Visitors left shocked by Baths costs
A man has hit out after being charged an “outrageous” price to visit the Roman Baths.
Andrew Keeling, 48, from Guildford, Surrey visited Bath on June 27 with his wife and seven-year-old daughter.
He was left reeling after having to pay £27 for one adult ticket and £19.50 for a child ticket, with a total bill of £73.50 to see the attraction, which is run by Bath and North East Somerset Council.
Mr Keeling, who works for a software company, feels the admission prices mean working class families will not be able to afford to visit the Baths.
He said: “I’ve been visiting Bath for the last 30 years and I just think that the price is pretty outrageous, for kids especially.
“They said they do offer subsides tickets for some family groups but £19.50 for a child is pretty expensive.
“An adult is £27 which is extremely expensive. I’m all for making a contribution but surely now only upper middle class families can afford it.
Mr Keeling continued: “My daughter is seven and she’s learning about the Romans and the site is one of the most impressive Romans sites to visit in the UK - and probably in Europe too.
“But the price will be prohibiting some working class families from visiting such an important and fascinating site.
“I know its different but the National Gallery in London is free.
“The average family with the average income couldn’t afford it, it’s almost as if they don’t want working class families to visit.”
Councillor Richard Samuel, deputy leader of economic resources and development at Bath and North East Somerset Council, said: “Our pricing structure is in line with other similarly sized UK visitor attractions and is designed to provide flexibility depending on when people choose to visit. It has made tickets cheaper for 65 per cent of the year and kept the maximum price to peak times only, providing a better experience for visitors by reducing overcrowding on busy days.
“The upper age for children’s tickets was raised from 16 to 18 and we also reduced the price for school groups. Residents of Bath and North East Somerset continue to enjoy free admission to the Roman Baths.
“The current pricing has enabled the council to continue to invest in the Roman Baths to ensure that it remains one of the leading visitor attractions in the country.
“I’d like to thank Mr Keeling for visiting the Roman Baths and for his comments, which we plan to take into account in our next pricing review for 2021/22.”