THE KENNET & AVON CANAL
Arguably one of the most picturesque canals in England, the Kennet and Avon passes through delightful rural landscape encompassing chalk vales and river valleys, winding its way through villages,market towns and the cities of Bath and Reading.
Stretching 86 miles from the Thames to the Floating Harbour in Bristol, you can take in wonderful Georgian Bath and the rolling hills of Berkshire and Wiltshire. The canal itself boasts some truly unique architectural and engineering features, including turf-sided locks, aqueducts and bridges. The canal is a haven to a huge variety of wildlife too.
The Western Section (Bradford on Avon to Bristol) is the most popular section of the waterway, with a host of historic towns and villages. Much of this section is in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, where the waterway nestles within deeply incised valleys, and where steep valley sides and ridge crests are accentuated by dense woodland.
Just a short cruise up river and you'll be in the beautiful, historic city of Bath.....
GEORGIAN BATH
The World Heritage Site of Bath and the stunning countryside surrounding it is one of England's most beautiful places to visit.
Bath is a world-class destination, rich in Roman and Georgian heritage. Nestling in a sheltered valley, surrounded like Rome by seven wooded hills and nourished by Britain's only natural hot springs, Bath has been luring visitors with its obvious charms for well over 2000 years.
An exquisite Georgian city grew from Bath's ancient roots. The Royal Crescent, The Circus, Pump Room and Pulteney Bridge are among the finest architectural treasures in the world. Indeed, the entire city has been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
This comfortably sized city is packed with places to visit. Bath's rich diversity of museums, galleries, gardens and attractions including the Roman Baths and 15th-century Bath Abbey are all within easy walking distance of each other. The Roman Baths is one of Europe's finest ancient monuments, walk where Romans walked on ancient stone pavements and imagine the grandeur of their town of Aquae Sulis centred on the natural hot springs. Bath's status as a world-class city was further enhanced by the opening of the remarkable Thermae Bath Spa in 2006. The revival of this 2,000-year old tradition means that Bath is a fully fledged spa city once again.
Bath offers an enviable lifestyle, with a year-round calendar of festivals, theatrical, musical and sporting events. It's a lively scene, with over 150 restaurants and traditional pubs scattered among some of the best quality independent shops in Britain.
Or head West from Hanham Lock to discover cosmopolitan Bristol and its floating harbour...
BRISTOLBristol is steeped in maritime history and its vibrant harbourside area with its myriad of shops, chic restaurants, museums and art galleries magnificently captures the spirit of its past and present. It was the adopted home of the legendary engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who designed the famous Clifton Suspension Bridge - undisputedly Bristol's most famous landmark. It's spectacular setting on the cliffs of the Avon Gorge draws thousands of visitors each year. Another of Brunel's masterpieces is the SS Great Britain whose home is now the Bristol docks and which can be easily visited as part of your holiday.
More recent visitor attractions that are also easily accessible from the docks are '@ Bristol' - a hands-on science attraction or just a short bus ride away is Bristol Zoo and the Durdham Downs.
