November working holiday near Bath: advice, please!
 

In November, I’ll take part in a weeklong National Trust working holiday at Stourhead, Wiltshire. This will be my third visit to England, and the first time I’ve been outside London. I'd like to visit Bath before the holiday begins. Will three days give me time to see the city properly?

I won't have a car. I’ll take the Gatwick Express to Victoria Station, then travel on to Bath. On Saturday, I’ll go from Bath to the Gillingham railway station in Dorset, where a National Trust member will pick me up. The National Rail site shows a Bath-Salisbury-Gillingham route, with one train change. I’m a rail travel novice—any part of this plan I ought to reconsider?

Finally, if any of you have been on a National Trust holiday, I’d love to hear your thoughts about the experience. Thanks in advance for any advice!

I do hope someone will tell youabout the NT holiday..or if they don't I hope you'll come back and tell us!

I visited Stourhead April last year, while waiting for bus back to Gillingham (quite a nice little town with some pretty brick houses; for train back to Salisbury), I remember there were buses directly from Stourhead to Bath. The bus stop is about 2 minutes walk to entrance.

I have been to Bath several times, I think one full day would be enough to see Bath properly (as it is quite samll and compact). Perhaps you could take train to Salisbury for over night( for the cathedral,well-kept medieval town centre,lovely river walk and Stonehenge). Or take bus from bath to Wells for day trip.

You are very lucky to work at Stourhead, it is one of the most beautiful landscape gardens I have ever seen.

As JudyC says - Bath is a very compact city and you can see most everything in one day - two would be generous. If it were me I'd use the extra day to see Salisbury, or maybe better, Wells/Glastonbury.

You don't have to go into London to get to Bath. Trains to Bath use Paddington so you would need to take the Gatwick Express to Victoria, then the tube from Victoria to Paddington. If you want to avoid the possible hassles of central London, there is a coach that goes from LGW to Reading where you catch the train to Bath.

...but it's a great deal easier to get the train from Gatwick straight to Reading, where you just cross the platform for your connection to Bath.

Thanks for all the advice: it's very helpful! I hadn't realized I could travel from Reading, rather than central London. I'll plan on spending a little less time in Bath, and more in some of the other lovely places you've recommended.

Now I'm wondering if I shouldn't be brave and rent a car after all. I normally try to bring only one small suitcase, but since I'll need to pack a pillow and sleeping bag for the working holiday, I'll have a bit more luggage than usual.

I'm looking forward to being in England again, and to working at Stourhead. It does sound beautiful. Our group will be doing some hedge-laying.