Bath + Brindley’s = A Brilliant British B&B

Having a charming, quiet place to stay while visiting a bustling city can really make a visit special, and Ken and I were lucky enough to get to spend our nights in the town of Bath at Brindley’s,  a boutique B&B with French flair.

Although this classy Victorian family house is an easy walk from the center of Bath, Brindley’s is in a residential neighborhood with old trees and gardens, so it’s a welcome retreat from traffic and tourists.

The bedrooms—there are just six, ranging from spacious to cozy—are furnished with an eclectic mix of French-style furnishings, and the beds are luxurious with fluffy duvets. We stayed in Room 5, a smaller third-floor room that had a king bed that could be separated into two twins. Our bathroom was compact, but efficient.

Breakfast at Brindley’s

Before a full day of sightseeing, a good breakfast is essential, and the fare at Brindley’s was delightful—and a welcome change. Yes, you can order the traditional English breakfast featuring local, free-range eggs and bacon and sausage from pigs raised on what I’m sure is a pastoral Wiltshire farm not many miles away. Yet it’s a bit radical to find smoked salmon with scrambled eggs or eggs on toast as alternative breakfast entrée choices.

Other delicious breakfast surprises: hot croissants and pain au chocolat instead of the obligatory toast, and fresh berries or other fruit.

With some Edith Piaf songs playing in the background and a few French decorating touches, breakfast was playful and invigorating…which was just what we needed before a full day of viewing Bath’s grand, but stoic, Georgian architecture.

Happy Home away from Home

If all this weren’t enough, Brindley’s is owned by two exceedingly friendly couples, who are also très helpful with offering sightseeing and dining advice. And the B&B is also eco-conscious. In addition to the usual policy of not changing the towels and sheets each day, they’re good about recycling, serving seasonal local foods, and providing REN toiletries (free from fragrances, synthetic colors, parabens, sulfates and other harmful ingredients).

We truly appreciated having a calm place to relax—one with character, and Brindley’s has that aplenty. This lovely B&B gave us the perfect excuse to come back for a restorative nap one afternoon when our feet were tired after visits to the Circus, the Assembly Rooms, Royal Crescent, the Museum of Fashion, and Bath Abbey.

—Laurel Kallenbach, freelance writer and editor

P.S. If you’ve stayed in a small B&B or hotel that made your trip special, share your find by clicking on “Reply” below.

For more information about visiting Bath, England, browse Visit Bath.

Read more about my travels in England:

• Village-to-Village Walking in the Cotswolds: Day 1 
• Walking in the Cotswolds Day 2: The Beautiful Slaughters 
• New Uses for England’s Old Phone Booths 
• Wandering the Venice of the Cotswolds: Bourton-on-Water
• Musings from Cotswold Trails (Day 3): Naunton & Guiting Power
• Winchcombe: This Cotswolds Village Is a Hub for Hiking 
• Cottages in the Cotswolds: Old Minster Lovell 
• My Pilgrimage to the Real Downton Abbey 
• Bampton, England: Film Location for “Downton Abbey” 
• King Tut Meets “Downton Abbey” at England’s Highclere Castle 
• An Eco-Elegant English Hotel, “Downton Abbey” Style 
• Sweet Dreams at “Downton Abbey” 
• Touring England’s Ancient Roman Baths by Romantic Torchlight 
• A Birthday among the Ancient Rocks of Stonehenge