Bath And North East Somerset

Bath sits in a bowl of green hills where the River Avon curls through honey-coloured terraces and crescents built from the local limestone. That stone is everywhere here, giving the city its famous glow and its sense of order, with streets that rise and fall steeply up the surrounding slopes. Beyond the city, North East Somerset opens out into a quieter landscape of farmland, wooded valleys and small villages, a real contrast to the grandeur of the centre.

Within the city, self-catering options range from apartments in the heart of things, such as Bathwick Apartment and the Broad Street property, to houses like Ivy House and Little Nauvoo that put you within walking distance of the sights. Out in the countryside, Greyfield Farm offers a cluster of conversions, Byre Cottage, Old Dairy and Valley View, set among the fields and hills that ring the city, while Eastwood Lodge gives another option for those who want space and a slower pace away from the centre.

Bath itself is built for walking, with its terraces, gardens and viewpoints rewarding an unhurried pace, while the surrounding countryside is where the landscape really shows itself, in valleys and farmland that feel a world away from the city's stone streets within a short drive. Staying out at somewhere like Greyfield Farm means waking up to that rural view, with the city on hand whenever you want it.

Whether you're drawn by the stone architecture of the city or the green hills around it, Bath and North East Somerset works well as a base for exploring both, with cottages placed either right in the thick of the streets or out among the farmland where the landscape opens up.