Bath
🏟️ Address: The Recreation Ground, Spring Gardens Road, Bathwick, Bath, BA2 4DS, United Kingdom Directions in Google Maps
Bath is well-connected but not large, so navigating yourself around the city is not too difficult. The city's small size also means you're never far from someone in a rugby shirt - so you'll soon find your way to the Recreation Ground! It is recommended that you only travel by car if you are making use of one of Bath's popular park and ride routes. Otherwise, travelling via public transport is encouraged.
Below you can find general information on travel and parking for The Recreation Ground. Individual events may have additional/restricted services available, and so we recommend clicking through to the event and viewing the Travel & Parking tab for event-specific information.
Driving and parking in Bath city centre itself is seldom free and not recommended - see the Coach & Bus section for information on the city's reliable park and ride network. However, there are a couple of conveniently-located car parks near to the Recreation Ground.
Parking at the Sports Centre adjacent to the Recreation Ground is highly convenient, but spaces almost always fills up very early on match days. Instead, see the following nearby options:
Please note that Bath city centre enforces a Clean Air Zone (CAZ), so check whether using your car to access the Rec will incur additional charges, before setting-off on your journey.
Match day visitors who wish to travel by taxi are encouraged to use the Leisure Centre car park (BA2 4ET), just off North Parade Road, for drop-offs and pick-ups. Please note that this car park and the surrounding roads will be very busy on match days - travellers are advised to arrive early and leave extra time for journeys.
Park and ride
Bath has 3 main park and ride services, located in Lansdown (north of Bath), Newbridge (west of Bath), and Odd Down (south of Bath). All 3 services operate 7 days a week, approximately every 15 minutes. The park and ride car parks are located at the following addresses, with the relevant bus stops in Bath city centre and their distances from the Recreation Ground also listed:
The journey time to the centre of Bath from all 3 locations is approximately 15 minutes. All park and ride services are wheelchair and pushchair-accessible.
Coaches
Centurion Travel operates official match day coach services for Bath Rugby home matches, with tickets available to book on an event-by-event basis, up to several weeks before a given fixture.
Public buses
Public buses are also a great way to reach the Rec, whether you're travelling from within the city or from further afield. The city centre bus station is a well-used and well-connected stop, located not far from the ground:
As one of the most coveted and exclusive cities in the UK, accommodation prices in Bath are higher than the average English city. While there are a few backpacking hostels and a fine selection of mid-range hotels and Airbnb’s, this city is all about luxury.
There are food and drinks facilities in all 4 stands. There are also water fountains at all 4 corners of the stadium, allowing spectators to bring refillable bottles and stay hydrated on match days.
The Fan Village on the east side of the ground is a popular place to grab a drink or snack on match days.
There are 3 main gates used to access the Recreation Ground:
There are toilets in all 4 stands.
Accessibility
There is an array of services available at the Recreation Ground for visitors with disabilities or accessibility issues, ranging from accessible toilets and seating, to in-seat drinks delivery, and audio assistance. Many of these facilities are best accessed by signing up to Bath Rugby's Supporters Scheme. This can be done by clicking here, or by contacting Supporters Services via phone (+44 (0) 1225 536900) or email (accessibility@bathrugby.com).
If you require the use of a specific entrance on the day of your event, make the venue staff aware of this in advance - the gate listed on your ticket can be changed to meet your accessibility requirements.
Wheelchair-accessible seats are located in section A of the Tribute (West) Stand, and in sections B, C, D, and RS5 of the Novia (South) Stand.
On match days, 2 accessibility stewards are on duty at the Recreation Ground. They can be found at the north end of the Tribute (West) Stand, and in the middle of the Novia (South) Stand, and are identifiable via their yellow tabards.
Toilets
Accessible toilets are located in all 4 stands. If you are not sure where your nearest facilities are located, consult a match day steward.
Bath Spa railway station directly serves much of the west country, as well as London. Other cities can be accessed too, often via a change in nearby Bristol. Bath Spa station itself is just a 700 m (8 min) walk from the Rec - from the station's back exit take the riverside footpath up to the ground.
There are plenty of boat hire business in Bath on the River Avon, which runs through the city centre. However, many of these services require travellers to return to the same moorings from which they hired the boat - so they may not be ideal for stopping off at the Recreation Ground for a sporting event.
If you have your own boat, the moorings along the east stretch of the Avon are well located for going to the Rec; Bath Locks (near Sydney Road) are just a 900 m (11 min) walk from the ground, whilst the moorings near Lock 7 (near Rossiter Road) are only 700 m (8 min) away.
Cycling is a great way of getting to the Recreation Ground; it can take less than 10 minutes to get to the ground from most of the city centre. There are plenty of bike racks at the William Street Gate entrance, barely a 100 m (1 min) walk from the pitch.
Bath is easy to navigate on foot, and the Recreation Ground's riverside location means the walk is pleasant as well as straightforward; paths track all the way along the River Avon in the city centre, and you're only a 10 minute walk away from a bus stop, or the train station. From Bath Spa train station in the city centre, for example, it is only a 900 m (11 min) walk to the Rec.
The Recreation Ground has a capacity of approximately 14,500. However, the capacity does differ between events depending on the seating configuration.
Spring Gardens Road, Bathwick, Bath, BA2 4DS, United Kingdom.
