Boutique Guest House - Dukes of Bath

Visit Bath for A Week of Heritage in October

To coincide with the schools half term, special exhibitions, talks and workshops will be going on across Bath from Saturday October 24th to Sunday November 1st, all as part of a heritage week of events. While there are many activities aimed specifically at children and families (making masks at Victoria Art Gallery or attending a storytelling session at No.1 Royal Crescent for example), there are also several special events going on that are not-to-be-missed for visitors of all ages. Especially anyone interested in history!

Welcome to the Mayor’s Parlour is an exhibition that will be running everyday for the Heritage Week from 11:00am-4:00pm. On display will be eight hundred years of history, including the City’s Royal Charters, gold, silver and sword. Located within Bath’s Guildhall, the Mayor’s Parlour is in itself quite impressive to visit; decked out in a decadent Victorian style with vast crystal chandeliers.

Wreck Mail: Letters from the Deep is a collection of letters which were carried aboard ships but lost at sea due to enemy fire in WW1. From 11:00am-5:00pm each day visitors to the Bath Postal Museum will have the opportunity to read some of this correspondence that was never delivered. Each piece has it’s own story and the story of the vessel it was being carried on. These include military vessels sunk by torpedoes to civilian ships that were scuttled by the enemy. As well as this special display the Bath Postal Museum details the history of the post right back to 2000BC and Ancient Egypt, through the birth of the Royal Mail and up to modern times. It’s rather appropriate that this museum should be in Bath as Bath is where the first penny black stamp was sent from in 1840.

Next on our list is a single day event at The American Museum in Britain – a unique museum dedicated to American life and history that can be found next to Bath University’s Widcombe campus. On Tuesday 27th October there will be a falconry demonstration going on in its impressive grounds (which have stunning views over the surrounding countryside). From 12:30pm-1:00pm and 2:30pm-3:00pm leading falconer Ray Prior will be flying owls, hawks, eagles and falcons and talking to visitors about the birds.

Finally, what kind of Heritage Week would it be if there wasn’t a big event being hosted at the Roman Baths? On Friday 30th October the Baths will be lit by blazing torches and open late from 6:00pm-8:00pm, allowing guests the opportunity to explore the Baths in a new romantic evening atmosphere. At the same time there will be the Great Roman Feast: an opportunity to try some traditional Roman dishes, as well as sampling the famous mineral waters should you wish to.

There are many other events going on throughout the week, but these are just a few of our picks. More details and the full Heritage Week programme can be found at: http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/services/tourism-and-heritage/museums-galleries-and-tours/heritage-open-week. We hope all of us at Dukes Hotel in Bath can welcome you to stay soon!