Bath (Jan 28-Feb 1, 2022)

Bath is World Heritage Site which was named after the Roman baths that were built here in 60 AD. The baths are fed by geothermal springs rising up from the limestone below. These unique properties have made it a famous spa area since ancient times. During the Georgian era in the 17th Century, the town again became highly popular and Georgian architecture is prominent throughout the city and at the Royal Crescent, Circus, and Pump Room. Bath is a wonderful town to walk about with many wonderful little shops, restaurants, and spas. Here are my favorites from our trip:

#1 Bath Abbey

Bath Abbey was constructed in the 7th Century with a cruciform layout and intricate, detailed Gothic architecture, fan vaulted ceilings, and stained glass windows. There is a copious amount of light filtering through the 55 windows which cover 80 percent of the wall space making the abbey feel almost light and delicate. Colorful stained glass fills the window panes and tells the story of Christ and his Disciples in detailed pictorials. 847 stone tiles on the floor and 618 plaques on the walls stand as memorials for those deceased. Some of those buried beneath the abbey had to be relocated in order to stabilize the floor. The pews near the main alter are ornately carved with gargoyles and coat of arms that seem to represent various families. Perhaps these wealthy families had there own reserved pews. The carved wooden lectern as well as the molded brass one are also quite beautiful. There is an enormous organ with shiny metallic pipes stretching up to the ceiling in the north transept that was originally built in 1895 and reconstructed in 1997 but various other organs have been used within the abbey dating back to 1634. Off to the right hand side of the main altar is a small prayer room with a few pews and a softly illuminated ornate cross with a single candle in the center. This room also features a fan vaulted ceiling and you can see the intricate craftsmanship up close.

#2 Stonehenge

Stonehenge is located in Wiltshire which is a 50 minute drive (34 miles) from Bath and makes for a pleasant day trip from the city. I would definitely recommend taking the trip as the photos do not well convey the magnitude of the construction effort or the history surrounding this prehistoric monument. It simply feels different when you are standing in the middle of the open grassy Salisbury Plain with sheep grazing nearby and walking past the massive stones. The 30-50 ton Sarsen stones were hauled 16 miles from North Wiltshire to this location which would have been an enormous undertaking. The inner Bluestones came from over 150 miles away from Preseli Hills in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Here is how they believe the stones were moved around 2,400 – 2,600 BC (4,600 years ago!)

The stones were shaped using other stones and the Lintel stones that were placed on top of the standing stones were held in place with tongue and grooves (you can see a tongue on the top of the example stone above). The stones are arranged in a circle such that, at Sunrise on the Summer Solstice, the sun rises just to the left of the Heel Stone (The angled stone set further away from the circle of which there was originally two) and the sun’s first rays fall into the center of the circle. At Sunset on the Winter Solstice, the Sun Sets between the inner trilithons which are the very large stones with lintels on the top (now one of the trilithons and the lintel are missing). You can explore Stonehenge virtually here. Evidence of animal sacrifice as well as burials (as many as 150 individuals were originally buried at Stonehenge) have been identified.

#3 The Roman Baths

You cannot come to Bath and not visit the Roman Baths after which the city was named. The Baths were built by the Romans in 60-70 AD and are fed by a geothermal spring that rises up through the limestone. The Romans believed the hot spring was sacred and erected a temple there as well as conducting animal sacrifices. The Baths are actually a whole complex that included cold baths, hot baths, as well as the main bath and rooms that were possibly used for massages, etc. In Roman times they believed the hot sacred waters had healing properties but today visitors are not allowed to bath in the waters and for very good reason. The Romans built the baths on lead plates meant to keep the waters in and they are fed by lead pipes. We now know that lead exposure can cause developmental effects in fetuses, infants, and young children. In adults, low level exposure can cause hypertension, cognitive issues, and reproductive harms. However, that is not the only reason to avoid the waters. In 1978, a young girl bathing in the waters contracted meningitis and died. The waters were tested and found to contain a brain eating amoeba (Naegleria fowleri). So, look but don’t touch.

