Ancient Roman, Tudor and Neo-classical architecture dot this lovely Somerset city. Bath is a lovely place to wander and explore.
A quintessential English spa town, Bath lives up to its name. People have been coming to Bath for its famous spring water for millennia. According to legend, a natural spring was found back in 836 BCE. Whenever it was found, it was a spring worshiped by the local Celtic tribes and dedicated to the goddess Sulis. When the Romans invaded, they founded a town at Bath called Aquae Sulis (the waters of Sulus). A temple and bathing complex was built over the next 300 years. The ruins of this bath house can still be explored today.
Entrance to the baths.
The Roman Baths lived on, even after the Romans left. The original bathhouse has been modified, adding extra floors and extra rooms. The spring is now housed in 18-century buildings, however, still feeding the ruins. The Victorians built the huge Grand Pump Room. They didn’t bath in the spring waters, but instead drank it for its healthy properties. The tradition continues today.
The remains of the Roman bathing pool. While the Victorians only liked to drink the water, the Romans got right in. It would not have been so green looking though. The terrace on the top of the pillars is a later addition, along with the statues of Roman Emperors and Governors of Great Britain.
The museum at the Roman Baths has a ton of Roman artifacts and the ruins of the Roman bathhouses. Here is the Hypocaust system that would have heated the rooms. Hot air was forced through the columns, under the floor, to heat the room. Common find in baths and villas, especially in the chilly north like England.
I just love this photo. The building on the left is the modern museum and in the center is Bath Abbey, our next stop.
Bath Abbey used to be part of a Benedictine monastery, hence the name, abbey. Founded in 10th century, it was rebuilt and finished right in time for Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century. Queen Elizabeth I granted the church parish status, saving it from being completely torn apart by scavengers.
Bath Abbey was made using local Bath stone, which has a very light, yellowish color and found all over town.
80 percent of the wall space is made up of windows. Sooooo bright and lovely.
The amazing stained glass behind the altar of the church.
And just look at that ceiling. Wow!
Now that we have checked out the two biggest attractions in Bath, let’s do some wandering.
The very beautiful Pulteney Bridge crosses the River Avon. It was built in 1774.
Close up. The appearance has changed a bit since it was built, but they are working on returning it to the original design.
You can even tell that you are on the bridge. It just looks like a normal street.
Past the bridge, you find many, many Georgian townhomes built in that lovely Bath stone.
Many of the buildings in town are made with the same kind of stone, making every light and cheery.
And many of the buildings are Georgian (18th century) in the Neo-classical or Palladian styles. I love this town. Everything is so fancy.
St. Michael’s Church, very stunning.
The streets are just so adorable.
An interesting looking theater.
Kingsmead Square with its townhomes and café’s.
This made me laugh.
A lovely chapel I can’t find the name of. It may be decommissioned.
A lovely townhome in Queen Square.
The Circus, one of two very famous groups of townhomes. The homes encircle a lovely green park with a giant tree.
Royal Crescent, one of Bath’s biggest tourist draws. Thirty townhomes were designed around a half circle park in the late 1700s. While they are all uniform in the front, the homes have different designs in the rear. Many have now been turned into flats and a museum.
No. 1 Royal Crescent is now a museum with authentic period furnishings focusing on the late 1700s.
A nice little breakfast room.
The main dining room. I love the blue.
I believe this is the lady’s drawing room.
Bath is a fantastic place for a day trip, even from London. It is easy to get to by train and small enough to walk around without having to worry about taking a bus. You can even grab a bus tour out of London, which seems to be popular (I’m even guilty of this for my first visit to Bath. However, all pictures are from my visit in 2017.) Bath is a perfect place to wander around in the morning and spend an afternoon in a café or bookshop.
Check out my other posts in my Wandering series!
