A (really) free walking tour is a great start to a day in one of England’s top sites

There is a reason why Bath is one of England’s most popular places with tourists. The city is chock full of history and beauty, from the 2,000-year-old Roman Baths to the awe-inspiring Abbey to the honey-colored stone featured on much of the Georgian architecture.

There is so much to see and experience. But where to start? One of the best ways to get acquainted with this marvelous city is through a free walking tour.

Actually, free walking tours are a good way to get acquainted with a lot of cities. We did one in Athens that was very interesting and informative. But while there wasn’t a fee, we clearly were expected to tip our guide at the end.

What sets the one in Bath apart is it is completely free. The two-hour walking tours offered by the Mayor’s Guides not only don’t charge upfront, but they also don’t accept tips.

The Guides have been around at least since 1934, when a town alderman showed visitors around Bath on Boxing Day and Easter morning. By 1951, daily walks were offered from June to September for groups that booked in advance. Formal training for volunteer guides was underway by 1960. In the mid ‘70s, walking tours increased to twice daily on every day except Christmas.

These days there are several dozen trained Mayor’s Guides. During peak tourist season, 100-plus people might gather at the starting point outside the Roman Baths to split into smaller groups led by four or five guides.

We visited Bath on a Friday in late February. The advantage of off-season travel is the lack of crowds and sure enough our tour group was small, less than a dozen people. Our guide was Brenda, an energetic, enthusiastic storehouse of local knowledge.

She set off at a brisk walk, and over the next couple of hours took us from the Roman Baths to the Royal Mineral Water Hospital to the Royal Crescent to The Circus to Pulteney Bridge to Bath Abbey, with many stops along the way.

We learned about John Wood the Elder and John Wood the Younger, architects who designed many of Bath’s famous buildings. We learned about the beautiful Bath stone, which has to be cleaned about every 15 years to remove soot and pollution, but at the cost of wearing it away.

Brenda sprinkled in fun facts, like how the lead in the white face powder favored by genteel ladies eventually caused their eyebrows to fall out. To compensate, servants created false eyebrows from the pelts of mice caught in traps. The eyebrows were glued on for social events like balls. There was just one problem. The fireplaces, candles, and bodies made it quite hot in the ballroom. It wasn’t uncommon for the glue to melt, and for the mouse-pelt eyebrows to migrate down the cheeks of some of the high society set.

We received tips on what to do after the tour. We were in Bath on a daytrip and had limited time before the last bus back to the Airbnb in a nearby village. We had gone to the Roman Baths when we visited Bath as young marrieds three decades ago and were on the fence about a return visit, but Brenda talked us into it by telling us about the addition of the museum and other exhibits.

We received tips on what not to do. Brenda suggested passing on the Jane Austen Centre, pointing out that the famous author actually didn’t think much of the city.

And we learned a little bit about Brenda. I asked why she volunteers to be a Mayor’s Guide, expecting an answer along the lines of “I love my city and want to let everyone know how special it is.” Nope. Brenda said, “I was a university lecturer and missed hearing the sound of my own voice.”

A touch of humor along with the knowledge and local tips—and, of course, the price—made the walking tour an ideal way to get to know Bath.

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