The Holburne Museum in Bath, which has been used as the location for many of Lady Danbury’s lavish balls in the popular TV series, has introduced a brand new Bridgerton-themed tour and tea experience.

The Holburne Museum – Lady Danbury’s house in Bridgerton

The real-life location for Lady Danbury’s house is The Holburne Museum in Bath, in south west England, which was originally built as the Sydney Hotel. The Sydney Hotel was the venue for many grand dances, and the public rooms were said to be decorated with exotic plants and flowers. The hotel was converted into a museum in 1916 and is packed with treasures fit for a Queen.

The building would have been the talk of the town in Regency Bath, as it provided the gateway for the Sydney Pleasure Gardens, where crowds gathered to ‘promenade’ and dine in the open air.

A portrait of Queen Charlotte at The Holburne Museum from the studio of Johann Zoffany, c.1766

Queen Charlotte herself stayed opposite the Sydney Hotel on Sydney Place when she came to Bath ‘to take the waters’ in 1817, which were believed to help a variety of health conditions.

Throughout the day tea and refreshments were served at the Sydney Hotel and, in a letter to her sister, the famous novelist Jane Austen mentions that the public breakfasts given there meant they would not ‘wholly starve’.

The new tour gives visitors the chance to see inside Lady Danbury’s house and to enjoy a taste of life in Regency Bath, with a delicious traditional English afternoon tea to complete the experience.

Inside The Holburne Museum

The museum boasts a fine collection of Regency treasures, built up by Sir William Holburne in the 18th century, including a portrait of Queen Charlotte from the studio of Johann Zoffany; a unique collection of snuff boxes (the habit of taking snuff was extremely popular at the time and Queen Charlotte was known affectionately as Old Snuffy for her prolific snuff-sniffing!); a magical mantel clock produced by Strigel, watchmaker to the Queen in the late 18th century, which has an enchanting musical chime, and an exquisite collection of early 19th century drinking glasses.

As part of the tour, visitors will also see majestic Great Pulteney Street, Bath’s grandest avenue; Holburne Gardens and the neighbouring Sydney Pleasure Gardens; Jane Austen’s home at 4 Sydney Place; the Minerva Temple in Sydney Gardens and 93 Sydney Place, where Queen Charlotte stayed when she visited Bath in 1817.

A snuff box in the shape of a delicate Georgian shoe c. 1770

The Holburne Museum also presents a programme of contemporary exhibitions, setting the art of the past in new and dynamic ways. This summer, visitors can see miniatures by the great 20th century sculptor Henry Moore, alongside sprawling doodles by the internet sensation Mr Doodle!

Janet Redler, Managing Director of Janet Redler Travel, said: “This exciting new tour will allow fans of Bridgerton to enjoy a taste of life in Regency England, with its pleasure gardens, royal treasures, social calendar and afternoon tea. Bath is a fabulous place to visit, and this is the perfect introduction to its 18th and 19th century past.”

If you or your group would like to step back in time to Regency Bath, to walk in the footsteps of Queen Charlotte and to experience the real-life Bridgerton, please do contact our friendly team today and we will put together the perfect tailor-made tour!

All photos courtesy of The Holburne Museum.