Bath City Guide

Bath is one of, if not the most beautiful locations in England. With a population of 80,000, this small city has a high level of importance and became a World Heritage site in 1987. A rich history and culture attracts many tourists there every year, making it very busy in parts during the summer months as well as around Christmas.

The city was built around a spring which made up the Roman Baths. In 60-70 AD a temple was built and over the following 300 years a bathing complex was created. A defensive wall was built around the area, but after Roman withdrawal in the fifth century, the baths fell into disrepair. In 1676, a former student of Oxford University named Thomas Guidott moved to Bath and showed an interest in the springs. He then brought the water’s health giving properties to the attention of many people. Following this, the aristocracy began visiting the area. By the time of the 1801 census, the city had reached a population of just over 40,000, making it one of the largest in Britain. In the Second World War Bath suffered three air raids, killing many residents and damaging a lot of buildings. Regeneration work has been taking place ever since.

Getting into the city by car can be difficult during the summer as Bath is a small place and attracts a large amount of tourism. Queues can build up on the roads, especially coming from the London direction. Bath Spa is the city’s main train station and is well served from a number of locations throughout the country. The closest airport is Bristol International, on the outskirts of Bristol - Bath’s neighbouring city. From the airport a bus runs to the Bristol Temple Meads train station and from there are regular connections to Bath.

One of the main attractions of Bath is walking through the small streets on either side of the main shopping area. The city has a number of local and interesting shops and at Christmas time has an outdoor market near to the Abbey. The bustling shopping streets are contrasted by the city’s parks which are scattered around. The main one of these is Royal Victoria Park, which was opened by Princess Victoria in 1830. This is overlooked by the Royal Crescent, a road of 30 houses built between 1767 and 1744 which is a fantastic example of Georgian architecture. Along with the Circus, it creates a key shape and is the area for some of the most expensive houses in the city.

In the city centre runs the river Avon and over this is Pultney Bridge. Around here is the Bath Rugby stadium which is known as the Rec. Rugby is a popular sport in the area and on match days and the atmosphere is energetic. This is helped by the central location of the stadium.

Towering over the city, the Bath Abbey provides a central point. Founded in the 7th century, this is one of the largest examples of Perpendicular Gothic architecture in the south west of England. Next to this is the Roman Bath Museum, which shows visitors information about the baths and allows them to see them, however, swimming there is not permitted.

Bath is one of the best places to visit for a traditional view of British upper class life. The city is well preserved, interesting and cosmopolitan. It is small enough to see in a short amount of time, but beautiful enough to make you want to stay much longer.