(What placing for the Roman Baths in this regional top ten attractions)
I sometimes get sent news items from agencies that keep an eye on blogs like mine.
This one – from the One Day Agency examined TripAdvisor reviews to reveal the South West’s best attractions in terms of visitor appreciation, with Bath’s Roman Baths ranking ninth in this regional top ten. However, it had more TripAdvisor reviews than any other attraction, with more than 71 per cent giving it five stars.
- Brunel’s SS Great Britain takes first place in the South West, followed by Pennywell Farm and The Tank Museum.
- Pennywell Farm has the highest five-star percentage in the regional top ten, with 86.08% of visitors awarding it the maximum rating.
- Stonehenge ranks just 33rd, while the Eden Project places 38th out of 40 attractions, despite attracting almost 14,000 Tripadvisor reviews.
Choosing where to go for a day out in the South West can be surprisingly difficult. The region has everything from beaches and historic landmarks to family attractions and museums, and once you start comparing ticket prices, travel time and what other visitors have said, the list can get long very quickly.
Reviews often end up being the deciding factor. A famous name might get somebody’s attention, but thousands of visitors saying they genuinely enjoyed themselves can be much more convincing.
With this in mind, media agency One Day Agency analysed Tripadvisor reviews for 472 attractions across the UK, including 40 in the South West, to find which ones visitors have responded to most positively. The research considered both the percentage of five-star reviews and the total number of reviews received, with arenas and stadiums excluded from the ranking.
The South West’s top 10 best attractions
| Rank | Attraction | Score /100 | Reviews | 5-star reviews |
| 1 | Brunel’s SS Great Britain (listed as Bristol Dockyards) | 75.70 | 8,360 | 81.72% |
| 2 | Pennywell Farm | 74.88 | 4,232 | 86.08% |
| 3 | The Tank Museum | 73.90 | 5,301 | 82.19% |
| 4 | Salisbury Cathedral | 71.80 | 7,403 | 76.75% |
| 5 | Wells Cathedral | 71.61 | 4,114 | 80.36% |
| 6 | The Donkey Sanctuary | 71.59 | 3,915 | 80.77% |
| 7 | Woolacombe Beach | 71.53 | 3,880 | 80.72% |
| 8 | Gloucester Cathedral | 69.98 | 3,789 | 77.96% |
| 9 | The Roman Baths | 69.82 | 24,848 | 71.02% |
| 10 | Monkey World | 68.75 | 6,476 | 72.76% |
Taking first place is Brunel’s SS Great Britain, listed as Bristol Dockyards in the original data, with a score of 75.70 out of 100. The Bristol attraction has received 8,360 TripAdvisor reviews, with 81.72% awarding it five stars. It also ranks sixth in the overall UK ranking.
Devon’s Pennywell Farm follows in second place, scoring 74.88. Its five-star percentage is higher at 86.08%, but this comes from a smaller total of 4,232 reviews.
Completing the top three is The Tank Museum in Dorset. More than eight in ten of its 5,301 Tripadvisor reviews are five-star, helping the museum achieve a final score of 73.90.
Salisbury Cathedral comes fourth with 71.80. The Wiltshire landmark has attracted 7,403 reviews, of which 76.75% gave it the maximum rating.
Another cathedral follows in fifth. Wells Cathedral in Somerset scores 71.61, with 80.36% of its 4,114 Tripadvisor reviews awarding it five stars.
In sixth is The Donkey Sanctuary in Devon, scoring 71.59. More than eight in ten of its 3,915 reviewers gave it the maximum rating, placing the attraction just 0.02 points behind Wells Cathedral.
Woolacombe Beach places seventh with 71.53. The Devon beach has attracted 3,880 Tripadvisor reviews, including an 80.72% five-star share, putting it just behind The Donkey Sanctuary.
Not far behind is Gloucester Cathedral, which takes eighth place with 69.98. The cathedral has received 3,789 reviews, of which 77.96% awarded it five stars.
The Roman Baths comes ninth with 69.82. The Bath attraction has received 24,848 Tripadvisor reviews, more than any other destination in the South West top ten, with 71.02% giving it five stars.
Rounding out the top ten is Dorset’s Monkey World, with a score of 68.75. The animal attraction has attracted 6,476 reviews, including a 72.76% five-star share.
The rest of the top 15 includes Kents Cavern in 11th with 68.70, followed by Lanhydrock House and Garden in 12th with 67.92. Weymouth Beach comes 13th, Babbacombe Model Village and Gardens places 14th and Clifton Suspension Bridge completes the top 15 with 66.98.
Some of the South West’s most recognisable attractions appear considerably further down the ranking. Stonehengeplaces 33rd with a score of 52.39, while Cornwall’s Eden Project ranks 38th at 46.42.
The Eden Project has received 13,991 Tripadvisor reviews, but only 42.69% awarded it five stars. That’s less than half the proportion recorded by Pennywell Farm, where 86.08% of reviewers gave the maximum rating.
Land’s End Landmark finishes 40th, with a score of 37.40 and a five-star percentage of just 20.09%.
Alexandra Gonçalves, Paid Media Manager at One Day Agency, said: “Smaller, specialist attractions can have an advantage because the experience often feels more personal. At this type of venue, visitors may spend more time speaking to knowledgeable staff, get closer to the subject and see the enthusiasm of the people running it. Those details tend to stick with people when they leave a review.
“There is usually a very clear promise as well. Somebody visiting a historic ship or a museum dedicated to one part of history knows roughly what they’re going there for. If the attraction delivers that experience well, there is less room for disappointment than there might be at a major landmark expected to offer something for everybody.
“The difference between Pennywell Farm and The Roman Baths is a good example of how review volume changes the picture. Pennywell Farm has a higher five-star percentage, at 86.08% across 4,232 reviews, while The Roman Baths has 71.02% across nearly 25,000. One shows a particularly strong level of enthusiasm, while the other has maintained positive feedback across a much larger number of visitors.
“It’s also striking that Brunel’s SS Great Britain finishes first while Stonehenge places 33rd. Visitors aren’t necessarily judging an attraction by its fame or cultural importance. They’re judging how the day actually felt, whether the staff added something to the experience and whether they came away feeling that the visit was worth their time.”
