Tag: south west england

Paradise in the City- The Bristol Lido

Bristol has many hidden wonders from the secret bars scattered throughout the city to the many wonderful little side streets that aren’t on the tourist map but offer a different view of the stunning city. One of my most recent hidden finds The Bristol Lido has actually been a huge Bristol favourite for many many years I just hadn’t experienced it yet. Somewhat behind the times. The Bristol Lido is a huge must if you live in or around Bristol or if find yourself travelling to this city.

So what is the Bristol Lido? Well, it’s many things- but I think how it’s summed up on their website ‘an Urban Retreat’ has it spot on. With a bar, restaurant, pool, hot tub, sauna, spa treatments and quirky changing rooms all housed within a walled area it’s like a little piece of paradise hidden away in the city.

It was or is a Victorian swimming pool that dates back to the 1850s however over the years it’s been closed and opened and swapped hands over and over again. Although it’s modernised now it still really has so much history and charm retained.

The Lido is located down a very unassuming street and from the outside, you wouldn’t know what was behind the door and this only adds to its appeal. You can visit the restaurant and bar without having to swim and relax but you get the joys of the views. If you are local there are memberships available or if you are just wanting to visit on occasion there is day passes available. The package we went for was a spa day package. It was a birthday and Christmas present to each of us all rolled into one so we went all out on the treat. Included in our package we had breakfast, lunch (all non-alcoholic drinks included), 2 spa treatments and full use of all the facilities it was at the higher end of spa packages at £150 per head but it was a girly treat day and something we had wanted to do for a little while so it was ok to splash out.

It was the best treat day and just one of those experiences I regret leaving so long to do.

The food is raved about and whilst I have been known at times to be a picky eater I was pleasantly surprised by what they had on offer. It was locally sourced well-planned food and although in the luxurious environment you didn’t once feel at all like it was pretentious. I mean we were sitting in our robes with wet hair while the table next to us were dressed like people should be in the day. The relaxed environment filters into every part of the Lido.

The two spa treatments we had were a full body massage and a facial. The spa treatments are located upstairs and there is a waiting room, changing room and boudoir to get yourself dressed after. The treatments were amazing and embarrassingly to add I was so relaxed I even fell asleep in my facial. cue to awkward snoring! There were professional but personable and just made you feel so at ease. I really liked the wind-down room they take you to after your treatment were you can recline on the sofa and enjoy a fruit tea.

In between our treatments, we tried out the other facilities which included the sauna, hot tub and open-air pool. We visited on a brisk November day so it wasn’t as busy as what I would imagine it to be in the summer but there was still a fair few people. The hot tub was probably a little small for the number of people able to visit the Lido but we managed to squeeze in comfortably. The pool claimed to be 22 degrees and as although when I dipped my toe in it almost fell off due to frostbite there was NO way I wasn’t getting into the pool so I braved it and jumped in did 3 lengths and got straight back out. You can’t visit it a pool as glorious of this and not get in.

The Lido should be a must on any itinerary to Bristol even if it’s just to sample the food at the restaurant or to view the beautiful decor. There aren’t many places in a city where you get the feeling of escapism that Lido offers and regardless of what season you visit you will be glad you got there. And trust me no matter how cold it is, take a dip in the pool.

For more information check out their link below
http://www.lidobristol.com/how-to-lido/

Weekend Adventures – Stourhead

I’ve fallen into a Jane Austen novel and I don’t want to come back to the real world.

This picturesque place is Stourhead, located in Wiltshire, England. It is part owned by the National Trust and has firmly risen to the top of my favourite places to visit in South West. The whole estate is like walking through a glorious painting.

With our newly acquired National Trust passes we were looking forward to a day out exploring and obviously taking copious amounts of photos. The Estate is made up of the house, gardens, lake and King Alfred’s Tower so there were lots to explore.

We started with the house. Henry Hoare was given the house in 1721 and it was in his family for over 200 years. The last heir gave the property to the National Trust just before he passed away. There are several rooms on the ground floor that you can look through and they include lots of family heirlooms, stories and artworks. My favourite room in the house was the library. It was so large, light and, full of old books. Which I guess is what you would expect from a library.It also has an awesome carpet!!


Whilst the house was beautiful and very interesting the real winner here is the lake and gardens. I mean look at the place it’s like being transported to a secret haven or enchanted forest.


I always get so surprised how green England is in the summer. In Australia it’s always dry, brown and so very un-green! Here it’s like 50 shades of green across these stunning gardens. I can only imagine how breathtaking it must be in Autumn.

The lake here is man made and the gardens have been crafted to take people on a journey and to resemble Aeneas’s journey into the underworld. It’s constructed like a living piece of art and there are lots of vantage points that carefully capture the buildings and monuments against the landscape.

Reading up on the gardens they are said to follow Alexander Pope’s concept called ‘genius of the place’ which means the spirit of the place needs to consulted when designing the garden. Its principles are used in garden and landscape design to this day. Whatever it is it works with these gardens so well. You feel like the garden has a spirit of its own!

The buildings and monuments around the lake are gorgeous both against the landscape and up close. You can find the Pantheon, Temple of Apollo, Bristol High Cross, the bridge and the 200-year-old grotto. As soon as you get to one of these you see something on the other side of the lake so want to go back over to explore again.


One thing that you won’t get from my words or photographs is the smells. I wonder when the scientist will finally work out smellogram. There is so many flowers, huge touch the cloud style trees (oak, birch, Laurel)and a vast collection of Rhododendrons.  We even saw a ghost or handkerchief tree which had flowers (or leaves!) that looked like white handkerchiefs. My better half also made friends with some confident ducks and ducklings.

               King Alfred’s tower is just down the road from Stourhead (still on the same estate) and it’s a commanding structure. On the weekends/bank holidays, you can climb to the top. I thought I was fit but those stairs were a killer!! Getting to the top was a huge reward as you could see for MILES! We could see Glastonbury Tor and all over the Wiltshire/Somerset fields. It was one of those moments when you realise just how big the world around you is.

I can’t recommend Stourhead enough and I really can’t wait to return later in the year to see it in the autumn. It’s a truly lovely place and my only regret would be that we didn’t take a picnic (so make sure you do!)  to sit and have lunch in style. Obviously, I would have also liked a Mr Darcy style man to come out of the water,  wet white shirt and looking all brooding but that might have been asking a bit much.

Stourhead is located in Wiltshire. For a day pass it is £17.60 for an adult and £44 for a family. Both of these prices include gift aid. There is also a charge at the car park however if you are members it is free. The house is open from 9-6 and King Alfred’s tower has limited opening houses (and a small charge). More details can be found here https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/stourhead

Like this property then you should also check out these places in and around the South West.

Montacute House

North Devon

Jurassic Coast

Somerset

Newark Park
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