Bath-Day1
Thursday afternoon arrived in Bath by train having travelled up from Southampton, A warm partly sunny day with temperature up to 21c. Checked into out B&B then went for a walk into Bath city centre about 15 minutes away. Explored a little then stopped at a small tapas restaurant for dinner before returning just as a light rain started.
Bath, Somerset is known for and named after its Roman-built baths. With a population of around 98,000, it is 97 miles (156 km) west of London and 11 miles (18 km) southeast of Bristol. The city became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 and was later added to the World Heritage Site known as the “Great Spa Towns of Europe” in 2021. Bath is also the largest city and urban settlement in Somerset. The dominant style of architecture in central Bath is Georgian. Bath main attractions are the Roman Baths, Abby, Circus, Royal Crescent, Victoria Park and river Avon.
The Roman Baths are well preserved. A temple was constructed on the site between 60 and 70 AD in the first few decades of Roman Britain. Its presence led to the development of the small Roman urban settlement known as Aquae Sulis around the site. The Roman baths were designed for public bathing and were used until the end of Roman rule in Britain in the 5th century AD. The original Roman baths were in ruins a century later. The area around the natural springs was redeveloped several times during the Early and Late Middle Ages. The Roman Baths are preserved in four main features: the Sacred Spring, the Roman Temple, the Roman Bath House, and a museum which holds artefacts from Aquae Sulis.
The Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, commonly known as Bath Abbey, is a parish church of the Church of England and former Benedictine monastery. Founded in the 7th century, it was reorganised in the 10th century and rebuilt in the 12th and 16th centuries; major restoration work was carried out by Sir George Gilbert Scott in the 1860s. It is one of the most significant examples of Perpendicular Gothic Architecture in the West Country.
Highlight of the day: Tapas
