Pulteney Bridge - Bath

Barn Cottages Lacock A rural retreat 9 miles from the City of Bath

Silbury Hill

Local Interest & Activities

We are perfectly situated  for many different activities and places to visit,  wet or dry ,young or old, at any time of the year. We are within a short drive of Lacock, within easy reach of three World Heritage Sites, including Bath, and well placed for touring the rest of Wiltshire and the Cotswolds. It is even possible to go to London for the day. There are many country pubs and restaurants nearby and the area is blessed with lovely walks and cycling. The cottages contain comprehensive information on activities and local amenities and we are always delighted to help you in offering advice based on our own experiences. However below(links underlined) are some examples of things to do.

Bath

A World Heritage City with the world famous Roman Baths and Pump Rooms. The architecture is fascinating from the medieval Abbey to the Georgian buildings of the Royal Crescent and The Circus. The new Thermae Bath Spa adds another ‘must’ for visitors The shopping is fantastic, there are a wide range of restaurants and the Theatre Royal hosts many a pre West End run. There are plenty of museums and art galleries.Festivals throughout the year such as the Bath Literary Festival and the Bath International Music Festival make it an interesting destination at any time.

Lacock

The National Trust Village is on our doorstep. Harry Potter was filmed here as was Pride and Prejudice and Cranford. In 2008 filming will start on Wolfman starring Anthony Hopkins. Camilla Parker- Bowles’ daughter was married in the church here this year. Lacock Abbey is a National Trust Property, and the village houses The Fox Talbot Museum of Photography. There are three pubs and an excellent restaurant with a further 2 pubs just outside the village itself..

Stonehenge

A World Heritage Site consisting of monolithic standing stones dating back to 3000 BC

Avebury

Another World Heritage Site of standing stones dating back to BC. This is easily combined with a visit to Silbury Hill, West Kennet Long Barrow, both of which are ancient burial sites and The White Horse. It would also be possible to take in Marlborough, an attractive town with good shopping, restaurants and cafes

Bristol

It is difficult to do the city justice here but attractions include Bristol Zoo which is great for all the family, and @Bristol which has a hands-on science museum, . There is also the SS Great Britain which received the prestigious Museum of the Year award in 2006

Salisbury

An attractive City with an inspiring cathedral.

Oxford
Wonderful University City  with its historic walled Colleges,  excellent museums (the Pitt-Rivers with shrunken heads amongst other treasures is very popular with kids) and traffic-free shopping centre.

Longleat Safari Park

Lions, baboon wolves, rhino, gorillas and seals to name but a few. Lots of other family friendly attractions including a maze, a railway and a great playground. For the adults there is the eccentric Lord Baths’ house.

Wells

A beautiful cathedral by a river, an attractive small city, lovely places to walk and picnic. A trip here could be combined with a visit to Glastonbury to the famous Tor.

Wookey Hole

Interesting caves and fun family attractions. This could be ideal on a wet day.

Cheddar Gorge

Caves, Gorge and Jacob’s ladder are classic limestone scenery

Cotswolds

Classic English scenery and beautiful villages such as Bourton-on-the-Water and Moreton-on-the-Marsh make a day in the Cotswolds an attractive option. It could be combined with a trip to Cirencester, with its excellent Corinium  Roman Museum and great shopping or to Chedworth Roman Villa on the outskirts of Cirencester

Local villages and Towns.

There are many villages and towns close to us that are well worth a visit. Below is short list together with the main attractions.

Corsham- Corsham Court is a stately home with lovely gardens and parkland. Corsham itself has an appealing High Street with some specialist shops

Malmesbury- one of the oldest towns in England it has a lovely town centre and a beautiful Abbey.

Bradford-on-Avon- Huge Tithe Barn, attractive town centre, canal walks, canoe, boat and cycle hire.

Castle Combe-quintessential English village has featured in many films and TV shows.

Biddestone-lovely village with pub next to duck pond

Gardens-there are many beautiful gardens to visit within easy reach. A few examples are;

Abbey House Gardens at Malmesbury – the largest private collection of roses in the country and the famous ‘naked’ gardeners.

Stourhead near Warminster. This famous Palladian house garden needs little introduction.

The Courts, Holt-near Bradford-on-Avon-a National Trust Garden

Iford Manor-also near Bradford

Children

Particularly with the kids in mind;

Longleat House – see above

@Bristol- see above

Bowood House and Gardens- brilliant adventure playground, soft play, lake, waterfall, country house and grounds. This is a real family outing that all ages would enjoy. The playground has an upper age limit of 12

Swindon –if the weather is not so good Swindon has ten pin bowling, an ice rink, multiplex cinemas and a great leisure pool called The Oasis which has a wave machine, slide, and several flumes as well as a very good toddler pool. There is also a big Railway Museum in Swindon and a Designer Outlet Village.

Swimming pools. - In Corsham, Chippenham, Bradford, Bath

Cinema –multiplexes in Bath, Bristol and Swindon. Small cinema in Chippenham.

Bowling- a small one in Melksham, bigger ones in Bristol and Swindon

Playgrounds – if you just feel like popping out with smaller kids to a local playground then;

    Lacock- a small one behind the Red Lion car park

    Corsham-behind the Springfield sports centre

    Gastard- a small one that is always very quiet.

    Chippenham- a good one in John Coles Park

    Bath- in Victoria Park is a huge playground with lots to do for all ages . It gets really busy in the summer holidays.

Softplay.-if it  is wet then Boomerang on the Bowerhill trading estate could solve a lot of problems. A huge softplay  with areas for smaller children plus large new slide. Also has café and sofas for adults.

Events

There are many events both local and national that take place throughout the year within easy reach of us. Examples include :

Badminton Horse Trials (May)

Bath and West Show. (June)

Bath International Music Festival (May)

Bath International Literary Festival(October)

Corsham Festival (June)

Corsham Film Festival (March)

Activities

Golf-there are many courses within easy reach of us including Bowood, Kingsdown and Whitley (9 holes).

Cycling- if you choose to bring your own bikes we can store them safely for you. You can also hire top quality new bikes from us. We have mens , ladies and childrens bikes  of varying sizes and you can even hire a tandem. Hire includes helmets, locks and panniers and we are happy to advise on routes. If you like to cycle on traffic free paths or on quiet country lanes we can always find something suitable. For further information please visit our website historyonyourhandlebars.co.uk

Horseriding-there are several stables nearby.

Walking-there are many lovely walks of varying lengths in the area. Again we would be happy to talk to you about the ones we know.