Oh! Who can be ever tired of Bath?
If there is a place any tourist should visit, it should definitely be the City of Bath, England. What Should You Know About the City of Baths in England? Well, It is the largest city in the country of Somerset in England. A world site heritage that is famous for its Roman-built baths which it is named after.
Prior before embarking on the journey to the city of Bath, I researched a few cities to visit and activities to partake whilst on our trip. I also arranged for a guide and photographer on the first day to show us some secret gems of the city. Who wouldn’t like a private tour?!
The purpose of the trip to Bath was to show René, my husband, how beautiful the UK is. As he only gets to see London where we live, since moving from the Netherlands. So the plan was to see the South East of England covering the coast to Cornwall.
FIRST DAY IN THE CITY OF BATH ENGLAND
We left home on the morning of the 24th of August hoping to get to Bath early enough. On our way to Bath, we stopped at Castle Combe. This village has been voted the prettiest village in the UK, and it was a location for the film musical Doctor Dolittle. If you are also a fan of historical happenings, you might need to visit this fabulous place to feel its impact on history. Lacock Abbey, on the other hand, held much fascination for me because of the Harry Potter scenes taken there. It is a place brimming with a lot of 15th to 18th-century historical drama. It was a sight!
When we arrived at Bath, it was already 6pm. Usually, the trip shouldn’t have taken that long because its approximately 2.5 hours drive from London to Bath. But because, we stopped at the two villages and spent some time there, we arrived in Bath a little bit late.
During our first day in Bath, which happened to be my birthday, it rained heavily. And we already had a photoshoot session booked and also a booking for the tour of the city with a guide. Due to the rain, our photoshoot was almost cancelled, and the tour was delayed. But eventually, the guide came, and we commenced the shoot at Pulteney Bridge.
Now, Pulteney Bridge is one of the most photographed examples of Georgian culture. This is what you should know about the city of Baths in England, it is the home to some historical events.
Travelling along the alleys of the city to the famous Bath Spa, I could not help but imagine how beautiful the city was during the time of the Romans and the Georgian era.
The City of Bath was originally constructed as a spa for the Romans around 60AD with the name “Aquae Sulis”. This translates to “the waters of Sul”. Therefore, I was not surprised to see many spas around the city. We visited the famous Thermae Bath spa, along with many other spa centres in the area. You know, the experience you get from the spa is the same as those of the Romans and the Celts that were here about 2000 years ago. It is the same water! From here on, we visited the Parade gardens.
From the garden, we could see, very clearly, the Pulteney Bridge and the weir. A low barrier that was built across a river to control the water level and regulate the flow of water. I can attest to the fact that the beddings display at the gardens is among the finest in England. We also visited many of the restaurants and tea shops that are spread across the city.
We finished our tour of the city of baths at the Royal Crescent. It is named so because of the architectural design of the buildings. The Royal Crescent is a row of terraced townhouses laid out in a crescent and overlooking a massive field in Bath.
Standing here with my husband and the tour guide, I sympathised with Amabel Edmunda Wellesley. A woman who stood and fought for her rights. She sent shockwaves across Bath for her refusal to paint her door the same colour as the others on The Royal Crescent. It was considered at the time a vandalisation of the nationally important Royal Crescent which was well in her rights, because it was her property.
SECOND DAY: UP AND ABOUT IN THE CITY OF BATH
Our second day in Bath was not as super busy as the first day. We revisited some of the places we saw during our tour on the first day. But this time, without the guide.
We first visited a small French Tea/Coffee shop that was set up by a French Lady who moved to Bath in 1990. Afterwards, we went on to the City Centre where we got to see the Parade Garden again (unfortunately, we didn’t visit the Parade Garden). And then, we stopped by the Brown’s Restaurant where we had pork and mashed potatoes. A very tasty meal!
We proceeded to the Francis Hotel that was bombed during the Bath Blitz, but has now returned to its former glory. It goes to show that the heritage-listed hotel has withstood the test of time.
Afterwards, we went back to the Brown’s Restaurant for a coffee break and some dessert! From there, we carried on to Barton Street, a street housing the building where the King of Bath lived in the 17th century with his mistress. It is worthy of note that after the king’s death in 1761, the mistress continued living in the building.
Adjacent, to the late King’s building is an Indian Oriental Restaurant called Giggly Squid. Unfortunately, we didn’t try this restaurant because they have a book in advance policy and we didn’t have that much time as we were in Bath for only two nights.
Walking through Pulteney Bridge again, I was impressed with how it is able to accommodate the stores on both sides. This bridge looked like a street! Pulteney Bridge was designed in 1769 by Robert Adams and is one of the only four bridges in the world to have shops across its full span on both sides. It was a tremendous and magnificent experience standing on the place the suicide of Javert was filmed in the 2012 film, Les Miserables. It is, and this is not an overstatement, one of the world’s most romantic and beautiful bridges.
Yet, as grand as the Bridge is, it is rivalled by the Bath Abbey and the Bath garden. You cannot imagine how beautiful the abbey is till you visit it or watch my vlog on YouTube. It stands as one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the south-west of England. Founded in 1499, Bath Abbey stands on a site with religious connections that dates back to the 4th century. Talk about history! The coronation service for King Edgar, the first king of England, was held on this site. Standing inside its magnificent interior, you can see rays of lights that fill the grand room through the stained glass windows. This has earned this parish the name “the Lantern of the West”
Travelling along the alleys of the city to the famous Bath Spa, I could not help but imagine how beautiful the city was during the time of the Romans and the Georgian era.
We ended our tour at the water system the Roman built to manage flooding. It was a definitely a well thought out construction plan. Click my vlog to watch how the water flows. These are few of the things you should know about the city of bath in England.
In summary, the city of Bath is one of the most intriguing place to visit if you are ever in the United Kingdom. And if you are at lost on what to do if you decide to visit London, here’s an article on “Enjoy London with no Money”
Cheers!
