A NEW beach attraction has reopened in the heart of a picturesque UK city for the summer season.
While the UK has some amazing beaches, inland destinations like Bath can often be overlooked by holidaymakers during the summer months.
Win one of 8 incredible holidays to Florida, Spain, the Caribbean and a Kent safari by voting in The Sun’s Travel Awards – enter to win here
It’s largely because Bath doesn’t have its own beach or coastline where visitors can relax and cool off in the heat.
Just last month a new “beach” attraction opened in Bath – giving holidaymakers everything they need for a summer visit.
Bath on the Beach is gearing up for another year of fun with a whole host of attractions and activities.
The “beach” attraction has a sandy section with its very own cabanas as well as the city’s largest outdoor beer garden.
A statement on the website reads: ” Bath on the Beach has the largest beer garden in Central Bath – a unique space unlike anywhere else! Ideal for groups and fun days out.
“Vibrant, chilled, and fun, with a large outdoor area in the city – it’s the perfect party destination.”
In addition to the picnic benches and cabanas where visitors can purchase food and drink, there are plenty of other attractions, including several complimentary beach games.
Visitors will be able to play a round of bean bag toss, table tennis and giant jenga without having to pay.
There’s also an 18-hole adventure golf course and a large screen broadcasting Euro 2024 fixtures.
Food from Natty’s Jerk Kitchen will also be available to purchase as well as a range of refreshing drinks, including £8.50 cocktails, £5.50 pints and glasses of wine for £4.70.
Entry to Bath on the Beach is free, with walk-ins welcomed.
The attraction opened to the public on June 13, 2024, and it will run until August 11, 2024.
Bath on the Beach will be open from 10am to 10pm every day.
Since it first launched, the funfair has been a hit with both locals and holidaymakers.
Travel blogger Katya Jackson wrote: “I found it to be a really good place to spend at least half a day with friends or to have a quick break between visiting museums and sightseeing.
“I was there alone so I got myself a strawberry sorbet and chilled in a hammock.
“I haven’t been to the beach in a while so it was nice to take my shoes off and enjoy walking on the sand barefoot.”
Despite being home to sand, there’s no pool at the beach attraction, which means those who want to cool off in the cold water will need to go to the nearby coast.
There are several other inland beaches dotted across the UK, including one most parents don’t know about – and it’s near one of the UK’s best pubs.
Earlier this month, travel writer Catherine Lofthouse discovered the perfect place for paddling, taking a dip and enjoying an ice cream on a sandy shore that’s nowhere near the sea.
She wrote: “In my bit of the East Midlands, we’re a couple of hours away from the coast, so every bit of beach, even if it’s inland, is bound to be a bonus.
“Spring Lakes in Long Eaton is only half an hour away from home, so the money saved on travel costs helps towards the £30 ticket to access the 50m shoreline for a family of four.
“The pros of paying to come to a private beach for the day include having a lifeguard on duty to keep swimmers safe in the water and the fact that the area isn’t overcrowded as you have to book a time slot for entrance.”
LAST year, my younger sister and I spent a weekend exploring Bath. Here’s everything we got up to on our visit.
Our trip focused on all things Jane Austen – the English novelist who lived in Bath while writing classics Persuasion and Northanger Abbey, both of which feature the city she loved.
Together, we penned a letter to our younger brother all about our visit to the Jane Austen Centre – it was truly a laughable attempt at using a quill and parchment.
We pulled on Regency-style dresses, bonnets, coats and various accessories before posing for photos next to a waxwork of Pride And Prejudice’s hero Mr Darcy.
After our photoshoot, we went upstairs for a spot of afternoon tea in the Regency Tea Room.
You can download a free audio walking tour of the city created by Visit Bath.
The tour takes in the highlights of the city and includes extracts from Jane Austen’s novels and letters describing Bath as it would have been in its Georgian heyday.
The tour takes around 90 minutes but you can stop off at any point along the way to visit a museum or dip into a cafe or shop.
You can read more about my weekend visit to Bath, here.
If you’re looking for some other beaches around the country, the UK’s largest sandy inland beach is found in Shorncote in the Cotswolds.
But if you fancy heading to the English coastline, we’ve found a pretty UK town right on the beach – and home to the UK’s largest Wetherspoons.
