Why Bath?
For our third excursion of the year we have chosen the city of Bath. Why? Well, for a starter its one of England's most beautiful cities. In fact, it is also one of the country's oldest tourist destinations. Nearly 2000 years ago the Romans were drawn to this area by the hot natural springs. Aquae Sulis, as the Romans called Bath, soon became a prosperous Roman Spa town, attracting visitors from all over the colony and beyond.
Sine Roman times, Bath has grown and developed considerably, becoming a magnet for the wealthy, who during the 18th Century practically rebuilt the city, embellishing it with elegant neo classical architecture, inspired by Greece, Rome and Florence. No trip would be complete without visiting the Circus, built by John Wood the Elder in the 1750's, Holburn Museum, built in 1796, and the Pump Room, again from the same year, to name just a few.
The city has been called England's Florence, and indeed Pultney Bridge over the river Avon was inspired by the Ponte Vecchio spanning the river Arno in Florence.
Pultney Bridge
The Circus
Holburne Museum
The Pump Room
There is much to see here and numerous museums to visit (13) The city is also associated with many famous people who over the years have made it their home: the famous Georgian architect Beau Nash (1674-1762), who designed many of Bath's most prominent buildings, the explorer David Livingstone, Empire builder Clive of India, the artist Thomas Gainsborough, and perhaps the city's most famous daughter: the novelist Jane Austen, to whom a museum is dedicated in Gay Street.
The Museums and their links:
9) Roman Baths
