Fine and 25 degrees – what a great day for outdoor exploring! We decided to use this day to make a trek southwest to Bath, but en-route stopped at the National Trust property and village of Laycock. We first toured the village, full of beautiful medieval-era buildings, and then paused at a little home produce shop for some fudge and meringue. I asked the owner how old his house was and he replied that it was dated to 1320! We then explored Laycock Abbey, a magnificent abbey and restored mansion, where parts of "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" were filmed.

Off to one of Bath's “Park and Ride” locations, and to Oscar’s delight we took a double decker bus into the main street of Bath. I have no recollections of the beauty of this city. It’s an amazing combination of stately Georgian buildings and unobtrusive modern development, complete with designer shops.

We quickly made our way to the main attraction – the excavated Roman Baths, and marvelled at the ingenuity and ability of the Romans in creating what would have been a thriving social, recreational, business and spiritual place. It felt strange to be walking alongside the main pool, just as thousands of others would have done all the way back in AD70. The headphone interactive guided tour was informative and kept the big kids interested until the end.

Next stop was ice-cream, followed by a quick tour of the Bath Abbey Church, magnificent when viewed from both the inside and outside. We then just spent a couple of further hours exploring the city – most of which is built above Roman foundations – with the baths the only section to have been dug out properly and preserved. Amelia and I could have spent a week here, just wandering and taking everything in, all of which is within a fifteen minute walk of the city centre.

Then back on the double decker, returning to the park and ride, as we began our long drive home, complete with a couple of crazy big kids in the back seat.