Introducing Bath

No city fulfills the tourist ideal of England quite like Bath. A place where stunning, gold brick Georgian mansions ringed with wrought iron gates fold into the gentle rolling hills and patchwork fields of the bucolic Cotswold valleys. Some 97 miles west of London, Bath has always been the refuge for the rich. Centuries before Queen Anne established Bath as the spa du jour for London’s aristocracy, the Romans were seduced by the area’s restorative beauty and natural springs. The ancient ruins Aquae Sulis can be visited at the restored Roman Baths where a fascinating tour culminates with a refreshing glass of spa water in the Pump Room (a kind of Georgian social club).

A Unesco World Heritage Site, Bath has more than its share of architectural masterpieces. The Royal Crescent is one of the finest examples of Palladian architecture ever built. The vast circular space ringed by town homes was designed by John Wood, the Elder, who took inspiration from Rome’s Colosseum. In the center of town, the twin towers of the splendid 15th-century abbey afford views of the city’s seven hills; you can even sit and muse for a while inside the abbey’s clock face. The city’s oldest house (built in 1482) is now home to Sally Lunn’s, one of the city’s most beloved restaurant/cafés.

Bath has a veto on poor taste. You won’t find blasphemous strip malls or behemoth shopping centers corrupting Bath’s historic core. In the charming old world passages of Northumberland Place and Union Passage you can pick up traditional English clothing, antiques, and gourmet delicacies. The city’s Georgian town homes and vaulted cellars have been transformed into some of the England’s finest restaurants, serving best of British fare (or posh renditions of steak and kidney pudding or sausages and mash) along with more refined gourmet cuisine.

Jane Austen lived in Bath for just five years and reputedly didn’t care much for the city. Still, the Jane Austen Centre works hard to establish all manner of connection to the author who set two of her best loved novels in Bath: Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. Bath’s literary kudos lives on, evidenced by the city’s robust festival line up, from the Bath Literature Festival, to the
Jane Austen Festival, and the Bath Shakespeare Festival.

Airports within a 25-mile radius of Bath:

  • Bristol Filton Airport (FZO)
    • Bristol Airport (BRS)
    • Lyneham Airport (LYE)
    • Kemble Airport (EGBP)

Popular aircraft charters* in the Bath ade:

  • Citation Excel (super light)
  • Learjet 45 XR (super light)
  • Citation CJ3 (light)
  • Learjet 31ER 400A (light)
  • Learjet 60 XR (midsize)
  • Citation III (midsize)
  • Gulfstream G200 (super midsize)
  • Citation Sovereign (super midsize)

*This is just a sample. Zephyr provides access to aircraft at every end of the spectrum, from luxurious VIP airliners, to ultra long range business jet, helicopters, and economical turboprops.