Without a car, the best autumn colour from Bath is at Prior Park, the National Trust landscape garden on the city's southern slope: £12 for an adult, and the number 2 bus from Dorchester Street drops you at the gate. With a car, Westonbirt has the bigger show, but it's under an hour's drive away, prices are highest in peak autumn and tickets have to be booked in advance. Stourhead, the most spectacular of the three, is realistically a car-only day.
The three, side by side
| Prior Park | Westonbirt, the National Arboretum | Stourhead | |
|---|---|---|---|
| From Bath | Number 2 bus from Dorchester Street, or about a mile's steep walk from Bath Spa station | Under an hour's drive via the A46 and A433 | About 36 minutes' drive, 23 miles via the A36 and A303 |
| Without a car? | Yes, easily | Possible by bus but slow; check routes before you go | Train to Warminster, then a taxi of about £30 to £50 |
| Adult ticket | £12 (£13.20 with Gift Aid) | From about £13 to £14 on weekdays outside peak; highest during the autumn colour season | £20 (£22 with Gift Aid), plus £4.50 car park for non-members |
| Booking | Not needed | Required; tickets go online roughly one to two weeks ahead | Check before you go |
| Parking | None at all | Yes | Yes, charged |
National Trust members get into Prior Park and Stourhead free. Westonbirt is run by Forestry England, so membership doesn't help there.
Westonbirt: the famous one
Westonbirt holds one of the most complete collections of temperate trees in the world, across 600 acres near Tetbury, and autumn is what it's known for. That fame shapes the visit. The peak colour season, roughly late September to mid-November, carries the year's highest prices, and because tickets are released online only a week or two ahead, the best weekends go early.
Two things make it easier. Weekdays are cheaper and quieter than weekends. And Westonbirt discounts tickets for anyone arriving by bus, train or bike, which is unusual for a site this far out of town, so if you can make public transport work, it pays you back.
Prior Park: the one on your doorstep
Prior Park was laid out in the 1730s and 40s for Ralph Allen, the Bath stone magnate. Its centrepiece is a Palladian bridge, one of only four like it in the world, at the bottom of a sweeping valley with a view back over the city from the top. In autumn, the colour in the valley around the lake is the draw.
The catch is the one that trips up drivers: there is no visitor car park, and satnavs send people to the wrong place. Take the number 2 bus, which runs roughly every 10 minutes on weekdays and every 20 on Sundays, or walk up from Bath Spa station via Widcombe and Prior Park Road. It's about a mile, and steep. No pre-booking is needed. Dogs are allowed on short leads, and cattle graze the fields in spring and autumn, so the lead matters.
Opening times change with the season and are shorter in winter, so check the National Trust's Prior Park page on the day.
Stourhead: the showpiece
Stourhead is an 18th-century landscape garden built round an artificial lake, with classical temples, grottoes and its own Palladian bridge, designed to be walked as a circuit where each turn frames a new view. Autumn brings strong colour from its mature trees, and with it bigger crowds than a quiet midweek visit.
It's the hardest of the three to reach without a car. There's no direct train or bus from Bath; the realistic option is the train to Warminster and a taxi on, which only makes sense if you're not driving at all. Allow at least half a day: the garden circuit alone takes a couple of hours at an unhurried pace.
Free colour in the city
If you only have an hour, Royal Victoria Park, right behind the Royal Crescent, is free and open at all times. Its 9-acre Botanical Gardens, also free, hold mature trees and the Great Dell, a former quarry turned woodland garden with an aerial walkway through the canopy. It's 15 to 20 minutes' walk from the centre, uphill on the way there.
FAQs
Where is the best autumn colour near Bath without a car?
Prior Park Landscape Garden. The number 2 bus from Dorchester Street stops at the entrance, there's no booking, and adult entry is £12. Royal Victoria Park and its Botanical Gardens are a free alternative within walking distance of the centre.
When does Westonbirt's autumn colour peak?
Westonbirt's autumn colour season runs from roughly late September to mid-November. It's the most expensive and busiest time of year to visit, and tickets have to be booked online in advance.
Can you park at Prior Park?
No. There's no visitor car park, apart from limited accessible parking arranged in advance by phone. Use a Park and Ride or a central car park, then take the bus or walk up.
Is Stourhead worth the trip from Bath in autumn?
If you have a car, yes: it's about 36 minutes away and the garden circuit is one of the finest in England. Without a car it's hard work, involving a train to Warminster and a taxi, so Prior Park is the better choice.