Summer at Bath activities

There are a number of activities taking place over the summer. Read below to find out about supported wellbeing events, activities that you can do with friends and what's on in Bath and Bristol over the summer.

Supported wellbeing activities

Summer on campus can feel different. With less timetabled teaching and more independent study, your usual routines and opportunities to connect with others might change.

To help you stay connected and support your wellbeing, Student Support is running a range of activities throughout the summer.

Below are supported events running in June. Activities planned for July and August will be posted closer to the time.

Date	Event	Time and location	Details
Thursday 4 June	National Cheese Day lunch	2pm - 4pm, Esther Parkin	Book here
Wednesday 10 June	Trip to Bath City Farm	10.15 - 11.30am, meet at Bath City Farm	Book here
Wednesday 10 June	Gardening Club	2pm - 4pm, Esther Parkin	Book here
Wednesday 17 June	Gardening Club	2pm - 4pm, Esther Parkin	Book here
Thursday 18 June	Visit to the American Museum	10am - 12 noon, meet at Esther Parkin	Book here
Thursday 18 June	Student Badminton - for all levels	4.30-6.30pm, STV	Book here
Thursday 25 June	Student Badminton - for all levels	4.30-6.30pm, STV	Book here
Tuesday 30 June	Candice Carty-Williams on Queenie is Working on it	Toppings Book shop	Book here
Thursday 8 July	Bespoke Tour of Bath Abbey	3pm- 4pm	Book here

Feel Good Fridays

The SU's Feel Good Fridays continue throughout the summer, 10am - 3pm in The Edge Art Studio. No booking necessary, just drop-in.

Living in University accommodation?

If you are living in University halls, you are welcome to join in the ResLife programme of activities. Most events are free, but spaces are limited and need to be booked in advance.

Other suggested free activities

In addition to the list above, there are a number of other free, unsupported activities in which you may be interested. These are ideal for doing with friends, at a time of your choosing.

Here are some ideas:

Visit the Roman Baths at sunset. The Baths are stunning at this time of day and often much quieter. Students who are studying on a course that lasts longer than a year and who live on campus, in Bath, or anywhere in North East Somerset are eligible to apply for a Student Discovery Card for no cost. This will entitle you to free entry to the Roman Baths.
Go on a free walking tour of Bath led by the Mayor of Bath's Honorary Guides. These take place daily at 10.30 am (not Saturday) and 2pm. No booking required, just meet outside the Pump Rooms. There are also occasional evening walks and weekly Pulteney Estate walks.
Take a look around the Victoria Art Gallery. Free entry with a Discovery Card. There are free Art Store Tours on 18 June, 16 July and 20 August but booking needed
Spend an afternoon at the Holburne Museum. Free to students with University of Bath Library card.
Go for a walk, picnic or bbq. The Sunny Days in Bath Guide has a list of things to do on a sunny day and top places to go.
Explore some of the parks in and around Bath
- Parade Gardens in the city centre has pretty flower displays overlooking the River Avon and Pulteney Weir. Free entry.
- Alexandra Park has panoramic views of Bath. Free entry.
- Sydney Gardens at the bottom of Bathwick Hill overlooks the canal. Free entry.
- Royal Victoria Park has flowers, botanical gardens, areas for ball games and picnics - all close to the Royal Crescent. Free entry.
Bath City Farm has stunning views over Bath as well as farm animals, woodland and nature trails, a community café and a farm shop. Free entry (not open Mondays).
Bath Skyline Park Run starting close to the entrance to the University, you can run or walk this 5K course every Saturday morning throughout the year. Free to enter but you must register in advance.

Further afield:

Explore Bristol. Plenty to see, and quick and easy to reach by train.
Visit the city of Wells or the town of Glastonbury. Easy to reach by bus. Wells is the smallest city in England and as well as a beautiful cathedral and reputedly the oldest residential street in Europe, it has pretty buildings and gardens.
From Wells you can take another bus to Cheddar where you can walk up the amazing gorge, see Cheddar cheese being made and/or sample some of the cider for which Somerset is renowned. Alternatively you can catch a bus to Glastonbury. Glastonbury is steeped in superstition and has many quirky shops as well as the famous Glastonbury Tor.
Take the train to Bradford-on-Avon. Wander round the shops and tea-rooms, picnic by the river or, for the more energetic, wander back to Bath along the scenic canal towpath.

