Spending some time on the River Avon via the Bath Boating Station will always be a highlight of my time in Bath! The Bath Boating Station offers rowing, canoeing, and punting available for 1 or 2 hours (during nicer weather, of course). After your time on the water, you can enjoy their beautiful green grounds which have several picnic tables with shades. The last boat hire is at 4:30pm! Heads-up: also, they have a strict timing policy, so if you return ten minutes late, you will be charged for another hour.
Bookings are strongly recommended to guarantee you'll get what you want regarding boat style. We didn't, but it worked out in the end: we originally wanted to go rowing, but they didn't have any available, so we chose canoeing instead (which is something we're actually familiar doing). We felt comfortable in the boat, appreciated their help getting in and out of it, and had - what we thought - was a leisurely row all the way down to the Bathampton Toll Bridge (which is about 2+ miles upstream). Lots of wildlife to look at, including loads of kingfishers and ENORMOUS swans attempting to get on every stand-up paddle board. Beware the Boss Swans, friends!
Would recommend; seems like it's super family-friendly, great for hen dos, and a lovely way to spend a sunny couple hours in the area! read more