\
Bath

Bath

State

Somerset

Country

England

Continent

Europe

Size

29 KM2

Population

88,859

Spending Budget

$150 - $157

Famous For

  • Hot springs
  • Roman period baths
  • Mediaeval heritage

Best Time to Visit

  • June
  • July
  • August
  • September

History

The archaeological evidence shows that the site of the Roman Baths main spring was treated as a shrine by the Celts, and dedicated to the goddess Sulis. The Romans probably occupied Bath shortly after the Roman Invasion of Britain in 43AD. They knew it as Aquae Sulis ('the waters of Sul'), identifying the goddess with Minerva. In Roman times the worship of Sulis Minerva continued and messages to her scratched onto metal have been recovered from the Sacred Spring by archaeologists. These are known as curse tablets. Written in Latin, and usually laid curses on other people, whom they feel had done them wrong. For example, if a citizen had his clothes stolen at the Baths, he would write a curse on a tablet, to be read by the Goddess Sulis Minerva, and also, the "suspected" names would be mentioned. The collection from Bath is the most important found in Britain.It has been suggested that Bath may have been the site of the Battle of Mons Badonicus (circa 500 AD), where King Arthur is said to have defeated the Saxons, but this is disputed. King William Rufus granted the city to a royal physician, John of Tours, who became Bishop of Wells and Abbot of Bath in 1088.

Present Day

Bath is a historic Roman and Georgian spa city. It is a World Heritage Site, situated 100 miles west of London and 15 miles south-east of Bristol’s nearest colossal city. Bath is famous for its warm springs, Roman duration baths, ancient Medieval past, and stately Georgian architecture. Set in the rolling Somerset nation-state on the Cotswolds’ southern fringe, Bath offers a numerous range of sights for its 4.4million tourists every year: restaurants, theatres, cinemas, pubs, and nightclubs, at the side of exciting museums, and a wide range of guided tours. Bath is a few of the oldest of England’s central tourist locations and has been welcoming site visitors for centuries. Bath first achieved its reputation as a sacred spa site online with the growth of the Roman settlement Aquae Sulis around the thermal springs. Bath is in the valley of the River Avon, 97 miles (156 km) west of London and 11 miles (18 km) southeast of Bristol. The city became a World Heritage site in 1987.The city has two universities – the University of Bath and Bath Spa University – with Bath College providing further education. Sporting clubs include Bath Rugby and Bath City F.C. The city is also home to software, publishing and service-oriented industries such as Future plc and Rotork.

Future

Bath may be a World Heritage city but it’s going to be turning its attention away from the global and more towards the home market – once the pandemic is behind us – and will be doing all it can to make people stay in the area for longer too.Bath’s unique attractions – both Roman and Georgian – have traditionally helped swell its annual coffers. Add the financial benefits of tourism to the income generated from property holdings and car parking, and B&NES pockets £35 million pounds a year.Four years on from the Government’s order to cut nitrogen dioxide levels in the city, Bath’s £23million clean air zone is scheduled to be activated on March 15.Bath has entered a watershed. Now, for vision and direction, the city must go ‘back to the future’, return to its Aquae Sulis roots (the local economy in Roman times) and re-invent itself around healthcare and climate change innovations as drivers of community wealth building and sustainable economic development for the rest of this century.Key reflections in the 52-page report include exploring how Bath’s leading public sector players, such as the University of Bath, could build on their already positive engagements with the city to do more in using their economic power and influence for wider local benefit.
Must Visit Places ------------

Small Abbey Green

An excellent place to begin touring in the small Abbey Green is a peaceful courtyard with a large tree in the central and historic old buildings all around. This courtyard is quite prominent. It’s just one street over from the Bath Abbey and still is easily avoided because it’s certainly not very conspicuous.

South Gate Street

The southern end of this main pedestrian street is an excellent example of urban redevelopment. It’s Southgate Street, which is kind of like a shopping mall in the middle of the historic center. It blends in very nicely with the pedestrian lanes around it and is anchored by department stores and a nice variety of clothing stores and eateries in a very well organized and clean place.

Bath Street

Perhaps you’ll be drawn into Bath Street lured by colonnades on both sides and tempting shops along the way. BathStreet is only one block long, ending in a small curved intersection called Cross Bath with more columns. Take a look through the archway to the tranquil courtyard of St. John’s Hospital and then look up to see the Therme Spa’s rooftop pool where you can get a full treatment in naturally heated mineral-rich waters.

Westgate Street

Tour a cross over through St.Michael’s Place to Westgate Street, another beautiful lane with more shops on both sides. Cheap Street is on the east end, but this side seems more for locals than for tourists.

Theater Royale

A block north brings you to Theater Royale, the main venue for plays and live musicals in town. They usually have something going on most evenings, ranging from comedies to concerts to drama. The theatre has its restaurant and in the side lane, Garrick’s Head Pub, another cozy neighborhood with quiet streets and more restaurants.

The circus

This circle of 33 elegant townhouses is an ideal example of town planning with beautifully designed buildings that efficiently use the land and provide open green space for the citizens with different yards in the back and around the Park in the middle. The circus was designed with back in 1750 by John Wood the Elder and completed by his son.

The Royal Crescent

The Royal Crescent is the supreme achievement of the city and has become the emblem of Bath. For a delightful route back towards the town center that will get you off the city streets for a while, enter the leaf the Gravel Walk and stroll through Royal Victoria Park, which enriches the Georgian Garden, lushly decorated with many flowerbeds and overlooking trees.

Queens Parade

You’ll exit through the garden doors at Queens Parade, which is attached to Queen Square. This green Park involves one block in the heart of town encircled by elegant homes and a fine hotel, The Francis, part of the luxurious Sofitel M Gallery collection. The Park and an obelisk in the center date back to the early 18th century, as do the buildings along the north side designed by John Wood the Elder.

Beckford's tower

Built between 1826 and 1827, Beckford’s Tower and Museum, with its winding staircase and impressive view across the historic Lansdown Cemetery, is somewhere a little different to visit in picturesque Bath. The only surviving example of the architecture of William Beckford, who also designed Fonthill Abbey in Wiltshire, the 120-foot-tall neo-classical tower provides a peculiar charm and gorgeous countryside vistas.

The Beazer Maze

To the east of Bath’s famous weir are the Beazer Gardens, with a curling maze paved into its simple green lawn and detailed mosaics depicting scenes from Bath’s history, both recent and distant. Relax on the grass after a day wandering the better-known sights.