Bath - Live like a local for 5 days?

Ironically, if you’re into quilting, you should go to the American Museum in Bath as it has a wonderful collection of historical and more modern quilts. It’s housed in a lovely old mansion just outside of Bath with wonderful gardens and cafe, and I think you can get there by public transport although it would be easier to get there by taxi.

It would be interesting to know which other places you are considering moving to as well as Bath. Bath obviously attracts a lot of visitors, particularly from the US, which may or may not be what you are looking for. Other places will have different things both going for and against them. I think for example that I would pick Bristol ahead of Bath but they are very different and many others would say the exact reverse.

Bath is a very popular place to live and is not just a tourist town. Away from the centre you won’t encounter tourists at all. House prices are high but there are some beautiful properties.

I would avoid looking at cities in the east as the winters are colder.

Bath has expensive property and many of the old buildings could be expensive to maintain/heat. Whilst the centre is relatively flat, the land rises up steep hills both north and south of Bath. Buildings on the south side are on a north facing slope and therefore facing away from the sun = cold.

The roads in and out of Bath have heavy traffic and can be slow going. However, Bath does have very good train services - with even more at nearby Bristol.

You could take a look at some other places whilst in Bath - both Salisbury and Cardiff come to mind as they are both about an hour away by train. Bristol is just 15 minutes away but the station (Temple Meads) is not exactly in the centre of the city. Of course, visiting the centre of a city does not give you much idea about housing in the suburbs - unless you want a downtown apartment. If you plan to purchase a car, then a house in the suburbs would be your best bet - especially if it has parking.

You may find this American You Tuber of interest:>https://www.youtube.com/c/MagentaOtterTravels

Good luck! What a fun assignment! :-)

General tips:

Look up the major tourist attractions. Walk a few blocks in the opposite direction. :-)

Download the local bus app (Bath’s is available at firstbus.co.uk) then take a few rides from end to end on major routes to get a feel for the lay of the land. Hop off at places that strike your fancy - and be sure to check with the driver: is the return stop just over the road? Or around the corner where you can’t see it?

You won’t have much time to volunteer, but it is good to know the limitations of what you can and cannot do as an American citizen. Apparently if you want to volunteer for a period of longer than 30 days, you need a different visa. So I would be careful and do my research.

Shop at the local Tesco or Aldi or Waitrose and cook at home. If you do go out to eat, try someplace away from the tourist hotspots. Avoid “tea rooms” in favor of cafes. Check out the local chippy, the local falafel joint, and the local Lebanese place, for example.

Find a local pub: not a gloriously restored Edwardian jewel box, but someplace less grand. Strike up a conversation with the publican and ask about nice/fun/tasty places nearby where you can mostly avoid tourists.

Don’t worry if you do get caught up in the tourist swirl from time to time. After all, a big chunk of the UK economy is based on tourism, and tourists are everywhere. :-)

We did Bath and found a great B&B in a close in location. It is The Brooks Guest house.

Where I live I am involved in a Community Garden, where we would always welcome new volunteers.
Such projects exist up and down the country. There are 3 in my small town of 25,000 population alone.

I've just had a quick Google and there are at least two such projects in Bath- the Urban Garden and Alice Park. Given that the regional Green Flag awards were held in Bath this year I imagine there is lots more of that ilk in the area.

I go to a craft club most Mondays, and there is another one close by. But you would never know they existed unless you spoke to someone in the know, as they don't advertise.

On other Mondays I go to a Church Social where some of the ladies are always making knitted blankets for a local care home. You wouldn't know of it, unless a local mentioned it. Bath may have something similar, maybe even at The Abbey.

Apart from First bus Faresaver run a lot of very useful bus services in the area- the sort locals rather than tourists use.
For instance if I lived in the area and wanted to go to Stonehenge for the day no way am I going to take the train to Salisbury then the tourist bus, I'm going to use the Faresaver bus to Devizes, then the service bus direct to Stonehenge.

Way cheaper and just as fast.

Lots of other such tips you'd learn as a local. Tips I don't know, being from the North of England.

Http://faresaver.co.uk

If I, as a local, wanted to go to the American Museum I would take a bus to the University then the short walk per the website, not a taxi. Their website mentions the Skyline walk, something rarely mentioned on here, but would suit you.

I live on the edge of the Lake District and there are so many great places you can go to, which never make mainstream guidebooks.

5 days is an incredibly short time to get to know any area well enough to decide to live there. More like a month would be optimal.

In my town there is an American lady who volunteers at the museum. I know nothing about her, except her name. But she is fully assimilated into the town.

I second AmandaR's recommendation of the American Museum. I went a few years ago, before Covid. At that time they had a shuttle that would pick you up in Bath (near the Parade Gardens where all the bus and van tours leave from) but I am not sure they still have that post-Covid. It's an odd museum, especially for someone from the Northwest. I found it focused mainly on East coast history but that must have been the main focus of the founders of the museum. The Quilt collection is amazing though!

I appreciate all the information - thank you! Your suggestions are welcome.