Castles, Comedy and Comedians of Bath

Dukes offers Bath accommodation within two Georgian townhouses, standing proudly on Great Pulteney Street. For many people searching for a bed and breakfast in Bath we offer a unique and appealing solution. Our location is a major draw, sitting between Pulteney Bridge and the Holburne Museum, offering our guests an easy, level stroll into the heart of Bath. While a hotel in Bath city centre may offer certain convenience, as one steps out from Dukes few guests fail to be struck by the magnificence of the view as they stroll into the city. The street is 100 feet wide and 1,000 feet long and offers a spectacular perspective on Georgian living and the grandeur of the townhouses built in 1797. As Bath accommodation goes, Dukes is up there with the finest architectural antiques this World Heritage City has to offer.

Bath Accommodation – Contact us now to enjoy a comfortable stay at Dukes bed and breakfast in Somerset.

As the English poet Thomas Dekker recorded: “O, the month of May, the merry month of May”. May is traditionally a season of Maypoles and ribbons, a merry and romantic month, and a great time to visit us here in Bath. Your travel plans and itinerary may enable you to spend some time both in and around Bath. One such site, a nine mile drive from Bath and worthy of a visit is Hungerford Castle, or more properly Farleigh Hungerford Castle. The castle stands on the Wiltshire and Somerset border in the Frome valley overlooking the River Frome.

Dating from the 14th century, the castle was (for a mere 300 years), the home of the Hungerford family, whose somewhat gruesome history you may learn about on a tour of the castle. There are numerous interesting features to discover including the tombs of previous generations of the family, wall paintings, and lead death masks – not for the faint hearted!

You may also visit the Priest’s House and St Leonard’s chapel where, if you are brave enough, you can enter the crypt to see human-shaped lead portrait coffins, a collection recognised as the finest in Britain.

During May the castle is open from 10.00 to 18.00 and entrance is £4.20 for adults and £2.50 for children. Following on from a morning or afternoon at Farleigh Hungerford Castle, you might find that your visit coincides with a showing of ‘ Last of the Duty Free’ at the Theatre Royal.

This is a comic play by Eric Chappell, directed by Bill Kenwright and starring Keith Barron, Gwen Taylor, Neil Stacy and Carol Royle.  If you saw the TV sitcom series “Duty Free”, then you will recognise those names as the original actors who attracted TV audiences of up to 12 million viewers back in the mid 1980s.

In this reprise, the story of the unlikely class-divide charged holiday romance between David Pearce and Linda Cochran continues from where the original series left off and with hilarious effect. It runs from the 12th to the 17th of May and there are matinee performances on Wednesday and Saturday. The box office number is 01225 448844 or you can book online.

As you gently make your way back from the Theatre Royal, you will have a wonderful opportunity to pause and enjoy Pulteney Bridge before crossing over onto Great Pulteney Street and strolling along to Dukes. The architect Robert Adam designed and oversaw the building of the bridge for William Pulteney so that he could access land his family had inherited (the Bathwick estate) on the opposite bank of the Avon. His intention was to build a new town as a suburb of Bath.

One may never tire of seeing Pulteney Bridge; said to be one of the most beautiful bridges in the world, now adorned by cafes, antique coin and map shops on  both sides, it is one of Bath’s world heritage ‘must see’  gems.

For a different perspective on historic Bath, why not join one of the boat trips that leave from Pulteney Bridge and learn about the city’s history as you float down the river?

Many of our local and international guests visit Bath to see and absorb the architectural history. However, spare a thought for the fact that Bath has a very long history as a city of frivolous fun and recreation, stretching back to the Georgian era.

A modern day take on this reputation for being a  ‘city of fun’ is the  2014 Bath Fringe Festival running from 23rd May till 8th June and, as they say, a few days on either side. The festival is very much a compilation of many diverse art forms. This is a great showcase for local talent as many Bath artists and performers take part as well as many from outside Bath. Just be sure to book your Bath accommodation well in advance!

Photograph courtesy of Chris Greenwood

The Fringe is an eclectic mixture of street theatre, music including folk, jazz and classical, comedy, entertainment, dance, art and more. With many venues all over the city. The Bath Fringe may not be as extensive as the Edinburgh Fringe but it is equally as much fun.

Dukes Bed and Breakfast Bath City Centre – To enjoy luxury guest house accommodation in the heart of Bath, book today.