ROYAL BATH: A great choice for a family break with autistic kids
- sunshinelayla
- Aug 12
- 9 min read
Updated: Aug 22
Bath is known as a romantic weekend destination for couples, but it also has loads to offer families. If you are looking for a family friendly weekend away that's fun for both adults and autistic / neurodivergent children then Bath will not disappoint!
Where is Bath?
Bath is situated in the beautiful valley along the River Avon. It is around 100 miles from London, so for us it was an easy 2 hour drive.
Why visit Bath as a family?
The whole city of Bath is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site and large parts of the old town are pedestrianised. As a result it has retained it's period beauty and there are details to gush over on every corner. The city offers autistic families a blend of stunning architecture, accessible museums, public gardens, independent suppliers (chocolate, coffee - all the good stuff!) as well as plenty of cafes, restaurants, bars and other family friendly attractions.
Bath is most famous for its Roman past which visitors can experience at the Roman Baths Museum, its thermal springs (which people over 16 can enjoy at the city's Thermae Bath Spa) and its Regency history - a visit to the Pump Rooms offers the quintessential experience of stepping back in time. However there is more to Bath than this, and if these activities are not suitable for your autistic / adhd children then don't worry, I have listed plenty of other options below.
If you have longer than a weekend to visit then Bath can also be a good place to use as a base for exploring the other famous attractions in the area; places such as Longleat Safari Park, Westonbirt Arboretum and Wookey Hole to name just a few.
Where did our family stay in Bath?
Our family (parents, one grandparent and two autistic / adhd kids) stayed for 3 nights in a wonderful 3 bedroom bungalow called Sungate. This privately owned and rented home is 2 miles outside of bath and owned by a family who have lived experience of caring and holidaying with an autistic child. They have created a haven for other autistic families informed by their understanding of what helps to make a memorable family holiday. Our boys absolutely loved their stay in Sungate and have already asked to come back next year.
What were our autistic kids favourite family activities in Bath?
Well the house was so sensory friendly it would have been easy to spend all our time relaxing inside, but it was August - and the sun was shining - so we did our best to see as much as the local area as we could. J and I didn't have any strong feelings about how we wanted to spend our weekend, just that we wanted to try and get a flavour of the city - so we were opened minded as we looked through the pamphlets provided by our hosts at Sungate.
We were very interested in the Avon Valley Steam Railway (our eldest son LOVES trains), but when we rang to enquire about tickets we were told the driver had called in sick and that the train would not be running over the weekend. Very disappointing!
We also decided not to visit the Roman Baths; my mother, who had visited last year said that the museum involved a lot of reading and was quite 'grown up'. It was also very expensive and for the price we were concerned that the August crowds would make it too overwhelming our boys. However we discovered a secret hack that you can do if you just want to get a quick glance at the main green pool - see the end of the post!
In the end we decided on 3 main attractions and built the weekend around those, adding in smaller stops and making sure to drive past some of the most famous buildings so at least got to see them. Overall we created a fun itinerary that worked really well for our two autistic boys (aged 7 and 8). The weather was lovely and we all had a great time - Bath certainly is a beautiful city, and we got to see it at its best.
Six Great Family Friendly Activities to do with Autistic Kids in Bath:
The places listed below were all great fun, welcoming, neurodivergent friendly and suitable for all ages - we hope you feel inspired to visit one soon!
The American Museum and Gardens
This really interesting small museum was the surprise hit of the weekend. It is set in 125 acres and features a Grade II listed garden that is Italianate in style. The museum is based within Claverton Manor, which itself has a fascintating history. The museum offers a fascinating glimpse into America's history through thoughtfully curated artefacts including those representing indigenous American communities, stunning traditional quilts and furniture from the Shaker, Chippendale and New Orleans schools.
The grounds were superb and the floral planting a sensory delight. We all loved our visit and would definitely return.
Bath Abbey
Bath Abbey is situated in the centre of the city, just over the pedestrianised thoroughfare from the Roman Baths Museum. It is a prime tourist attraction and we expected it to busy, which it was! Despite this, and the small queue to get in we still enjoyed the visit. The abbey has a beautiful fanned ceiling and impressive stain glass windows, as well as lots of interesting features.
Bath City Farm
This kid friendly destination is situated on a hill about 2 miles out of bath. It offers the chance to get up close with a range of animals such as pygmy goats, alpacas and chickens. There is also a cafe and playground. The boys really enjoyed their time here, especially feeding the animals and we actually visited it twice over the weekend!
Bath Parade Gardens & Pulteney Bridge & Weir
The Parade Gardens are situated behind Bath Abbey, and skirt along the bank of the River Avon. At around 2.5 acres in size it didn't take us long to completed a circuit, but our autistic boys enjoyed the music from the brass band in the central gazebo while I appreciated the impressive floral celebrations created in tribute to Jane Austen. It was really nice to see so many families out enjoying the space together and the atmosphere was very laid back and relaxed.
