54403LWE
Salisbury Cathedral visit
Stonehenge visit & lunch
Bath visit &
- ALWAYS CHECK VOUCHER FOR BOOKING TIME AT STONEHENGE. TIMINGS STATED HERE ACT ONLY AS A GUIDE.
- All entrances are paid by voucher.
- Confirm visits in advance & ask about special events, closed areas of sites etc. Particularly check Chapter House at Salisbury (Magna Carta).
- There are restrictions on coach access to certain parts of Bath. Please Note that Private Hire coaches are not allowed to use Pulteney Bridge. Coming from London follow the Pulteney Road (A36) South and use North Parade (Good view of Pulteney Bridge rhs) to get into the city centre. Discuss with your driver the route you’d like to take.
- Parking for Bath is outside THE ABBEY HOTEL, North Parade, BA1 1LF. Additional bays on Terrace Walk. From here, it’s a short walk to the Abbey and the Roman Baths. (The original parking spot is now for taxis only).
Salisbury
9.00 Cathedral Opens.
If your hotel is in the city centre you could walk to the Cathedral Close. If you require the coach allow time to arrive in city centre from when the Cathedral opens. Coach sets down and picks up in St John’s Street at side of the Cathedral Close. Arrange time and place for departure. Walk group through St Anne’s Gate into Cathedral Close. Pay entrance with voucher which includes the Chapter house which houses the Magna Carta, fine carvings and an exhibition. Photos can be taken in the cathedral but not the Chapter House. Restrooms in Cathedral Cloister.
10.00 Depart Salisbury. Take A345 north to Stonehenge. Gives excellent view of Old Sarum.
Stonehenge
- Booking times must be adhered to. You have a half hour window either side of your slot. If you know you are going to be vastly outside that time then you need to phone ahead. Groups who do not follow this have been turned away.
- Two hours are now being allocated to this visit.
- If the weather is inclement you can shorten the time. However remember that whatever the weather the group will have to wait for the mini coach and have the journey there and back which is 10 minutes each way. 90 minutes is probably the minimum that you could operate this visit.
2023 – There are no longer on-site audio guides. On the maps there is a QR code to download commentary to phones. But mobile data or wi-fi required. Groups don’t go via the visitor centre, which does have wi-fi, prior to boarding the shuttle bus. The night before encourage passengers to go to App Store (Apple/Google Play) to download audio guide.
https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/plan-your-visit/stonehenge-audio-guides
Approaching the site.
From the west – Route remains the same. Visitor Centre is 1 ½ miles prior to the stones on A306 at Airman’s Cross. Follow signs for coach parking.
From the east – A344 is now closed. Continue along A303 at Longbarrow Roundabout turn right follow A360 and turn right into Visitor centre. Follow signs for coach parking.
Group Admission: At Stonehengethere is a Groups Welcome Centre, with toilet facilities at the Coach Park. There are no facilities at the Stones. There is also a dedicated Groups shuttle service directly ahead from Welcome Centre. Tour Manager to hand in voucher and collect tickets/wrist bands. Wrist bands are to be retained by passengers as they may be requested for use on the shuttle service to the stones and entrance to the exhibition.
The Visit: Groups visit the Stones first before returning to the Exhibition, Café and Shop. Once at the Stones the group can return to the Visitor Centre on an individual basis. Younger students (13-14) may be required to remain in teacher led groups.
Return shuttle journey – Group will be dropped at the main visitor centre. (See details below.) Allow plenty of time, queues can be long. The walk takes 30 minutes.
Visitor Centre
The main centre consists of two buildings. One houses new exhibition galleries and toilets, the other the shop and the restaurant. Between the two buildings is a large covered orientation space. This will probably be good place for the group to a re-assemble at end of the visit and then walk the entire group back to the coach park.
Lunch – Not really a day for lunch, snacking is rule today.
12.30 Depart Stonehenge
13.30 Arrive Bath
Bath
Sightseeing Tour
Do your panoramic of the city first, doing your best to cover as many of the sites below, traffic and restrictions allowing:
Pulteney Bridge
The Abbey
The Assembly Rooms
The Circus
View of Royal Crescent (from Royal Avenue across Victoria Park)
Queen Square
Roman Baths Museum
Drop group in lay by on either North Parade or Terrace Walk. This will be your meeting point. Impress on group that they must be on time as coaches are not able to wait. Walk them past Abbey to the museum. Time slot queuing system. Entrance time now strictly enforced. You alert museum staff and pay the entrance by voucher. Individual tickets then handed out, group receive brief welcome chat from staff and barcode on ticket is scanned before collecting audio guides. The museum is self-guiding .
Facilities in the Museum Buildings
Audio handsets distributed by staff – these are interesting, easy to use, not essential, but worth using.
The Pump Rooms – taste the spa water, small charge and sample the delicious cakes (esp. the famous Bath Bun) and tea in this elegant café. There is more often than not a chamber ensemble playing.
Toilets – gents to the left of main entrance and down stairs and ladies to the right. Inform steward on your way in.
Shop and Toilets are at the conclusion of the visit.
Ensure group is aware that once they have left the museum, they are unable to re-enter. The exit from the Baths is on Stall Street. They then have free time in the city for lunch/shopping etc.
Facilities/places of interest in city
Bureau de change – Marks and Spencer (Stall Street) is left at the arcade. Post Office 6, Union Street.
Cash-points – bottom of High St. (across from the Abbey), Union St and on Bath Street, opposite Roman Baths shop exit.
Abbey – worth looking inside, small fee, fab vaulted ceiling.
Sally Lunn’s – One of Bath’s oldest buildings, home to the Sally Lunn Bun. Assembly Rooms/Museum of Costume – Museum & Ambience.
The Royal Crescent & the Circus – for a closer look at the architecture.
Shopping – good mix of high street, gift and souvenir stores.
FACTS AND FREE TIME SUGGESTIONS
www.visitbath.co.uk – A great resource for info, ideas, booking etc.
Museums
Assembly Rooms/Museum of Costume – Bennett Street
Museum not great shakes, but the architecture is superb and atmospheric.
Building of Bath museum – The Paragon
No 1, Royal crescent – Royal Crescent
Jane Austen Centre – 40, Gay Street. Home of Jane Austen whilst resident in Bath
herschel museum – New King Street
William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus in 1781.
Historic Buildings/Architecture
Sally Lunn’s House – North Parade Passage
Bath Abbey – Abbey Churchyard
Guildhall – High Street
theatre royal – Beauford Square
pulteney bridge
The circus
The royal crescent
15.30 Depart Bath – 2hour 15 minutes journey to West London.
