When Bath was in it’s heyday on the 1800s, fashionable society gathered in the Assembly rooms of Bath to dance, drink tea and socialise and be immortalised in the novels of Jane Austen. You can find the Assembly rooms on the north side of Bath, near the Royal Crescent and The Circus, where you can see some of the grandest Georgian houses of the city.

There’s the Ballroom which is also used for concerts and weddings, so not always open, the Tea Room and the Octagon and Card rooms, which now houses the café. The rooms are beautiful with enormous chandeliers, although you have to imagine the bustle and excitement by candlelight of those who came to see and be seen. You don’t need to pay to take a look at these rooms, although they are sometimes closed for functions.

Downstairs is the Museum of Fashion in Bath, which is also a fun place to pass an afternoon. You can find ball gowns that were worn on royal occasions and coronations as well as those from the regency period in the 1800s. There are even some corsets and crinoline to try on, if you fancy seeing how a Victorian lady dressed.

After your visit, try some tea and cakes in the café which anyone can visit – you don’t have to be visiting the museum. The drinks and cakes were reasonably priced compared to many places in Bath and I’d recommend it as a pleasant alternative to the Pump rooms which has become a popular but expensive tourist haunt for afternoon tea or lunch in Bath.

Bath Fashion Museum, Assembly Rooms, Bennett Street, BATH, BA1 2QH

Photos by Heatheronhertravels

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