Wander the halls and rooms of No.1 Royal Crescent and learn how the gentry and their servants lived in the late 18th century.
Built between 1767 and 1774, No.1 Royal Crescent was the first of the buildings constructed in what was then one of the most exclusive streets in Bath. Its first resident was Henry Sandford, an Irish gentleman who retired to Bath. Visit this elegant house museum, which has been restored and furnished as it would have been in Sandford's time.
In the parlor, families would have gathered to gossip, read and play games. Browse the period books and newspapers on the bureau bookcase and the breakfast table where the family would have eaten. The gentleman’s retreat is decorated to reflect many of Henry Sandford’s own interests. Examine display cabinets that reveal the interests of the age, such as science and exploration. You’ll see more of these displays in the cabinet of curiosities, featuring natural history specimens and artifacts on loan from the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution. Visit the withdrawing room and bedrooms for the lady and gentleman of the house.
Learn about the lives of the servants in other rooms. The housekeeper’s room is where the household would have been organized. Here you’ll see the store cupboards and a desk, where the accounts for managing the house would have been kept. Visit the servant’s hall, where they gathered to eat. Read the mottos painted on the wall to encourage them to work. See the dog wheel, a particularly cruel method for turning a cooking spit. Go to the other servant rooms, such as the kitchen and scullery, to see where they worked.
No 1 Royal Crescent is in Bath city center, where there are a number of parking lots. The museum is also just a short distance from the bus and train stations. There is a charge to enter, with concessions available. Visit the gift shop, even without a ticket, to purchase souvenirs.
