Bath, England - can you see the baths from Pump Room pub?

The best "free" view of the Baths is from the Abbey because you can get above them. Take free mayors' tour to get the context, see a glimpse of the baths, the pump room and taste the (terrible) water for free. The Baths are definitely worth the time and admission if you are at all interested in Roman or British history. The museum is top notch and the tour extensive over many layers and rooms. I would plan at least an hour, and probably really two ro more, for all the sites the Baths have to offer. My $.02US,
=Tod

Julia, there may be a pub in the area from which you can see into the Baths, I don't know, but The Pump Room is definitely not a pub. In the same way that the Baths are a relic of Roman Bath, The Pump Room is a relic of Regency Bath – it was built in the 1790s and was the centre of elegant Bath society. In Jane Austen's day you would have gone there to take the spa waters - there is a drinking fountain fed by a spring – and to parade about in your best clothes and be seen. Today it functions as a restaurant and tearoom, serving lunch and afternoon tea and is hired out for private functions in the evenings. Have a look here: http://visitbath.co.uk/eating-and-drinking/the-pump-room-restaurant-p30351 and http://www.searcys.co.uk/the-pump-room Whether you can see into the Baths from there I don't know – whenever I've visited, the queue for a table was so long, I've ended up going elsewhere!

Julia, I would go to the Pump Room and, glass in hand, hope for the best. All afternoon. Ruins are ruins. A pub is alive and a place whre you'll probably get the chance for some good conversation.

I don't know how much of the baths you can see from a pub next door. The ten pounds' admission is not just to gawk at a pool of water. The "Baths" is a complex of excavated Roman bath facilities, including many rooms, and a museum which I thought was very informative, attractive, and enjoyable. We were in Bath on a day trip with limited time to explore the Roman Baths; I could have spent another couple of hours there. Here's the website so you can decide if it's worth spending your money to visit in person - http://www.romanbaths.co.uk.

I agree with previous poster. We thoroughly enjoyed it. I think you might regret it by not going inside.

I just have to chime in on the side of spending the money for the baths. They're amazing. It isn't just "a ruin is a ruin is a ruin" - (1) IMHO and (2) provided you are interested in British/Roman history. I think they are VERY worth it. Also not that spendy, considering how much somethings cost in the UK. I just spent 17 pounds 75 to get into Windsor Castle. OUCH! And yes, I think by "the pub" you mean the Pump Room, which is crazy swank and a great place to treat yourself to tea. You'll feel like you're Elizabeth Bennet!

I'll sixth that opinion. There's a lot more to the Baths than just the water. The audio guide was excellent, too. Don't go all that way without seeing it.

The Roman Baths are definitely more than just ruins with multiple layers and an excellent museum. I've been a few times and the best time to view them is at dusk when the crowds are thinner without the day trippers and there is an air of mystery about the place. As a previous poster noted the Pump Room is not a pub, but a fancy tearoom and resturant best known for its afternoon teas. My wife loves it, but from experience I know the cost will be more than double the
10 pounds per person to go in and see the baths.

Many thanks for all the informative responses. It helped us make the decision to spend the $ to go inside. I love this forum! Julia

Julia I think you made the right decsion, I was very surprised how much the Baths actually was, the Roman ruins surprised and fasicinanted me, I hadn't been to Rome before my first trip to Bath so it was interesting to see such an ancient site in the UK( I now know there are lots of such ruins in UK) Sometimes on holiday you really have to weight being budget concisous with being silly, you flew thousands of miles to see things, don't skip a site for a few pounds,, think about it , you would spend more on a lunch and lunch is going right through you , an anicent site like that stays with you forever!! The other place I urge you to disregard the high price tag is the Towers of London, I was surprised how pricey it was, but it was TOTALLY worth it.. every penny. Keep in mind there are many free museums that make up for the more costly sites so it balances out.

Another vote to go inside and look around. Although the large bath would be viewable from the Cathedral (probably a really good view too). Much of visiting the baths is wandering through underground rooms and learning about Roman life in England.

Yup, spend the money...well worth it. I did a day trip from London and coughed up the dough to go through the Baths...no regrets at all, money well spent if you're into history and ancient ruins...