Monday, May 31, 2010

UK - Bath

City of Bath is situated within the south west of England. It is a world heritage city renowned for its hot springs, Roman Baths, splendid Georgian stones crescents, beautiful countryside and an abbey. It has been described as one of England’s most beautiful places to visit.

Our group of 5 took a day tour to Stonehenge and City of Bath when we were on a 3 weeks’ vacation to UK and cruise to the Baltic Capitals, while our other 2 friends were busy with apartment hunting at Notting Hills. We arrived at City of Bath around noon after spending a few hours at Stonehenge.

We started our tour on Bath, driving round The Circus and The Royal Crescent.
The Circus, a perfect circle of 33 Palladian-style houses was designed by John Wood in 1754 with inspiration from Rome's Colosseum and parts of it is said to resemble the Roman amphitheatre, with three tiers and Corinthian columns. The Royal Crescent is the other prominent and loved local landmark. It was designed by John Wood’s son, consisting of 30 glorious houses, decorated with a facade of columns and built of pale-gold Bath stone. Most of these properties are apparently owned by the rich and famous in the entertainment world.

Next, we stopped to visit the famous Roman Baths, one of the finest thermal spas with healing power known and used by Celts in ancient time. The temple and baths flourished in Aquae Sulis (The Roman name for Bath) in the first few centuries AD. The site was excavated in 1878 after being discovered during building work. The Roman Baths is below the modern street level and has four main features, the Sacred Spring, the Roman Temple, the Roman bath house and finds from Roman Bath. The Georgian Pump Room (regarded as the social heart of Bath) is on the ground level and admission is free. The Pump Room Restaurant is open daily for morning coffee, lunch and afternoon tea.

We begin our visit to the Roman Baths in the magnificent Victorian reception hall, equipped with audio guide. Next, we proceed to the Terrace which is lined with statues of Roman Governors of Britain, Roman Emperors and military leaders, overlooking the Great Bath. The magnificent centerpiece of the Roman baths is the pool. At the very heart of the site is the Sacred Spring. The "sacred area", place of worship and sacrifice and where ceremonies took place in pagan time, surrounds the Temple. It was also the place where the cult statue of the goddess Sulis Minerva was housed. In the Roman Bath Museum, great ornamental pediment survives and re-erected. Many of the objects in the museum tell us about the people who lived and worked in the area and those who visited the great Roman religious spa of Aquae Sulis.

In the heart of the city next to the Roman Baths is the splendid Bath Abbey, a fifteenth century medieval church. The Abbey is the last of the great medieval churches of England and has remarkable carved frontage and amazing fan vaulting. The carvings on the front of the Abbey, depicting the visions of Bishop Oliver King after God appeared to him in a dream were recently restored to their full glory, showing off the honey colours of the unique Bath stone untouched by exhaust pollution. When we were in the Abbey, the church's orchestra was practicing for a concert that night. A special bonus to our visit  Non-flash photography is welcome inside the Abbey and donation is appreciated.

A short walk from the Abbey is the Pulteney Bridge, complete with three classical arches and the dramatic swirl of the nearby weir. It is one of only four bridges in the world lined by shops on both sides. It was designed by Robert Adam for landowner Frances Pulteney. Construction began in 1769 and completed two years later. This structure is now widely associated with the city and a major tourist attraction in its own right, not only for its history and detailed architecture, but also for the bustle of shoppers and sightseers.

Overlooking the River Avon is the Parade Garden which has fine views of Pulteney Bridge and the nearby weir. It’s a nice place to laze around without a care for what’s happening around the world. Bath is my vote, England’s most relaxing and beautiful place to spend the vacation and maybe to further one’s studies as well - Bath is also famous for its university, University of Bath.

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