The Top 10 Art Galleries in Bath
Bath is a picturesque city located in the South West of England. The city is mostly known for Georgian architecutre and it’s Roman history but there’s also a great selection of art galleries.
You’ll find art from different types, era’s, and cultures. Whether you’re just looking to find things to do when it’s raining in Bath or are looking to learn more about Bath’s culture and art history the city has such a diverse range of art work available.
From the histortical paintings of King Henry VIII at the Victoria Art Gallery to the Japanese ceramics at the Museum of East Asian Art. No matter what art you’re interested in seeing you’ll be sure to find something.
But with such a diverse range of museums, it can be a bit overwhelming to figure out which ones you’d like to visit. I’ve put together this guide using my 20+ years of local knowledge of Bath, to help you figure out which museums you’d like to visit during yout trip.
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Victoria Art Gallery
The Victoria Art Gallery is a public art gallery which was opened in celebration of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee which marked 60 years on the throne.
The gallery is located in a beautiful Georgian building and houses an impressive collection of paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts from the 15th century to the present day.
It’s mostly known for its extensive collection of British oil paintings, including paintings by Bath’s most famous artist – Thomas Gainsborough plus a portrait of King Henry VIII which is well worth viewing.
Entry to the museum’s permament collection is free but they do charge for temporary exhibits.
The Holburne Museum
The Holburne Museum was Bath’s first public art gallery. The museum is housed in a beautiful Georgian building that you may recognise as Lady Danbury’s house in the Bridgerton tv series.
The museum is the legacy of Sir Thomas William Holburne, who instructed upon his death that his collection of artworks created a museum. His collection included contemporary paintings by the local artist Thomas Barker, Dutch paintings, porcelin, silverware, glasswear, books and loads more.
After his death, his sister created the museum but it took quite sometime for it to properly get it’s footing in the city. In 1906, the museum was transferred to Sydney House and eventually opened to the public in 1916.
Today the museum also has an impressive collection of ceramics, silverware, and glassware. There’s also a lovely Garden café where you can enjoy views of Syndey Gardens. The café does a great coffee and has a good selection of hot food and cakes/desserts, so I recommend stopping off here for lunch or after your walk around the museum.
Entry to the Holburne Museum costs £11 for adults aged 18+ (excluding Gift Aid donations). If you’re disabled you can bring in 1 free carer. Children under 18 enter for free, as well as students at Bath Spa Univeristy and the Univeristy of Bath.
Museum of East Asian Art
If you’re interested in learning more about East Asian art, I highly recommend visiting The Museum of East Asian Art. The museum’s exhibits cover the art and culture of China, Japan, Korea and South East Asia. The museum houses a collection of over 2000 objects, dating back over 7000 years. Including ceramics, jade, textiles, lacuerware and more.
They hold regular exhibitions, such as one of my current faveorites – Dragons Dragons Dragons!. This exhibition has 60 different dragon-themed and shaped objects dating back to the 16th century. If you’re traveling with kids, this exhibition is an easy way to get them interested in learning more about East Asian history and art.
Entry to the museum is £5 for adults, £4 for seniors, and £2.50 for students. Entry is free for those under 18, holders of the ArtFund National Art Pass, and BBFA Members.
If you’re interested in learning more about the artwork, you could arrange a tour and handling visit. These need to be organised in advance and you can find details including pricing on their website here.
Beaux Arts Bath
Beaux Arts Bath, is private contemporary art gallery that is one of Bath’s hidden gems. The gallery features a range of modern and contemporary art from emerging and established artists.
Whilst small, the gallery is well worth a visit. Plus it’s close to the Roman Bath’s so you can easily combine a visit to the bath with a visit to the gallery.
The gallery regulate rotates its exhibits, showing a range of artists throughout the year. Throughout it’s life the gallery has exhibited many artists that went on to become famous such as:
- John Bellany CBE RA the most acclaimed Scottish artist of his generation.
- Dame Elizabeth Frink RA, a renowned English sculptor and printmaker
- Sandra Blow RA – an abstract painter, known for her infulence on the abstract movement back in the 1950s
The gallery is free to enter, and many of the artworks are for sale.
Hidden Gallery Bath
Hidden Gallery Bath is a contemporary art gallery that gallery sells a range of artworks from from world-famous artists from the 20th century such as Banksy, Pablo Picasso, David Hockney, and loads more.
