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The Roman Baths, Bath

Companionship careBath and North East Somerset

Days out in Bath and North East Somerset for an older parent

Ten places in Bath and North East Somerset that make a good day out for an older parent, from The Roman Baths to Midsomer Norton town centre. For each one: what its own access information confirms, what it costs, how long to allow, and the carers nearby who drive and could take them.

Researched by PrimeCarers from each place’s own website and access information  ·  Updated September 2026

The Roman Baths. Photo: Diliff, CC BY 2.5

Ten days out across six towns

The best places to take an older parent in Bath and North East Somerset

Four of them are free to visit or to walk around. The access information for three describes a step-free route, and six confirm an accessible toilet. Where a place does not publish its access, we say so.

The Roman Baths, Bath

Photo: Diliff, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

Museum · Bath

The Roman Baths

The Roman Baths are the remains of a Roman bathing and temple complex built around Bath's hot springs, with the Great Bath still filled with steaming green water. The museum shows the temple pediment, the gilt bronze head of Minerva and objects thrown into the sacred spring.

Lifts take visitors down to the museum and the Great Bath, and the site says it is 90 per cent accessible to wheelchair users, although it is below street level and can be crowded at busy times, so a carer may want to book an early slot.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Paid entry

What their access information confirms

  • Partly step-free
  • Accessible toilet

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Bath

Bath Abbey, Bath

Photo: GarfieldJAustin, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Cathedral · Bath

Bath Abbey

Bath Abbey is a large late medieval church in the centre of the city, known for its fan vaulted ceiling, great east window and the stone angels climbing ladders on its west front. The Discovery Museum beneath it tells the story of the abbey over 1,300 years.

There is level access at the main entrance and across the ground floor, a wheelchair can be borrowed free of charge, and accessible toilets are available, so it is an easy stop alongside the Roman Baths next door.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Check prices

What their access information confirms

  • Step-free route
  • Accessible toilet
  • Wheelchairs to borrow

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Bath

The Holburne Museum, Bath

Photo: David A. Russo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Gallery · Bath

The Holburne Museum

The Holburne is an art museum in a Georgian building at the end of Great Pulteney Street, with paintings by Gainsborough and Stubbs, silver, porcelain and changing exhibitions. It stands at the entrance to Sydney Gardens, a Georgian pleasure garden with level paths along the Kennet and Avon Canal.

A wheelchair can be pre-booked, there is a wheelchair accessible toilet on the ground floor and a lift to every floor, so a carer can plan the galleries at a gentle pace.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Paid entry

What their access information confirms

  • Step-free route
  • Accessible toilet

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Bath

No. 1 Royal Crescent, Bath

Photo: Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net)., CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Museum · Bath

No. 1 Royal Crescent

No. 1 Royal Crescent is a Georgian town house museum at the end of Bath's grand curved terrace, furnished as it might have been in the late 1700s. Rooms include the parlour, dining room, bedrooms and the servants' kitchen, with guides in each room.

There is a step free route using a lift, an adapted toilet by the lift and one manual wheelchair to borrow, and the lawn in front of the Crescent is a pleasant place to sit afterwards.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Paid entry

What their access information confirms

  • Partly step-free
  • Accessible toilet
  • Wheelchairs to borrow
  • Blue Badge parking

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Bath

Victoria Art Gallery, Bath

Photo: Raboe001, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Gallery · Bath

Victoria Art Gallery

The Victoria Art Gallery is Bath's public art gallery beside Pulteney Bridge, with paintings from the 1600s to the present day in its Upper Gallery and changing exhibitions downstairs. A visit to the free Upper Gallery takes about an hour.

The gallery says it welcomes wheelchairs and other mobility aids and warns of uneven floors in places, and it sits close to Parade Gardens and the river for a sit-down afterwards.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Upper Gallery free, some exhibitions charged

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Bath

American Museum and Gardens, Claverton

Photo: don cload, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Museum · Claverton

American Museum and Gardens

The American Museum and Gardens is set in Claverton Manor above the Limpley Stoke valley, with period rooms, quilts and folk art showing American life from the colonial period onwards. The grounds include an arboretum, gardens and wide views across the valley.