The engineering ingenuity behind the baths and architecture surrounding them is quite impressive and must have been breathtaking to behold at the time. Walking through them now feels like a bit of time travelling. Interestingly, visitors to the baths would often write messages to the gods on thin sheets of lead that they would then toss into the waters as a type of prayer. Most of the messages archeologists deciphered were actually curses for items stolen from the owner or some relatively minor harm inflicted (Theft of a silver ring, a pair of gloves, a bronze vessel, part of a plough, two silver coins, etc.).

#4 Pulteney Bridge

Pulteney Bridge is a bridge over the River Avon in Bath that was constructed in 1774 and was designed by Robert Adam in an architectural style that was inspired by the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio. The bridge is unusual in that it is one of only four bridges in the world that have shops along both sides of their structures for the full length of the bridge. One of the shops is a mosaic tile store as well as a coin and stamp store that has been run for many years by the Swindells family whose Airbnb we stayed at. Steve Swindells is a musician and artist whose solo album Fresh Blood was #3 in the US airplay charts in the 1980’s who showed us around Bath and told us about the shop. The family matriarch is Audrey Swindells who wrote a book titled Mitty’s Letter based on a cross written letter she came across in her work at the shop and deciphered. The letter was written by British officer in the Indian Army writing to his love interest back in England. Anyway, if you go into the shop and down the stairs, you can look out of one of the lower ocular windows on the bridge for an interesting view of the weir and river. The unique arching weir (low dam) and the flow of water over the various levels of the dam is quite captivating.

#5 Sally Lunn Bunn

Sally Lunn’s is a historic tea and eating house. It is the home of the Bath bun and claims to be the oldest house in Bath dating back to 1482. The recipe for the Bath bun is a secret that is said to pass only with the owner of the house. In most of the dishes, they serve the bun cut in half so you either get the top half or the bottom half of the bun which is a cross between a cake and bread in texture. I ordered the cinnamon butter bun. The bun itself was rather plain in taste and texture and I did not find it very impressive in any way. However, the cinnamon butter was quite good with the bun. More interesting than the food was the little museum downstairs in the basement. It is believed a Roman building previously existed here where food was also prepared and eaten. After that, it was a portion of a Benedictine Monastery. Then the story goes that Sally Lunn arrived from France, escaping persecution as a Protestant Huguenot. She joined employment with the baker here but quickly gained recognition for her unique type of baked buns in 1680.

#6 Pump Room

The Pump Room adjoins the Roman Baths and was originally completed in 1706 as an orangery. Orangeries were symbols of prestige and wealth and were rooms or buildings were orange and fruit trees were protected during the winter months. The Pump Room was also where you could take a glass of spa water and sign the city visitors book notifying others of your arrival. It was a place of high fashion and Jane Austin, who wrote of the British gentry at the time, featured the room in some of her novels. British Royalty have even visited the Pump Room to sample the spa waters. Today, it is still a fashionable place to have tea and pastries and to listen to music from the Pump Room Trio.

#7 Parade Gardens

The Parade Gardens were owned by Bath Abbey during medieval times and have been a fashionable place to walk and to be seen during the Georgian, Victorian, and Edwardian times. Bands often play here in the summer months and the flower displays have won multiple national awards.

#8 Sydney Gardens

The Sydney Gardens were established as Georgian Pleasure Gardens and were a favorite spot of Jane Austin. They are located on the other side of the river from the Parade Gardens and surround the Holburne Museum. The gardens include coastal redwood trees from North America and the Kennet & Avon Canal runs along the western side.

#9 Bookstores

It seems like bookstores have all but disappeared from the US retail market so it was wonderful to see huge bookstores with many rooms full of all types of books stacked from floor to ceiling and laid out on tables as well. It was like a nerdy labyrinth of knowledge. I took these photos at Topping & Company Bookstore, but there were others in the city as well.

#10 Suave Owl

This gentlemen’s store for traditional suits with a modern twist was probably the coolest suit store I have seen so far. It’s a small store with great style and taste. The owners, Tony and Jesse are a down to earth couple and, while this is their first store, I have a feeling they will soon open stores in other towns as well. They ended up starting the store when Tony, a tall ex-military guy, had a hard time finding a good suit for their own wedding. I recommend checking it out if you are in town and in need of a new suit. (Suave Owl)