Avebury, Lacock and Bath Tour

A day trip somewhere in England has become a bit of a pre-Christmas tradition for my family. This time we went to Avebury, Lacock and Bath with Rabbie’s tours – and this post is to help you understand what to expect from a trip like that.

Rabbie’s Tours

In 2017 we went on a Rabbie’s tour of Oxford and the Cotswolds, a day trip visiting three locations leaving from Victoria Station. We really enjoyed it so we booked a tour for Bath, Avebury and Lacock this year. The tour costs from £55 to £65 and follows a similar set-up.

Avebury Stones

I visited Stonehenge when I was 15 and I must say I was quite disappointed with it. Having seen a lot of pictures of the site, I was thrown to see it wasn’t very imposing: the stones weren’t that big and the circle, too, was small. Avebury however is massive. The stones – which are over 5,000 years old – circle the whole village (it’s pretty tiny) and they look amazing.

When we got off the bus it had just stopped raining, the sun was out, the air was crisp and the energy was buzzing as it was the day of the Winter Solstice. Lots of druids and neopagans were camping or visiting the area, too.

The village itself is incredibly picturesque, with a local pub and a churchyard with a cemetery. It was absolutely stunning – but do bring waterproof shoes and get ready for lots of mud. Don’t dress for the Gram like me.

Do however touch or hug a stone – it’s meant to grant wishes!

Lacock

Lacock Village is almost entirely owned by the National Trust and it’s famous for being the set of Downton Abbey and Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. As an obsessed Potterhead I had to take these pictures:

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To get them however, you’ll need to pay the £11 abbey entry fee. I promise it’s worth it: the Abbey is surrounded by parks, gardens and courtyards you do need to see, and the building itself is stunning.

Bath

During the tour, we had an hour to spend in each of the previous locations, which was ok as the villages were very small. Bath, however, would have needed more than the two hours we were given to explore – but I guess that’s what you get from a day trip. Definitely keen on coming back though!

We didn’t get the chance to visit the Roman baths as we would have liked to do that properly, without rushing. What we did do was visit the Abbey (which is free and beautiful) and walk around the city’s cute streets.

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Make sure you go up Gay Street to see The Circus – the gorgeous buildings set in a circle – and that you stop by the Puteley Bridge, inspired by Florence’s Ponte Vecchio.

Bath is also famous for its tea rooms and bakeries. The oldest one is Sally Lunn’s, which is right over some Roman ruins. If you don’t manage to get a seat, go downstairs to the free museum, see how its famous buns were made back in the day and get a bun for £2.48.

We had our cream tea at the Bath Bun right in front of it. A very quaint tea room for cream tea or Bath bun tea for under a tenner, it’s a must-visit during your trip.

Why You Should Visit

I’m really enjoying this pre-Christmas tradition of visiting UK places I haven’t seen with my family and Rabbie’s. As someone who drives on the other side of the road and is often short of time, tours like this are a great way to explore the country I now call home in an effective and fun way.  P.S. Not a sponsored post. I actually loved the tour!