While all the city’s attractions and museums remain closed as we went to print, Visit Bath highlights the ones which have virtual tours which can be explored from the comfort of your home.
The Roman Baths
Probably one of the best examples of Roman remains can be explored virtually. Navigate your way through the three floors of the museum and use the ‘walkthrough’ pages to learn more about different areas: The Sacred Spring, The Roman Temple, The Roman Bath House and finds from Roman Bath. Have a go at Roman-themed online games - such as Roman numeral bingo - and for children activity booklets are available to download so they can learn about Roman Life. You can also explore the Pump Room where the high society in the regency period went to ‘take the waters’.
Bath Thermae Spa
If you’ve not been to the Thermae Spa, this virtual tour will show you around all the floors of the spa, starting with the stunning roof-top pool, where you can bathe in the mineral rich thermal waters whilst enjoying 360 degree views of Bath. Evening is a perfect time to watch the sun set. Follow the rest of the virtual tour to view the multi-sensory Wellness Suite with two steam rooms, an infra-red sauna and an ice chamber. Travel around the main Minerva Bath – named after the Roman Goddess of Health and Wisdom - to imagine floating around the lazy river, whirlpool and massage jet.
Fashion Museum
The Fashion Museum Bath is one of the world’s greatest museum collections of historical and contemporary dress, showcasing fashion from the 1600’s to the present day – navigate your way around with a 3D tour. Each year, the Fashion Museum invites a respected expert from the fashion industry to select a Dress of the Year that encapsulates the prevailing mood of fashion, represents the past year and captures the imagination. Explore every outfit from 1963 – to the 2019 winner a hot pink tulle gown by Giambattista Valli for H&M. Do you know your Dior from your Emanual? Test your fas B hion history with an online quiz.
Victoria Art Gallery
Art lovers can enjoy a virtual tour of the gallery’s permanent collection. The Grade II listed building houses more than 1,500 decorative arts treasures, including an original Tudor portrait of Henry VIII and works by Thomas Gainsborough, Thomas Barker, Paul Klee and Grayson Perry. Watch a behind-the-scenes online video on how the Victoria Art Gallery curates an exhibition and see what happens when an exhibition is changed over – something which normally takes at least five days. Other videos to watch include one about thefascinating Lichfield clock which is on display on the upper gallery – find out about its features and how it works. Get inspiration to entertain the kids with themed learning for life activities including how to make a Toulouse-Lautrec dancing figure collage.
Bath Assembly Rooms
These were at the heart of fashionable Georgian society, when the Ball Room, Octagon, Tea Room and Card Room would have been used for dancing, card playing, tea drinking and conversation. Discover the splendour of the Assembly Rooms on an interactive tour. The Ball Room and Tea Room were used to film the ball scenes in the recent ITV adaption of Belgravia.
No.1 Royal Crescent
Built between 1767 and 1774, the Royal Crescent is considered one of the finest achievements of 18th century urban architecture. The first house to be built on the Crescent was No.1, which is now home to a museum, which offers the chance to look beyond the Crescent’s famous Palladian façade and see what life was like in eighteenth-century Bath. You can take a digital tour of the museum, as well as discovering some of the museum’s past exhibitions, on its website.
The Guildhall
Bath’s Guildhall has been at the heart of the city’s administrative life for more than 350 years. Built by Thomas Baldwin in 1775, the building is now home to the city’s register office, mayor’s parlour and city archives. Step back in time and get a glimpse of the Guildhall’s Banqueting Room on a 360-degree virtual tour.
Theatre Royal Bath
Built in 1805, the Theatre Royal Bath is described by the Theatres Trust as ‘one of the most important surviving examples of Georgian theatre architecture’. Although the theatre’s programme of top quality productions is currently on hold, you can take a virtual tour of the historic Main House from the comfort of your sofa.
No.15 Great Pulteney
The hidden spa beneath boutique hotel No. 15 GP is a haven of tranquillity – explore the hot tub, treatment rooms and sauna on a virtual tour and be inspired to book a day spa experience.
For further virtual inspiration for when restrictions start to be lifted go to visitbath.co.uk
