Introduction:

I am a Blue Badge tour guide for South West England. In the rigorous exams to become a Blue Badge guide, in the year I qualified I was honoured to be given the highest overall marks, and also awarded the best walking tour commentary of Bath.

I lead many tours in and around Bath, where I live. I pride myself in being bang up-to-date on what’s happening in the city. In terms of headline news for 2026, it’s the 20th anniversary of the opening of Thermae Bath Spa (the modern spa,) and Bridgerton will be centre stage again, with the release of Season 4 of the hit Netflix costume drama. I am the resident expert on Bath for the travel section of The Daily Telegraph, so as well as knowing about the city's history and culture, I am also a mine of information of best places to eat, drink, shop and stay, including new openings.

Bath tours offered:
* General history and culture walking and coach tours of Bath.
* Guided tours around the Roman Baths (for groups of up to 6 guests).
* Guided tours of Bath Abbey.
* TV and film-themed walking tours of the city. Many scenes from Bridgerton were filmed in Bath, and I specialise in Bridgerton-themed tours.
* Jane Austen tours – covering the places where the writer lived and frequented and that feature in her novels, and what life was like in Bath in the Regency period.
* Medical and spa history tours – the supposedly therapeutic thermal waters have played a key role in Bath's history through the centuries.
* Architecture tours – covering the all-important Georgian period, and other periods too.
* Royal tours - tapping into the city's many royal links, with place names, coats of arms and visiting royalty through the centuries.
* More off-the-beaten track tours – for example a "five crescents" tour taking in the city's lesser-visited beautiful Georgian crescents, and a tour along a scenic stretch of the Kennet & Avon Canal to the Bath Skyline Walk.

Beyond Bath tours:
* I guide over much of South West England – especially Bristol, Wiltshire, Somerset, Gloucestershire, Dorset – bringing to life the landscape, history, heritage, culture and contemporary life of the region.
* I take private and group walking tours, coach tours, cruise-ship tours and private, chauffeur-driven tours.
* Places I specialise in and frequently take tours of include: Bristol, Stonehenge, Avebury, Salisbury, Lacock, Castle Combe, Bradford-on-Avon, Wells, Glastonbury, Cheddar.

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Types of tours I offer:
* Walking tours of towns and cities for individuals, couples, families, small and large groups.
* Visits to attractions such as The Roman Baths, Bath Abbey, Stonehenge, Avebury, Wells and Salisbury cathedrals, Glastonbury Tor and Abbey.
* Tailor-made, chauffeur-driven private excursions by car and people carrier.
* Coach tours.
* Cruise-ship tours.

With my in-depth knowledge of the region, I can advise on how to create rewarding and doable days out or multiple-day itineraries to meet clients' needs and interests.

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Testimonials:

Please see Tripadvisor reviews here: https:// http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g186370-d23401191-Reviews-Fred_Mawer_Tours-Bath_Somerset_England.html.

I was given a Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice award in 2025 for the high number of consistently top-rated reviews.

My Bath tours have often featured in the media. USA TODAY ran a lovely article in 2024 focused on my Bridgerton walking tour of Bath: see https://10best.usatoday.com/interests/galleries-venues/bridgerton-filming-locations-bath-england/

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Travel journalist

As well as working as a guide, I am also a long-established travel journalist. I am The Daily Telegraph's travel expert on Bath – you can read my articles on my home city, as well as on other places in the South West and elsewhere, here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/team/fred-mawer/. I also regularly contribute to other publications.