Take the train to follow the Bath owl trail

GWR teams up with Minerva’s Owls of Bath to encourage tourists to swoop-in this summer!

Tourists visiting Bath this summer who arrive by train will be welcomed to the historic city by one of the flock of oversized owls as part of a major public art sculpture trail. 

Minerva’s Owls of Bath is set to take place from 25 June to 10 September and will see the super-sized individually designed owls displayed across the World Heritage city. 

Great Western Railway (GWR) has sponsored one of the owls which will be displayed at Bath Spa station with occasional flying visits to other stations on the GWR network to help promote the trail.

 

Mark Hopwood, GWR Managing Director, said:

“We’re proud to be supporting Minerva’s Owls of Bath. The owl trail will no doubt be a colourful attraction to what is already a very popular destination on our route and we look forward to helping many people visit the city this summer.” 

GWR operates more than 60 trains each day between London Paddington and Bath with one-way fares starting from £14.50 in Standard Class when booked online at GWR.com 

Megan Witty, Minerva’s Owls of Bath Event Organiser, said: 

“We're so pleased to have GWR on board as a sponsor for this summer’s Owls of Bath event. The interactive sculpture trail isn't only for the residents of Bath to enjoy but will also enable people from across the UK and beyond to explore and discover our fabulous World Heritage city.”

GWR is working alongside Bath based artist Rita Lazaro (pictured) to design an eye-catching design for the owl incorporating images of the city’s railway heritage. 

A Community Rail themed owl has also been commissioned by the Community Rail Partnerships and will appear among the group of owls in the city this summer. 

Emma Morris, GWR Community Manager, said: 

“The Community Rail partnerships contribute energy, skills and knowledge to their routes, creating station gardens, promoting rail visits to their local economies and helping us to better understand and respond to local needs.

Their networks of local relationships add excellent value to our work to ensure that our railway is at the heart of local economic prosperity.”

Notes to editors

Great Western Railway (GWR) provides high speed, commuter, regional and branch line train services. We help over 100 million passengers reach their destinations every year - across South Wales, the West Country, the Cotswolds, and large parts of Southern England. 

We’re currently seeing the biggest investment in the network since Brunel so we can offer more trains, more seats, and shorter, more frequent journeys and continue the network’s heritage of helping connect more businesses to new and prosperous markets. Through a series of initiatives we aim to be a good neighbour to the communities we serve and are committed to making a positive social impact in those regions. Learn how we're Building a Greater West at GWR.com. GWR is a FirstGroup company.