A Return to Bath – England’s Most Beautiful “Big Village”
- Martin Hesp
- Apr 12
- 7 min read
Updated: May 7
What a jewel Bath is. Yes, I know… That is stating the obvious - but it was the overriding impression I took home after spending a night in “the biggest village in England” last week.
That phrase is, of course, not factual. Bath is not a village. But I’ve always thought that it somehow feels like one. Perhaps it’s the close sense of intimacy of the place the small city seems to enjoy - aided and abetted by the steep hills which protect its wonderful honey-stone walls and buildings on almost all sides.
Rediscovering Bath After Decades
And I do have one qualification for being able to make the claim. Back in the early Nineties, I spent months filming an hour-long documentary about the city of Bath - peering through a lens at every Palladian pediment and hidden alleyway until I felt I knew its architectural soul better than my own garden. Back then I got to know quite a few locals and I can remember they would often mention this “big village” thing.
That hasn’t gone away. Unlike many towns and cities where a suburban sprawl grows and grows around the edges. Perhaps thanks to those steep hills, Bath has remained diminutive with its perimeters well defined.
Seeing Bath Anew
It is strange to return to a place you once knew by heart after a gap of decades. Returning last week, I realised that while memories are durable, they really do lack the punch of the present. The fact that I was accompanied by my wife helped - she was bowled over by the place.
As we stepped out into the spring sunshine, the city didn’t just look familiar to me - it looked almost reborn - its honey-hued stone glowing with a warmth that felt almost theatrical. That golden glow is, of course, the signature of the place. Under a clear sky, the Middle Jurassic oolitic limestone - the famous Bath stone - acts as a giant reflector, bouncing light into every corner of the city.
Exploring Bath on Foot
We spent hours just wandering around. Which is by far the best thing to do because Bath is a pedestrian’s dream. A place where the grand scale of the Royal Crescent flows down into the intimate, narrow passageways that smell of roasting coffee and old books.
And the pedestrian soon understands that it is a city of layers, where Roman foundations support Georgian ambitions, and where modern life manages to thrive without bruising the ancient scenery.
Royal Crescent & Georgian Life
We drifted, as so many do, up toward the Royal Crescent and visited its excellent museum - which really did put bones onto the recent BBC TV series we’ve been watching. The Other Bennet Sister - which centres on Mary Bennet, the oft-overlooked middle sister from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice - is good fun and excellently done and visiting the museum at No. 1 Royal Crescent helped put the show into real-life perspective.
The end-of-terrace property has been masterfully restored to show exactly how a Georgian household functioned during the city’s social peak. Walking through those rooms, you can almost hear the rustle of silk and the scratching of quills.
Walk across into the centre of the Royal Crescent’s green space and you are struck by the sheer scale of the vision. The audacity of the architects who looked at these green hills and decided to build a sweeping palace for the people to live in. It is a feat of urban planning that has never quite been bettered.
The Circus and Bath’s Architectural Curves
It’s just a short walk down Brock Street to The Circus, and as we strolled I was able to tell my wife how this are is known as Bath’s Big Question Mark. I’m learned that years ago while on regular filming sorties with a hot-balloon company - from aloft it’s easy to see how The Crescent supplies the upper curve while Brock st runs down to join the circular Circus as the dot at the bottom.
We Stayed at the Hotel Indigo Bath
But by now the shadows were lengthening and we were ready for a different kind of sanctuary. We found it in the form of Hotel Indigo Bath. Located on the South Parade, the hotel is a triumph of restoration that bridges the gap between the city I remembered and the vibrant destination it is today. It occupies a handsome Georgian terrace which, after a multi-million-pound project, opened its doors in 2020.
People are always on about location, location, location. Well, the Hotel Indigo Bath sits on a peaceful street, tucked just far enough away from the tourist thrum of the Abbey and the Roman Baths to feel like a private discovery, yet it’s only a few hundred yards from the railway station.
Inside Hotel Indigo Bath
And the restoration is a kind of masterclass in how to treat a Grade I listed building with both respect and a sense of humour. There are 154 rooms in the main building, plus another eight in the private house at No 5 Pierrepont St. And the first thing to say is that they have not gone for a “one size fits all” corporate look. Instead, the rooms are themed to reflect the very thing we were there to celebrate: the city’s story.