What else is going on?

There a lots of other things to do over the summer, many are free or have a reduced rate for students. Here are just a few.

Date	Event	Time and location	Details
6 June - 14 June	Festival of Nature	Bath and nationwide	Find out more
11 June - 2 August	Bath on the Beach	Royal Pavilion, Royal Avenue	Find out more
13 and 20 June	Queer Bath	Holburne Museum	View programme and buy tickets
14 June	Bath Contemporary Arts Fair	Green Park Station, Bath	Find out more
2 - 5 July	Bath Boules	Queen Square	Free to spectate
5 July	Bath 10K	Royal Victoria Park	Free to spectate or volunteer, or fund raise for Cancer Research
11 July	Bath Carnival	City Centre	Find out more
17 - 19 July	Bath Summer Fayre	Milsom Street	Find out more
17 - 19 July	Bristol Harbour Festival	Bristol Harbourside	Find out more
7 - 9 August	Bristol Balloon Fiesta	Ashton Gate, Bristol	Find out more
22 August	Bath Pride	Sydney Gardens	Find out more
11 - 20 September	Jane Austen Festival	Bath	Find out more

Take a look at Visit Bath's What's On Guide and Visit Bristol's What's On Guide to get regular updates on what is going on locally. The Student Offers on the Visit Bath website gives a range of discounts, and the student guide section of the What's On in Bath is particularly useful. Sign up to Eventbrite too.

The Total Guide to Bath is a great resource to find out about best eating places, nightlife and things to do with friends. The Lifestyle section also has plenty of ideas on how to spend a day from water-sports activities to bike rides. If you are planning to go further afield then the TOTUM membership gives students a range of discounts on festivals, gigs and theatre tickets.

If you fancy a trip away over the summer, Blackbullion has compiled a list of the 7 most affordable cities for students.

Other free resources

As a student you have access to our Sports Facilities and Library resources.

Sports Pass

The Team Bath Sports Pass can be used during the Summer; if you haven’t already activated your free sports pass then please do so by visiting STV reception. You can book courts or hire equipment to play sport with friends, or Swim in the SwimFit lanes. The STV has reduced holiday opening hours over the August Bank Holiday.

Library Resources

The Library also has a number of resources available to you. As well as holding a large film collection for loan, you can access BOB - boxsets on demand films and documentaries via Kanopy and popular magazines from around the world through Press Reader. The Library Nook is a cosy space to access many of our popular fiction and non-fiction titles. See the Reading for Pleasure and Wellbeing pages for thematic reading lists you can explore.

If you are interested in taking time to develop some skills, the Linkedin Learning subscription offers 21,000+ videos and courses in business, technical, creative and personal development skills.

Useful information

During the summer, there may be a reduced open hours for the shops on campus, and the buses will run less frequently. Find our more about transport to and from campus, opening times for shops on campus and for staff offices.

Wellbeing

Student Support will be available throughout the summer from 9am - 5pm weekdays via studentsupport@bath.ac.uk, with the exception of Monday 31 August and Tuesday 1 September. If you need advice outside these hours our Be Well - Talk now service provides free confidential advice and support to you wherever you are in the world, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also access urgent support. If you have an emergency, ring 999 or University Security (O1225 383 999) if you are on campus or in University accommodation.

Transport

Buses will run a reduced service over the summer. Further information on bus times can be found on our webpage

Supermarkets in Bath

Supermarkets in Bath will be open as normal, with the exception of the Bank Holiday on 31 August.

Food outlets opening times

Check the opening times for all the food and drink outlets and shops on campus.

University offices

Offices on campus and in University buildings will be closed on Monday 31 August and Tuesday 1 September. Our Security Team will operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week throughout the period as normal.