Already booked your tickets and got your regal costumes ready to take part in the Jane Austen Festival in Bath between September 11 and 20? Apart from this beautiful and much awaited festival, there are lots of historic places to visit in the area. If you want to club some local sightseeing along with your main activity, here’s what you should not miss.
Located on Ralph Allen Drive, this beautiful park should be on your visit-list. Besides the beautiful colours of the fall, you can also witness the famous Palladian Bridge, one of very few bridges of this type in the world. What is interesting is that along with the main Festival, the park hosts a special Austen –themed garden trail with quotes from her novels places across the campus. Moreover, on September 18 and 19, the Park will be hosting Open Days with free entry for all the visitors between 10 am to 4 pm.
While one can imagine the life and times of Jane Austen by adding visuals in your head when you read the book, or see them come alive on screen, this beautiful townhouse gives you a precise description of the era. The restored Georgian townhouse gives a glimpse of how a family in Bath lived during the 18th century. Check out the beautiful interiors, servant’s quarters, drawing room, dining area and more. This would be the perfect setting for all your photographs, and you won’t even need AI to transport you back in time. What more, on September 17, 2026 the venue will host a Bridgerton themed dress-up day. Open Tuesdays to Sundays between 10 am to 5.30 pm.
Taking a detour from Jane Austen activities, keep a day in hand for this beautifully preserved historic village. A 40-50 minute ride from Bath will take you to the Lacock village with its cobbled footstones, country houses, medieval architecture, and more. Also, don’t miss out the William Henry Fox Talbot Museum if you are interested in photography. The village and abbey grounds are open between 10 am and 5 pm and can be clubbed in for a half-day / full day excursion.
A 30-40 minute drive on the roads away from Bath will take you to Castle Combe, deemed to be one of England’s prettiest villages. It is suggested that you visit early in the mornings as the crowd increases later in the day. Moreover, when here, check out the Market cross, St. Andrew’s Church, and the By Brook. Make sure that you keep time in hand for a meal and taste their traditional cream tea while watching the honey-coloured stone cottages all around.
If you want to do the most popular touristy thing apart from the off-beats travels than hop on to a bus and travel to see the UNESCO World Heritage Site – Stonehenge. This is perhaps one of the most common recognizable structures of the United Kingdom and people come from far to see the beauty of these archaeological monuments. The open –air exhibit includes the stone circle, exhibition and reconstructed Neolithic houses. If you happen to be in Bath around September 23, then check for the special arrangements in lieu with the Autumn Equinox and visit the site accordingly.
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