Old Theatre Royal

Bath's Theatre Royal sits on a street corner that still feels theatrical itself - all Georgian elegance and faded grandeur. Built in 1805, this is one of England's finest surviving Regency theatres, and walking past its honey-coloured stone facade you get an immediate sense of why Bath attracted the country's best actors and audiences back when Jane Austen was watching plays here.

You can see the building from the street, and if you're lucky enough to catch a performance or tour, you'll find yourself in an auditorium that barely changed for two centuries - boxes, pit, galleries arranged exactly as they were, with original fixtures still intact. The plasterwork is proper lovely, all delicate swags and medallions. It's working theatre too, not a museum piece, which means the energy in there is entirely different from somewhere frozen in time.

This is for theatre-goers first and foremost, and anyone who gets excited about Regency architecture. History buffs will love the layers - five centuries of performing arts happened on this spot. Kids might struggle with a lengthy tour unless they're into old buildings, though a quick exterior look takes ten minutes flat.

Bath Mill Lodge Retreat is barely two miles away, making this a straightforward evening stroll from your campsite. The Theatre Royal works best combined with exploring Bath's elegant Georgian centre rather than as a standalone visit. Check their website for performance schedules and tour availability - some dates offer behind-the-scenes access that's genuinely worth the effort.