Bath is one of these rare cities that has it all – vibrant cafes and restaurants, a fabulous historical centre, fascinating museums and access to plenty of green spaces. On a sunny day, we regularly find an excuse to jump on the train from Bristol to Bath to enjoy what the Georgian city has to offer and we often end up climbing up Bathwick Hill to admire the view over the centre.
One day we decided to try a walk from the train station to the gardens of the American Museum in Bath. After a hearty lunch at the brilliantly quaint Bath Bun cafe, and a little meander around Bath Abbey, our walk took us across the North Parade Bridge. From there, we went up to the lock with its narrow boats and popular cycle path onto the glorious Bathwick Meadows that signals the start of the wonderful Bath Skyline walk.
We then joined the steep Bathwick Hill, lined with impressive houses, before carrying onto The Avenue and then Claverton Hill which leads to the entry of the American Museum.
Located in the 1820s Claverton Manor, the museum takes visitors on a journey through American history with its collection of art and crafts. We first visited the American Museum in 2016 to see its toys exhibition, and have been back a few times since. Due to the pandemic the museum itself was not open, but that its gardens, coffee shop and terrace were.
The American Museum’s garden is beautifully kept and even includes a reproduction of a part of George Washington’s garden at his Mount Vernon home, complete with herbs, ornemental fruit and vegetable patches. The gardens also boast a natural amphitheatre and impressive sculptures of famous American political figures such as activist Harriet Tubman and President Abraham Lincoln. We had a great time discovering the varied areas of woodlands and manicured designs after we sipping on a hot chocolate on the sunny terrace.
After that, it was time to head back to the city centre to catch our train back. We were in no rush though, and once we hit Bathwick Meadows again, we sat on the grass for a while longer to take in the fantastic views over one of our favourite cities.
