A guide to living in Bath, Somerset
- Whereshome
- Jan 16, 2022
- 6 min read
One of the most popular tourist destinations in the UK, Bath is the perfect place to settle down if you are looking for rural charm meets urban practicalities. A guide to living in Bath, Somerset would highlight its enchanting, family-friendly, historical appeal, nestled on the edge of the beautiful Cotswolds whilst being commutable to London by train in an hour and a half. A wellbeing destination since Roman times, the city still reflects its original purpose as a fantastic place to relax and unwind. The city is bursting with places to eat and drink, year-round festivals, incredible architecture, and unhindered access to the stunning Somerset countryside, making it a desirable place to relocate to in the UK.
Known most famously for its Roman Baths, the city became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988, and in 2018, it was voted as the best UK city to raise a family by Money Supermarket’s ‘Family Living Index.’ A guide to living in Bath, Somerset would also emphasize how it continuously ranks as one of the safest places to live in the UK. With young families and students making up a large portion of the population, the city offers a dynamic, welcoming vibe.
Lifestyle
Bath offers an excellent quality of living. Nestled on the edge of the Cotswolds, the city offers incredible views and easy access to the rolling hills of rural Somerset whilst offering all the practical benefits that comes with living in a city. Boasting a cultural delight for pretty much every taste; Bath offers an eclectic mix of theatres, art galleries and museums; the city truly is heaven for the culture vulture in us all. Spend your weekends visiting the impressive selection of over 40 museums, including the Museum of Bath Architecture and The Herschel Museum of Astronomy. Or wile away the hours admiring the masters at the Museum of East Asian Art, Bath Fashion Museum and Victoria Art Gallery.
The Roman Baths are an obvious draw, but the site has been modernised in an effort to keep the little ones entertained. Costumed characters and children’s audio guides will ensure you’re not having to drag little feet around on a Saturday afternoon. Enjoy your day soaking up all the rich history this delightful city has to offer and finish up with a stroll down the iconic Royal Crescent for an ice cream and a chat whilst little minds are abuzz.
If you’re the more outdoorsy type, you could appreciate the beautiful bath architecture from one of the canal boat tours, or take a ramble along the Bath Skyline walk for unbeatable views over the city. For sports fans, get your running shoes on and prep for the Bath half marathon, which the city hosts every March or if you prefer to be more of a supporter, head down to the Recreation Ground to watch the Bath Rugby team do their thing. Or for a more sedate offering, grab a coffee and take a walk around Royal Victoria Park while the kids enjoy the fantastic natural play area.
The park also hosts numerous events throughout the year, from children’s literature and food festivals to the Jane Austen Festival – a 10-day, annual festival dedicated to the writer and her time spent in the city. The city also hosts The Bath Festival, a hugely eclectic week-long event which celebrates everything creative. The festival mainly focuses on music and literature but everything from comedy, to puppeteering to paint gun art has been featured at the famous event.
Bath also offers an impressive selection of fantastic independent and artisan shopping. Green Park Station Markets, housed in a former railway station, offers a range of market stalls from organic grocers to vintage clothing and The Guildhall Market and the Bath Artisan Market also offer a wide selection of wares from local makers and artists. Or if the high street is more your bag, Southgate Shopping Centre could be for you.
In the wider area, the city is a stone’s throw from some of the UK’s most popular attractions. Take a safari drive through Longleat, have an underground adventure at Wookey Hole Caves or enjoy a day of outdoor adventuring and meet a huge variety of animals, big and small at Avon Valley Adventure and Wildlife Park. Or finally, tap in to the naturalist inside and visit Stonehenge, followed by a ramble along one of the many National Trust trails the rolling hills of Somerset has to offer.
Schooling in Bath, Somerset
Bath offers a great range of schooling options for every family. It has 15, Ofsted ‘outstanding’ primary schools. The best achieving school, Weston All Saints CofE Primary has 95% of it’s students achieving expected or higher grades in reading, writing and maths. There are also 26 secondary schools to schools to choose from including Saint Gregory’s Catholic College which is Ofsted ‘outstanding’.
The independent sector has strong representation here, with Kind Edwards School, Royal High School GDST and Monkton Senior School all enjoying an excellent reputation. For those with older children who’d like to keep them close, or if you’re thinking of further study for yourself – University of Bath was previously named university of the year and is currently ranked in the top 10 of best universities in the UK. The city is also home to the world-renowned Norland College which trains elite nannies for the rich and famous. Arguably the most famous recent alumni of the college, Maria Borrallo is nanny to Prince George and the rest of the Cambridge’s children.
Transport
Bath is very well serviced for transport. Bristol airport serves over 100 destinations worldwide and is only 40 minutes away by car and Bath Spa train station can get you in to Paddington in around 1 hour and 25 minutes, with the first train of the day leaving around 5am. Bath Spa station can also easily transport you to Cardiff, Bristol and beyond as well as local stops including Frome and Chippenham. The city operates a ‘clean air zone’ and offers bus passes for unlimited travel as well as e-scooters for hire at various charging spots around the city. Surrounding villages such as Limpley Stoke, Freshford, Bradford-upon-Avon, Wellow and Hinton Charterhouse are also popular locations to settle and offer good, regular bus links, ideal if you are moving in to the outskirts with teenagers.
Property
You’d be hard pushed to find a more consistently architecturally beautiful UK city than Bath. The stunning honey coloured Georgian terraces have been featured in numerous films and TV shows, most recently in Netflix’s Bridgerton. Fans might recognise the Holburne Museum as Lady Danbury’s regal home. Offering architecture fit for royalty, stunning vistas and fantastic amenities, it is no surprise that this is reflected in the property prices in Bath. The median property price in Bath is just over £800k, with property prices rising 8.4% since 2020 (HM Land Registry HPI). However, if you’re hoping to purchase one of the cities beautiful Georgian terraces, expect to pay out over £2.5m with prices rising in to the several millions for those with several bedrooms and good outside space. The surrounding villages are slightly more affordable, but still expect to pay around £750k for an average 3-4 bedroom family home.
The pandemic has driven many families out of the cities and in to commutable, rural spots and this has added to the property price inflation in an already expensive city. There has been a large drive for new build properties in Bath, but this has primarily been in the build of flats and large executive homes which misses the mark for much-needed affordable housing in the city. However, the new build Holburne Park estate does offer Georgian style, 3-bedroom terraces starting at around the £500k mark.
If you’re looking to rent you’ll still be expected to shell out. Bath is the second least affordable city to rent in the UK. The average rent on a 3-bedroom house in Bath is around £1,900pcm, with Bathonians spending an average of 52% of their monthly income on rent.
It’s clear to see that Bath is the ideal spot for young families, retirees and professionals alike. With a flourishing cultural scene, easy access to the beautiful rolling hills of Somerset and fantastic schools, there isn’t much not to like about Bath. If it sounds like Bath might be the place for you to relocate to, get in contact with us today and let the Whereshome team of experts support you with your move.
