A Guide To Bath & Oxford

14th January 2026

Your Guide To Englands Most Historic Cities

At No.131, you don’t have to choose.

At No.131, we don’t believe in compromises. Especially when it comes to seeing England at its most iconic.

Perfectly positioned on Cheltenham’s grand Promenade, No.131 places you within effortless reach of two of England’s most historic and prestigious cities - Bath and Oxford - each just a 45-60 minute drive away. No rushed itineraries. No packing up and moving hotels. Just refined English country living, with the best of England unfolding around you.

Bath: Literary Romance & Regency Charm

Bath has long been a city of romance, ritual, and refined society — a place where stories are written into the streets themselves.

It was a favourite of Jane Austen, who lived here in the early 1800s, and whose novels capture the very rhythm of Georgian Bath: promenades, polite society, and the subtle theatre of people-watching. Walking the city today, it’s easy to see why - the symmetry, the light on honey-coloured stone, the quiet drama of its crescents.

More recently, Bath has found a new audience as a filming location for Bridgerton and adaptations of Pride and Prejudice, with its Georgian streets doubling effortlessly as Regency London. For those with an eye for detail, many scenes are instantly recognisable - though never signposted, which is part of the charm.

Where to go

  • The Royal Crescent & The Circus - icons of Georgian design and frequent backdrops for period dramas.
  • Pulteney Bridge - endlessly photogenic, especially in softer morning or evening light.
  • Roman Baths - grounding the city’s glamour in something far older.
  • Thermae Bath Spa - modern relaxation with historic views, best enjoyed unhurried.

How to spend your time

  • Walk rather than rush - Bath reveals itself through wandering, drop into one of many independent cafes and restaurants.
  • Look up: façades, balconies, ironwork, and architectural details matter here.
  • Visit outside peak hours to feel the elegance without the crowds and bustling parking lots.
  • Let literature and film be a lens, not a checklist - Bath is most powerful when experienced intuitively.

This is Bath at its most compelling: romantic without being theatrical, historic without feeling staged - a city that feels lived in.

Oxford: Quiet Grandeur & Intellectual Elegance

Oxford rewards curiosity. It’s a city of hidden courtyards, ancient libraries, and moments of stillness between the spires - best explored without urgency.

Where to go

  • The colleges of University of Oxford - wander freely, dipping in and out rather than rushing a full itinerary.
  • Radcliffe Camera - the visual heart of the city, and one of its most quietly impressive landmarks.
  • Oxford Botanic Garden - England’s oldest botanic garden and one of Oxford’s most peaceful corners. A perfect pause from the city, particularly in spring and summer, with glasshouses, walled gardens, and views across the River Cherwell.
  • River Cherwell - punting here is calmer and more romantic than the busier stretches of the Thames.
  • Covered Market - a lived-in Oxford moment, full of local character.

How To Spend Your Time

  • Start with a coffee and a walk - Oxford feels most authentic before midday.
  • Balance the grandeur with greenery; the Botanical Gardens are ideal for slowing the pace.
  • Explore without a strict plan - some of Oxford’s best moments are discovered between destinations.
  • Finish by the river or in a quiet college garden before heading back west.

The Perfect Base

At No.131, England comes to you - without the effort.

Cheltenham is smaller, calmer, and beautifully polished. A Regency spa town at the gateway to the Cotswolds, it offers the space and breathing room that Bath and Oxford can’t - while placing both firmly within reach.

Wake up in a stylish townhouse suite. Spend the day exploring England’s great cities. Return to refined dining, excellent cocktails, and the unmistakable feeling of being looked after.

At No.131, you don’t choose between history and countryside, culture and comfort, city and calm.
Here you have it all.

Next:

Read Our Cotswold Village Guide

Read Our Cheltenham Guide