There is Blue Badge parking, a step free path to the ticket office, wheelchair accessible toilets in two places and a golf buggy that can be arranged in advance for those who find walking hard.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Paid entry

What their access information confirms

  • Partly step-free
  • Accessible toilet
  • Blue Badge parking

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Claverton

Radstock Museum, Radstock

Photo: Wayland Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Museum · Radstock

Radstock Museum

Radstock Museum tells the story of the Somerset coalfield and the communities around it, with a reconstructed coal face, a Victorian schoolroom, a Co-op shop and railway displays. It is housed in the old Market Hall in the centre of Radstock.

There is a lift to the upper galleries, level floors, seating throughout, an accessible toilet on the ground floor and disabled parking in front of the entrance.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Paid entry

What their access information confirms

  • Step-free route
  • Accessible toilet
  • Blue Badge parking

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Radstock

Dundas Aqueduct and Brassknocker Basin, Monkton Combe

Photo: Rwendland, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Nature reserve · Monkton Combe

Dundas Aqueduct and Brassknocker Basin

Dundas Aqueduct carries the Kennet and Avon Canal across the River Avon on a Bath stone bridge built in 1805, at the junction with the old Somerset Coal Canal. Brassknocker Basin nearby has a car park and a short stretch of canal towpath with boats moored along it.

The car park at Brassknocker Basin puts the canal within a short walk, so a carer can plan a flat towpath stroll to the aqueduct and back.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Monkton Combe

Chew Valley Lake, Chew Stoke

Photo: Errol Edwards, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Nature reserve · Chew Stoke

Chew Valley Lake

Chew Valley Lake is a large reservoir south of Bristol, known for its birdlife and open views to the Mendip Hills. Visitors can follow the permissive path on the north western side of the lake and watch the water birds.

The lakeside picnic areas can be reached by car, so a carer can plan a short walk and a sit by the water without a long approach.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Chew Stoke

Midsomer Norton town centre, Midsomer Norton

Photo: Gordon Mackay, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Market town · Midsomer Norton

Midsomer Norton town centre

Midsomer Norton is a former mining town in the Somer Valley, with a high street that runs beside the River Somer and a mix of independent shops and cafés. Recent heritage work has restored shop fronts and the riverside through the centre of the town.

The high street follows the river on fairly level ground, so a carer can plan a short walk with a café stop and plenty of places to rest.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Midsomer Norton

Regular groups and events in Bath and North East Somerset

Something to go back to every week or every year, from our research into what older people enjoy doing in Bath and North East Somerset.

  • Music · BathLunchtime organ recitals at Bath AbbeyA series of lunchtime recitals on the Abbey's organ, short enough to suit a daytime outing in the city centre. A carer can arrange the transport and seating, arrive early for a quiet spot and pair the recital with a coffee afterwards.Details
  • Dancing · BathJane Austen FestivalAn annual festival in Bath with a costumed promenade, talks and Regency balls and dance workshops across ten days in September. A carer can take someone to watch the promenade from a seated spot on the route, or book a beginners' dance session where sitting out between figures is normal.Details
  • Photography · BathBath Photographic SocietyA local camera club with a programme of meetings, talks and competitions for photographers of all standards. A carer can provide the lift to and from evening meetings and help carry kit, which is often the only barrier to joining in.Details
  • Painting · BathAdult art workshops at the Holburne MuseumThe museum runs workshops for adults linked to its collection and exhibitions, from drawing to painting techniques. A carer can book a place, bring the materials list and sit alongside to help with setting up and clearing away.Details
  • Reading · BathLibrary reading groups for adultsBath and North East Somerset Libraries run reading and discussion groups for adults, listed with dates and venues so you can pick one nearby. A carer can book the place, collect the month's title in large print or audio and provide the lift to the session.Details
  • Reading · BathAuthor events at Mr B's EmporiumAn independent bookshop in central Bath, established in 2006, which hosts a regular programme of author talks and reading events. A carer can check seating and access when booking, then keep the evening short by arranging a taxi straight home afterwards.Details

Hobbies and carers who share them in Bath and North East Somerset

At a glance

The ten places side by side

What each place’s own access information confirms. “Ask” means it does not say, not that it is missing.

