THE HOLBURNE MUSEUM

At the eastern end of Great Pulteney Street, this fine late 18th century building began life as the Sydney Hotel, the heart of the Sydney Pleasure Gardens which were visited by Jane Austen from nearby Sydney Place.

  Click for panoramic view.

Widely known for his silver and Old Master paintings, Sir William also collected Italian bronzes, such as the famous Susini once owned by King Louis XIV, maiolica, porcelain, glass, furniture and portrait miniatures.

His legacy has since been greatly enriched with landscapes by Guardi and Turner, portraits by Stubbs, Ramsay, Zoffany and of course Gainsborough, who spent sixteen formative years in Bath.

Bath connections are also well represented by Angelica Kauffmann's portrait of Henrietta Laura Pulteney, Hone's miniature of Beau Nash, the city's famous Master of Ceremonies and Joseph Plura's masterpiece Diana and Endymion, made in Bath in 1752.

Since 1977 the Museum has also housed the Crafts Study Centre, with its unique archive of 20th century British craft, furniture by Ernest Gimson, textiles, calligraphy and ceramics by Bernard Leach, Hans Coper and Lucie Rie.

The museum is situated in lovely grounds which are open to the public, it reopened after a new wing was built in 2011 and now offers sophisticated lunch and afternoon tea al fresco.

Check out the Holburne Museum website.