Bath and the Cotswolds

Today I want to share my itinerary for 2 days in Bath and the Cotswolds with you. This part of England is rife with beautiful streets, picture-pretty villages, and scenic countryside. From the ancient Roman highlights of Bath to the chocolate-box cottages in the Cotswolds, there’s a lot to love about this area. My itinerary will show you the best places to go.

I’m visiting Bath and the Cotswolds with a friend. We’re going to spend one day in Bath and one day in the Cotswolds, and we want to see the best of both places.

How to Get to Bath and the Cotswolds

Given it’s easier to get around the Cotswolds by car than by public transport, we rent a car at Heathrow and drive out to Somerset on the morning of our first day. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for us.

Where to Stay in Bath

We arrive in Bath after the 2-hour drive from London and check into our hotel, The Yard in Bath. It’s a boutique luxury hotel with a stylish lobby lounge and cozy guest rooms.

Our room features a king-size bed and all the amenities we could ask for, including breakfast delivered straight to our door in the morning. The staff is friendly and welcoming, and there’s a great atmosphere.

The location is ideal, too. It’s a 5-minute walk from the Royal Crescent and less than 10 minutes from the Roman Baths. If you’re interested in following in our footsteps, you can book a room here.

Bath

After getting settled in, we start our trip to Bath and the Cotswolds with lunch at The Scallop Shell, a seafood restaurant just down the street from The Yard.

Everything from fish cakes to skate wing goes down a treat, and the meal gives us energy to explore the highlights of the city.

We start at the Roman Baths, the remains of an ancient Roman thermae and temple complex that dates back to the first few decades of Roman rule in Britain.

It’s a huge complex, and we’re amazed to see pools, artifacts, and architectural features as we walk through it. I’ve been here before on a Bath day trip, and I never get tired of taking in the historic atmosphere.

From the Roman Baths we peer into the Pump Room, one of my favorite Jane Austen sites in England. A neo-classical salon, this fashionable meeting place featured in her novels Northanger Abbey and Persuasion.

From the Pump Room it’s a short walk to Bath Abbey, the city’s famous church. Its fan-vaulted ceilings get me excited every time, and I can’t help looking up to admire them as we walk through the hallowed halls.

After visiting the abbey, we walk over to Pulteney Bridge and through the golden streets of Bath to get to The Circus and the Royal Crescent.

These two places are known for their Georgian terraced townhouses, which feature stunning Ionic columns. They’re some of the most photographed places in Bath.

When late afternoon comes, we drive up to Alexandra Park to take in some of the best views of Bath. It’s my first time up here, and I love how we can see the whole city from the viewing area.

Back in the heart of Bath, we have cocktails at The Yard before going to dinner at Oak. This vegetarian restaurant in Bath is a favorite of mine, and I go every time I visit the city.

We dine in one of restaurant’s intimate rooms and enjoy a feast of small plates. Everything from seared Hispi cabbage with caramelized apple to potato pave with sauteed mushrooms is delicious. The service is excellent, too.

The Cotswolds

The next morning we continue our trip to Bath and the Cotswolds by hopping in the car and driving into the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Our plan is to visit a few Cotswolds villages and a few places just outside the Cotswolds in Wiltshire.

Bradford-on-Avon

Our first stop is Bradford-on-Avon. This picturesque town is on the edge of the Cotswolds facing the River Avon.

Dating back to ancient Roman times, Bradford-on-Avon features pretty riverfront scenery and hills. The Bridge Tea Rooms has one of the most photographed facades in the area, too.

Lacock

From there we continue our trip to Bath and the Cotswolds by driving northeast through places like Holt to get to Lacock.

This is one of the prettiest villages in Wiltshire, and it’s been used as a filming location for everything from the Harry Potter movies to Downton Abbey.

We walk around Lacock, admiring the pretty cottages and Lacock Abbey before stopping for a pub lunch at The George Inn.

We sit by the fireplace and admire walls full of photos of everyone from Daniel Radcliffe to Judi Dench as we tuck into savory pies and fish and chips.

Corsham

Back in the car, our trip to Bath and the Cotswolds continues in Corsham. This historic market town in Wiltshire lies at the southeastern edge of the Cotswolds.

It was used as a filming location for TV series and movies set in England like Poldark, The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, and The Remains of the Day.

Corsham’s streets are packed with colorful facades and traditional pubs (and peacocks!), and the classic Bath stone buildings are beautiful.

We admire the exterior of Corsham Court, a Saxon royal manor house that’s now home to a picture gallery with a collection of important paintings.

The gallery and gardens were designed in the 18th century by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, the most celebrated English landscape architect in history.

Castle Combe

From Corsham it’s a short drive through villages like Biddestone to get to Castle Combe, the next stop on our itinerary for Bath and the Cotswolds. This is one of the prettiest villages in the Cotswolds, and I’m excited to be back.

The high street is lined with quintessential cottages and tearooms, and the By Brook river is a great spot for photos.

We walk through the streets to take it all in, then drive past the village’s stunning hotel, The Manor House, before heading out.

Malmesbury

From Castle Combe we drive through more of the area, stopping at villages like Badminton before ending our trip to Bath and the Cotswolds in the market town of Malmesbury.

Located on the edge of the Cotswolds, Malmesbury is thought to be the first capital of England. It was also an important center of learning in the Middle Ages.

The real treat here is Malmesbury Abbey, a rare survivor of Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century.

Built in the 12th century, the abbey houses everything from King Athelstan’s tomb to the crest of Henry VII, an illuminated 15th-century Bible, and a stunning Norman porch.

We admire the abbey before hopping in the car for the drive back to London. It’s been a great trip, and a fun way to explore some of the most beautiful places in England.