With Christmas and New Year behind us, January is typically the month of good intentions; and we at The Royal Hotel can recommend some great ways to get fit and eat well in Bath this year.
If you’re thinking of staying with us at The Royal, then enjoying one of our great value Spa Packages is one way to prep your body for a new you. The naturally hot spring waters at the Thermae Bath Spa are packed full of different minerals that are great for your body, and having been enjoyed by the Romans, Georgians, and Victorians, centuries of use can’t be wrong! Your visit to the Spa can be supplemented with one of the many treatments on offer, from facials to massages and wraps, they will detox your body and rejuvenate your skin. If you’re visiting The Pump Rooms, then you can also take the waters internally too, trying a sample of the mineral rich water from the dipper.
Exercise is a great way to boost the body’s metabolic system and clear the head, and there are plenty of walks for all abilities throughout the city (or run the routes if you’re even keener!). Even just strolling up and down the city window shopping and enjoying the sights can burn off calories. There’s a great incline from Queen’s Square to The Circus up Gay Street, or via Milsom Street and Bartlett Street past the Assembly Rooms. Plus don’t forget to enjoy walking up and down bohemian Walcot Street, and you can cut back into the city via The Paragon which takes you back to the top of Milsom Street again. If you’re feeling a bit fitter and want to see another crescent, then head up Lansdown Road and go explore a part of Bath you may not have discovered before.
The National Trust Skyline walk around Bath is the most downloaded walk on the National Trust website, and with good reason, as you are treated to beautiful views over the city, hidden valleys and woodland, while walking past 18th Century follies and Iron Age hill forts. According to the website if you complete the full 6 mile walk you can burn on average 735 calories (kcal) which is as much energy as playing 90 minutes of football! The walk can take up to 3 hours depending on speed, and dogs are welcome on the walk as long as on a lead. Remember to dress appropriately and wear suitable footwear as the paths can be muddy and there are stiles to negotiate. Starting point is up Bathwick Hill near The American Museum.
If you fancy something a little easier on the feet, maybe try a walk along the Kennet and Avon Canal path that runs through the city. There are also other riverside walks available too, but we particularly like this 2 mile walk that starts off at Pultney Weir. From there you head over Pultney Bridge and along Argyle Street towards the magnificent Holburne Museum. From here you can detour through Sydney Gardens behind the Museum where you can find a Roman temple, tea rooms and little bridges that take you over the Avon. Considered a “little Venice”, this park was created in 1795 as a pleasure garden, and continues to delight visitors to Bath today, as it did back when Jane Austen visited. Back to our route, carefully cross over the main road on Beckford Road where you will find the canal path. Follow the path along the canal until you reach The George Inn, a 17th Century hostelry usually surrounded by narrow boats, where you can relax with some refreshment before heading back into Bath the same way you walked.
Of course Bath doesn’t have to be explored by foot – cycling is a great exercise too, and there are a number of places you can hire a bike from if you haven’t brought your own – Green Park Bike Station is one place, as is Bath Bike Hire. Remember to always make sure you get and wear a helmet with your hire too. Maps and recommended routes are available if needed, but again you have the city to explore, the waterways through and out of the city – both toward Bradford on Avon, and toward Bristol; plus the new Two Tunnels cycle route is a recommended 13 mile new route out of Bath.
There are of course Golf Courses around the city if you prefer to be out on the green with a putt in your hand, such as one of England’s oldest clubs – Bath Golf Club, or the 9 hole Entry Hill Golf Club. If you want somewhere if the weather is wet, perhaps for tennis, squash or badminton, then you can enjoy the Gym and other facilities of the YMCA Bath, or the Pavilion Sports Centre, where membership is not always necessary for certain activities (please contact sports facility directly to check).
After all that exercise, you will need to refuel with something tasty, but healthy, and here, at The Royal Hotel, we try and cater for all. We pride ourselves on our great range of freshly made to order food; most of which is sourced locally. You can view our menus online, but to give you an idea of some healthy choices, perhaps we can tempt you with a starter of Avocado and Strawberry salad, with mixed leaves, toasted pine nuts, fresh Parmesan and balsamic dressing (£4.55), then to follow a Fillet of Salmon garnished with fresh asparagus and lime hollandaise (£13.25), finishing with perhaps a selection of sorbets, or a Poached pear in red wine syrup with honeycomb ice cream (both £4.95 each). These delights are from our A la Carte menu where our steaks are grilled to your liking, and you can enjoy side dishes of seasonal vegetables or a mixed salad too.
Our Bar Menu and great value Fixed Price Menu also have great healthy options – from Chicken and Fresh Mango Salad to Omelettes or a Vine tomato, rocket and fresh Parmesan salad. We have a wide range of non-alcoholic drinks if you’re having a dry month, plus herbal and fruit teas available. Do let our staff know if you want something left out, or a sauce on the side so you can add it yourself, and we’d be happy to help. We also cater for food intolerances, such as Gluten; just inform us at the time of your booking. We also offer a healthy choice at Breakfast too, if you’re staying with us, so you can start your day off the right way.
Whatever your intentions are this New Year, we hope you have a happy and healthy 2015!