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          ARTS, CULTURE & TOURISM
        
        
        
          Royal Victoria Park
        
        
          (BetweenWeston and Upper Bristol Road)
        
        
          Bath, BA1 2DS
        
        
          
            01225 466888
          
        
        
        
          For a magical and unique experience, treat a
        
        
          loved one to a trip in a hot air balloon, taking in the
        
        
          stunning vistas of Bath’s Georgian architecture
        
        
          and surrounding countryside. Flights with Bath
        
        
          Balloons have been taking off from Royal Victoria
        
        
          Park in the city centre since 1988, as well as
        
        
          a variety of other locations across the south
        
        
          west. For those seeking something even more
        
        
          adventurous and bespoke, you can request a
        
        
          private take-off location, such as your own garden
        
        
          (subject to suitability), using one of the fleet’s
        
        
          smaller balloons. Or make your trip extra special
        
        
          by combining it with bubbles and booking one of
        
        
          Bath Balloons’ Champagne Classics. Flights with
        
        
          this family run business take place almost every
        
        
          day during season, and make for popular gifts
        
        
          as well as providing a talking point feature for a
        
        
          private or corporate event.
        
        
          
            
              DYRHAM PARK
            
          
        
        
          
            0117 937 2501
          
        
        
          Dyrham, Near Bath
        
        
          Gloucestershire, SN14 8HY
        
        
        
          
            Dyrham Park
          
        
        
          Dyrham Park is a National Trust property featuring
        
        
          beautiful grounds home to many magnificent
        
        
          trees, some of which are over 300 years old. Deer
        
        
          roam freely in the 270 acres of parkland, and on a
        
        
          nice day you can bring a picnic to enjoy in the Old
        
        
          Lodge, complete with a children’s play area. The
        
        
          house itself dates back to the 17th century and
        
        
          is undergoing transformative renovations; once
        
        
          inside you’ll find a collection of artworks, military
        
        
          artefacts and antique pieces. Although it started
        
        
          life as a Tudor house, the building was later
        
        
          transformed into an impressive Baroque mansion
        
        
          filled with items collected from around the world.
        
        
          The former stable area is now a tea room offering
        
        
          sweet treats, packed lunches, sandwiches and
        
        
          local ice-cream. As part of the general admission
        
        
          you can take advantage of the free daily guided
        
        
          tours, providing fascinating insight into Dyrham’s
        
        
          past and present.
        
        
          
            
              BATH BALLOONS