PlaceTimeCostStep-freeToiletCafé
The Roman BathsBathan hour or twoPaid entryPartlyYesAsk
Bath AbbeyBathan hour or twoCheck pricesYesYesAsk
The Holburne MuseumBathan hour or twoPaid entryYesYesAsk
No. 1 Royal CrescentBathan hour or twoPaid entryPartlyYesAsk
Victoria Art GalleryBathan hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk
American Museum and GardensClavertonhalf a dayPaid entryPartlyYesAsk
Radstock MuseumRadstockan hour or twoPaid entryYesYesAsk
Dundas Aqueduct and Brassknocker BasinMonkton Combean hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk
Chew Valley LakeChew Stokean hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk
Midsomer Norton town centreMidsomer Nortonan hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk

Where the places are in Bath and North East Somerset

The county’s boundary, numbered as on this page, with the main towns for reference.

Keynsham12345678910
  1. 1The Roman Baths, Bath
  2. 2Bath Abbey, Bath
  3. 3The Holburne Museum, Bath
  4. 4No. 1 Royal Crescent, Bath
  5. 5Victoria Art Gallery, Bath
  6. 6American Museum and Gardens, Claverton
  7. 7Radstock Museum, Radstock
  8. 8Dundas Aqueduct and Brassknocker Basin, Monkton Combe
  9. 9Chew Valley Lake, Chew Stoke
  10. 10Midsomer Norton town centre, Midsomer Norton

What it costs

What a day out with a carer costs in Bath and North East Somerset

Carers in Bath and North East Somerset charge £19 to £24 an hour through PrimeCarers, typically £22, with our fee included. A four-hour outing is about £88 for the carer’s time. Entry, food and parking are extra, and travel costs are only payable if you agree them with the carer in advance, in writing. The cost of home care in Bath and North East Somerset has the full figures.

Photographs on this page are from Wikimedia Commons, credited under each one.

Questions

Questions families ask about days out in Bath and North East Somerset

The Roman Baths in Bath, Bath Abbey in Bath, The Holburne Museum in Bath, No. 1 Royal Crescent in Bath, Victoria Art Gallery in Bath, American Museum and Gardens in Claverton, Radstock Museum in Radstock, Dundas Aqueduct and Brassknocker Basin in Monkton Combe, Chew Valley Lake in Chew Stoke and Midsomer Norton town centre in Midsomer Norton. Each has its own section on this page with what its access information confirms, the cost and how long to allow.

The access information for Bath Abbey, The Holburne Museum and Radstock Museum describes a step-free route. The Roman Baths, Bath Abbey, The Holburne Museum, No. 1 Royal Crescent, American Museum and Gardens and Radstock Museum have an accessible toilet. Bath Abbey and No. 1 Royal Crescent lend wheelchairs. Access changes, so ring ahead about anything your parent depends on.

Victoria Art Gallery, Dundas Aqueduct and Brassknocker Basin, Chew Valley Lake and Midsomer Norton town centre. Parking is often charged even where entry is free.

Yes. A companion carer can drive your parent there, walk at their pace, help with the toilet and meals, and bring them home. 39 of the carers with a rate near Bath and North East Somerset drive. Visits are booked by the hour, typically £22 an hour here with our fee included. Companionship care in Bath and North East Somerset shows who is available.

Often. Many attractions let a carer or companion in free, or at a reduced price, with a disabled visitor, and some ask for proof such as a letter or a benefit award. It varies, so check each place’s access or prices page before you go.

Where the nearest carers live

From the profiles of the carers based within about 45 minutes of Bath and North East Somerset

Where the nearest carers live. A carer close to home can manage a longer day out.

Companionship care in the counties around Bath and North East Somerset

Days out in the areas around Bath and North East Somerset

Companionship care by town in Bath and North East Somerset

Each town page shows the carers who list it as home, with their rates and reviews.

Find a carer who could take them out in Bath and North East Somerset

See carers near Bath and North East Somerset who drive, with their photos, interests, rates and reviews. Talking to them is free and nothing is booked until you say so.

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