Our main reason for visiting the Parade gardens was to view the Pulteney Bridge and Weir, and the top corner offers one of the best view in the city. We hadn't intended to walk through the bridge itself and is it was thronging with people, but we loved seeing it from the riverside.
Royal Victoria Park
We drove past this park on the way in to Bath - the boys spotted the bouncy castle and kids carousel almost immediately - and we had been fielding requests to visit it for most of the afternoon. Opened by a young princess Victoria in 1830, the park was originally an arboretum, and is still an impressive 57 acres given its central location. As well as the huge children's playground that had caught the boy's attention, the park also contains Bath's Botanic Garden and the Great Dell Aerial Walkway which unfortunately we didn't have time to visit.
Although the boys were clearly getting tired, sometimes as parents you have to bow to the inevitable, so in the end we did take them to the playground! Handily it was very near the architecturally famous Royal Crescent, so we were able to do both things on our way to our accommodation. The playground was a huge success with plenty of large climbing frames, long tube slides and swings to get their seal of approval.
The Royal Crescent and Circus
Bath's Royal Crescent and Circus are perhaps two of the most recognisable emblems of the city, along with its iconic green Roman bathing pool. Despite visiting Bath a number of times in the past I had never actually been to see these two streets in person, so I was determined not to miss out this time.
THE CIRCUS
We drove first around the Circus, a stunning circle arrangement of near identical houses that were constructed around the 1750's. Built during the Georgian period, I loved the houses classic lines and grand columns, which along with the 1930's is one my favourite architectural periods. In the middle of the circle are a group of impressive London Plane Trees - some of these majestic specimens were planted alongside the construction of the houses, which makes them over 250 years old!
ROYAL CRESCENT
Just down from the Royal Circus is the Royal Crescent - a spectacular row of buildings made famous by films such as Persuasion (2022), Bridgerton and The Duchess. Even though I'd seen it on the screen and countless postcards I still wasnt prepared for just how incredible it looked in real life. It's sweeping curve was so much bigger than I expected, and the views across the city really were something else. These palatial terraced buildings stand at the top of a hill and have an unimpeded view of tended grassland that sweeps down and into the distance.
Although we didn't get the boys out of the car (their autism means they find quick transitions difficult), we all enjoyed looking out at the scene through the windows which we had wound down. The flat land directly across the road from the houses is for residents only, however members of the public can access the sloped grass spaces further down. There were lots of people picnicking and enjoying themselves in the sun, so there is definitely the option for making more of an event of the visit if you have the time.
Something Extra...
Bath Spa Train Station
We travelled to Bath by car, however the city is served by the Bath Spa mainline train station with regular service running from London Paddington. If you are into train station architecture then Bath Spa is worth a visit. It was originally built for the Great Western Railway by Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1840 and is now a Grade II listed building. It has been very sympathetically restored and offers a clever blend of old and new. The city is clearly very proud of it, when we popped in to look at the interior we saw someone mopping the floor, impressive cleanliness levels for someone used to the London Underground!
The staff were also extremely friendly and helpful. I approached a ticket inspector, explained that my son was autistic and had a special passion for trains and asked if it would be ok for us to go up onto the platform without a ticket. He couldn't have been more understanding, even directing us to the right platform to watch the London train from Paddington arrive in 4 minutes. He said to make sure we found him again to let us through when we were finished. Having this experience was actually my son's favourite part of the holiday - it totally made his weekend. It goes to show just how far a little bit of kindness goes when offered to our autistic children.
Roman Baths Secret Hack
If your child (or you) cannot manage the sensory aspects of the Roman Baths museum, but you'd still really like to get a look at the famous green bathing pool then here's what to do:
Enter the ticket hall for the museum, you will see that toilets are off to your right. Follow the signs and keep going past the toilets - around the corner to your right you will find a small alcove with a window looking directly down onto the green bathing pool. There may be a chair there for you to sit on and you take in the view, like there was when we went.
If you are feeling particularly brave, then you can walk into the Pump rooms through the double doors and look down from the windows there - the glass is cleaner and you get a better view! As long as you are quiet and don't draw too much attention to yourselves, then no-one seems to mind.
We even had a sneaky taste of the warm mineral spring water from the famous fountain, but that's because the room was pretty empty and no-one was looking - I'm not sure that's technically allowed - but then you don't know until you try!
FINAL THOUGHTS
The City of Bath is famous all over the world, and I can see why. It is the perfect place for a family weekend break with plenty to do, not all of which will break the bank. I had been looking forward to taking the boys there for some time, and although our trip was during the busy August season it still really delivered. As I often say, if you are prepared to dig a bit deeper and find the more unusual activities, avoid the obvious tourist hot spots, arrive at attractions either early or late and NEVER be afraid to ask for a free carer's ticket then I am sure that your autistic family can have a wonderful adventure in this beautiful city - just like we did!