The hotel has “Literary Hideaway” rooms and “Architectural Beauty” rooms, all outfitted with the modern comforts one expects - Hypnos beds and spa-inspired bathrooms -while reflecting the storytelling spirit of the novelists and architects who put Bath on the map.
We stayed in one of the rooms that felt like a quiet nod to the city’s past, yet with all the modern amenities - Nespresso machines, high-speed Wi-Fi, and 40-inch screens- none of which clashed with the historic bones of the building. The owners obviously understand that while people visit Bath for the history, they expect comfort. But then, the Hotel Indigo group is far from what’s known as a “cookie-cutter” hotel chain. While many global brands aim for uniformity so that a room in Paris looks identical to one in Plymouth, Indigo takes the opposite tack. The attention to detail in the restoration is impressive.
Dining in Bath: The Elder & Brasserie Beau
One of the highlights of our stay, and a sign of how much the city’s gastronomic scene has matured since my last visit, was of course the dining. Within the walls of Hotel Indigo Bath sits The Elder, run by the multi-award-winning West Country restaurateur Mike Robinson. It’s an independent powerhouse with a fierce focus on sustainability, seasonality, and wild produce.
However, it was Brasserie Beau, located on the hotel’s ground floor, that caught our fancy for a more relaxed, celebratory atmosphere. It’s a 100-cover sanctuary with a lovely outdoor terrace - perfect for a sunny afternoon in April. Under the guidance of head chef Bruce Theobald, the kitchen champions the best of British. The menu evolves daily based on what the seasons dictate and what small producers can provide. We sat there, watching the light fade over the city, and agreed that this was exactly what a city break should represent - fine ingredients, handled with care, in a setting that feels tucked away from the world.
Culture Stop: The Holburne Museum
Walking through Bath again made me realise that while, the city’s golden walls haven’t changed much, the way we experience them has. Three decades ago, I was focused on making a film with a crew and a production budget and all the stresses that go with that. Now, as an old codger with nothing but a 1500 word article to write, I had time to relax and really take the place in. The UNESCO World Heritage site doesn't feel like a museum; it feels like a place where people still live, work, and, most importantly, enjoy the finer things in life.
The stroll back to South Parade in the twilight was a reminder of why this city remains a jewel. The streetlights began to flicker on, casting long shadows against the honey-coloured facades. There is a specific quietness to Bath in the evening, a sense that the city is settling down after centuries of hosting the great and the good. We felt like part of that long tradition.
Why Bath Always Draws You Back
As we prepared to leave the next day, I looked up at the facade of Hotel Indigo Bath one last time. It stood there, glowing in the morning sun, a bridge between the city’s past and its vibrant present. It took me 30 years to come back, but as we walked the short distance to the car park, my wife was already planning our next visit. It won’t take another 30 to return. There is something about Bath that gets under your skin, a golden magnetism that pulls you back.
✅ FACT FILE
Hotel Indigo Bath
Hotel Indigo Bath is set in a Georgian Terrace on South Parade, just steps from the city centre and three minutes walk from Bath railway station. Opened in 2020 after a major restoration, the hotel features 154 rooms including themed "Literary Hideaway" and "Romance & Mischief" rooms. An additional private house, No 5 Pierrepont St, offers 8 en-suite guest rooms and a private courtyard. All rooms feature Hypnos beds, luxury linen, Nespresso machines, and high-speed Wi-Fi.
The hotel offers two dining experiences: The Elder, an independently run restaurant by Mike Robinson, and Brasserie Beau. Located on the ground floor with an outdoor terrace, Brasserie Beau is open seven days a week from 12pm to 9:30pm. Led by Head Chef Bruce Theobald, it champions British ingredients with menus that evolve daily according to the seasons.
Location: South Parade, Bath, BA2 4AB. Telephone: 01225 460441. Email: enquiries@bath.hotelindigo.com. Website: http://bath.hotelindigo.com/
Holburne Museum
We also visited the Holburne Museum at the end of the magnificent Great Pulteney Street. There is something civilising about the Holburne - it’s not just the world-class collection of fine and decorative arts inside, but the way the building sits within Sydney Gardens. It’s a reminder that Bath has always been a place where nature and artifice shake hands in perfect agreement. We spent an hour lost in the galleries and I particularly enjoyed the Don McCullin exhibition (running until May 4, 2026), featuring his haunting, recently captured studies of Roman sculptures alongside some of his most iconic and unflinching photojournalism from a seven-decade career.
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