Sally Lunn's Refreshment House and Museum
The Sally Lunn Bun is one of the Top Bath Attractions
Jul 13, 2009
No visitor to Bath should miss Sally Lunn’s. It is the strangest mix of tourist attraction, great eatery and museum. Tucked away in a narrow alley near other excellent restaurants and coffee shops, Sally Lunn’s Refreshment House offers excellent food at reasonable prices in a slice of priceless Bath history.
The Antiquity of Sally Lunn’s Refreshment House
When the tourist enters Sally Lunn’s, he or she is stepping into a quaint house that was built circa 1482. It’s the oldest house in Bath and there aren’t many older in Britain. The house became the present establishment in the 1680s, when Sally Lunn, a young French girl, emigrated to Bath, bringing with her a recipe for a light, sweet bun (think bread roll or hamburger bun, rather than sweet treat), which became her trademark and brought a steady stream of traffic to her door.
The Sally Lunn Bun
The Sally Lunn bun became famous and is still available, made to the original recipe, today. It is a very versatile delight. It was originally what is known as a trencher. That is, in times past, food was served on a slice of bread rather than a plate, and the juicy bread was later eaten. In Bath today, it is possible to have a trencher dinner from 5 p.m. at Sally Lunn’s. They very kindly put the trencher on a plate, as well.
However, the bulk of visitors come to Sally Lunn’s to experience the bun toasted and served either with jam and cream, reminiscent of a cream tea, or with butter and and assortment of other delights. It also forms the basis for savoury snacks and grills, used much as a focaccia or panini. Of course, other food is available, as well, but the Sally Lunn Bun is what people want to try. Coffee is excellent and a range of English teas is served, as well.
The Sally Lunn Museum
The visitor’s meal receipt is accompanied by a free ticket to what lies down a steep flight of stairs – the museum and archaeological dig. In Bath, tourists will surely visit the Roman Baths, where they descend below street level to see the unearthed remains of the Roman era, including many antiquities. At humble little Sally Lunn’s, a similar world unfolds beneath the street.
It is important to realise that the street levels of ancient cities keeps rising as new buildings go over old rubble. By going down to what appears to be the cellar, the visitor attains a level that 300 years ago would have been street level. There Sally Lunn’s original 300-year-old kitchen is laid out. Cooking ranges, griddles, ovens, boards for sliding pies and cakes in and out of ovens, an open hearth and dozens of antique pots and appliances.
Then the greatest surprise. Through a glass pane, the visitor can look further down into an excavated area and see the Roman remains of the building. The various levels of occupation are identified and some items found are displayed in a case. It is astonishing to think that this place has been a place of refreshment for travellers and locals since Roman times.
Sally Lunn’s is in North parade Passage, in the city centre, quite close to Bath Abbey and the Roman Baths. It is open from 10 am (11 on Sundays) every day except Christmas Day. It offers the ‘cheapest’ Roman remains museum in Bath and some of the best food. For more to see in Bath, see this Suite101 article.
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