They hold diferent exhibitons throughout the year, one of the recent ones being the The Right Angles (pictured above) that featured art from Damien Hirst, Bridget Riley and more.
The Hidden Gallery is located on Margaret’s Buildings, a street half way between the Royal Crescent and the Circus. It’s also only a few doors down from Bath Old Books, which is one of the best books shops in Bath.
Red Rag Gallery
Red Rag Gallery is a gallery that exhibits and sells contemporary art by British and Irish artists, including both younger emerging artists and established well known artists. Their exhibiton covers a range of genres, includng abstract, landscapes, portraiture, marine and more.
The gallery is located along Brock Street, between The Circus and The Royal Crescent so you can easily combine a visit to Number 1 Royal Crescent, with a visit to this gallery (plus the Hidden Gallery as that’s also close by).
Bath Fashion Museum
Bath Fashion Museum is a public art gallery, dedicated to showcasing and educating visitors on fashion history. The museum’s collection has over 100,000 items going back hundreds of years, some of which are on display.
From the 1700s to the modern day, whether you’re interested in more modern fashion, or seeing historical dresses, the museum has you covered. For fans of Jane Austen and Bridgerton, there’s even some regency era dresses that you might enjoy viewing.
The Bath Fashion Museum is currently closed as of 2022 while it moves from the Bath Assembly Rooms to the Old Post Office. This move will allow the museum to be more accessible and offer more exhibits. The move will take a few years, so make sure to check their website for the current status.
American Museum & Gardens
On the edge of Bath, you’ll find the American Museum & Gardens, which is dedicated to showcasing American decorative art. They have exhibitions that feature a range of American artworks such as folk art, quilts and maps.
During your visit I also recommend checking out the beauitful 125-acre garden. The gardens have been created with an American style, using landscape designs similar to that of George Washington’s historic home of Mount Vernon. The gardens also give you an amazing view over the River Avon and south towards Limpley Stoke.
If you’re disabled like myself you might want to ask to borrow the trampler, as this will make the gardens more accessible. The museum’s building, also has lifts, and ramps to help make the building accessible. They also have noise-cancelling headphones to borrow if you need to do so. Plus a range of other accessibility needs.
The Fox Talbot Museum at Lacock Abbey
Lacock Abbey is said to be the birth place of photography, as this is where William Henry Fox Talbot invented the photographic negative and how to use these to create multiple prints back in 1834.
If you’d like to learn more about the invention of photography, or are a photographer yourself I highly recommend visiting the museum. You’ll be able to see some of the first photos ever taken, as well as see how photography developed throughout the years.
Besides the museum, Lacock Abbey is a beautiful country house, that is well worth exploring. It’s currently owned by the National Trust, so you can visit for free with National Trust membership. If you’re not a member, you’ll need to pay the normal entrance fee.
Visiting from abroad? you can pick a Touring Pass which will give you entry to most of the National Trusts properties including Lacock Abbey for either 7 days or 14 days plus under 5s visit free.
The Fox Talbot Museum isn’t located in Bath so you’ll either need to do the 40 minute drive or take the train from Bath Spa to Chippenham and then the X34 bus from there to Lacock and walk a few minutes to the abbey. This journey takes about 1 hour.
Whilst visiting the abbey I also recommend going for a stroll around Lacock village, as it’s a quanit little village that makes for nice photos – especially if the suns out.
Castle Fine Art Gallery
Another art gallery in Bath is the Castle Fine Art Gallery. What makes this art galley special, is that it is home to the largest permanent exhibition of Bob Dylan artwork in the world. I really recommend visiting if you’re interested in seeing how Dylan expressed himself using art throughout his life.
The gallery also has collections from other well-known artists such as John Myatt, who is mostly known for creating fake artwork that landed him in prison. He’s referred to as the biggest artfraud of the 20th century by Scotland Yard (the head of Scotland’s police force), and since being released from prison has created a series of artworks that iminate the originals.
Overall, Bath’s art galleries offer a diverse range of artwork and there’s something for everyone to enjoy (even the kids). Whether you are interested in historical oil paintings, contemporary art or East Asian ceramics, you are sure to find somewhere to enjoy visiting.
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