself, the customer service provided by tour company exceeded any reasonable expectation. We couldn’t have been happier with our day trip from London on The English Bus.
