Somerset is one of England’s most beautiful counties, with places of haunting beauty such as the stunning hillside area of the Costswolds, the legendary Glastonsbury, Dunster Castle, and Bath: the famous spa town is located only 53 km from the Stonehenge site and is the perfect place to rest in the footsteps of Jane Austen. Deciding to take a trip to Somerset to enjoy the Bath Baths, means staying in a place steeped in history that was much loved by the English nobility of the past, but also by writers such as the famous Jane Austen, author of books such as “Persuasion” and“Pride and Prejudice.
Bath was also chosen as a location for filming some scenes of the hit TV series“Bridgerton,“ in light of its stunning 18th-century Georgian-style architecture, which earned it UNESCO World Heritage status.
By traveling alone and not with company, one also has more freedom to move about exploring the surrounding area, which holds many places worth visiting, chief among them the extraordinary archaeological site of Stonehenge.
Discovering the Baths of Bath
Bath is one of Britain’s most enchanting towns, elegant, romantic and intimate, shaped in its buildings in that stone called Bath Stone, which makes each building a warm honey-colored color, also characteristic of other buildings in Somerset and Wiltshire. No exceptions are the old Roman Baths of Bath, which, like the modern ones, take advantage of the benefits of springs that were known in ancient times. Legend has it that the Celtic king Bladud in 9 B.C. miraculously recovered from leprosy after bathing in the waters that flowed over the territory, which were consecrated to the goddess Sul.
The presence of these springs did not escape the Romans, great devotees and enthusiasts of spas: they renamed the urban agglomeration as the Aquae Sulis and built there, in about 70 A.D. (i.e., during the reign of Vespasian), a lavish bathhouse with an adjoining temple dedicated to the goddess Minerva to whom they consecrated these waters. From all over the empire they came to refresh themselves in these beneficial mineral-rich waters, but as Rome abandoned Britain, the spa also fell into disrepair. It was not until the 18th and 19th centuries that there was a revival that would be inexorable, however, making Bath a beloved spa resort for nobles and artists.
Much remains of the ancient Roman bathhouse, moreover a UNESCO World Heritage Site, first and foremost that timeless charm that has remained unchanged over the centuries: the fulcrum of the ancient structure is the large central pool, called Great Bath, surrounded by an elegant portico, atop which soar the remains of ancient Roman statues. A bronze bust and coins were recovered from the ancient temple of Minerva and are kept in the museum area.
The Roman Baths were later expanded with Georgian-style structures, thus in keeping with the rest of the city: beautiful here is the Grand Pump Room, a tea room and caterer that in apssed brought together all of England’s winged society.
Today, to take advantage of the benefits of what is the only natural spring in the United Kingdom, siata aèpunto in Bath, one must travel to the Thermae Bath SPA. Guests will reap the benefits of these waters, which flow at a temperature of 35°, feeding two buildings: Cross Bath, built on an ancient sacred site utoilized by the Celts to worship by the goddess Sul (protector of the springs), and the New Royal Bath, from whose stained-glass windows there is a splendid view of Bath Abbey. At the modern Bath Spa you can enjoy the heated grandbde pool complete with jacuzzi, steam and steam baths, experience showers, and bamboo massages: pampering and wellness for body and mind are assured.
What to see in Bath after a day at the spa
After a day spent at Bath Bath Spa, there is nothing better than walking around the town, discovering every little corner, starting with Sully Lunn‘s. This is uan tea room located inside an old building dating back to 1482: in the rooms with pastel-colored wallpaper and the services are made of porcelain, you can taste, in a tranquility of yesteryear, the classic Bath Bun, savory or sweet lemon card sandwiches, accompanied of course by a steaming cup of tea.
Once properly refreshed, we can set out for Bath Abbey., built between 1499 and 1616: with its 49 m. high tower, this is one of the last best-preserved medieval buildings in all of Britain. The interior gives the lonely visitor an intimate and evocative atmosphere, with its sixteenth-century fan vaults, the floor with as many as 891 tombstones, and the spectacular stained glass windows: among the latter, ayttention cannot fail to posasrisulla Great East Windows, which, in 56 scenes, tells the entire story of Christ.
Bath, in addition to the baths, is also famous for two architectural constructions conisederati verie prorpi masterpieces, and The Circus is one of them. It is a semicircular residential complex designed in 1768 by Jhon Wood the Elder, who is said to have used the same diameter as that of nearby Stonehenge: all the dwellings have the same facade, complete with Masonic symbols and Classical decorations. Among the great people who have inhabited The Circus is David Livingstone, the explorer who discovered the Victoria Cacates.
The other archiectonic complex built in the Georgian style is Royal Crescent, designed in the second half of the 1700s by John Wood the Younger. In one of the houses in this structure, all of which feature a Palladian-style facade, is the Henry Sandford Miuseum: this is a period house where every detail, from the upholstery to the paintings to the objects, harkens back to the 18th century.Other places to visiatre Bath on a solo trip include Prior Park Landscape Garden, a beautiful monumental park resulting from the poetic mind of Alexander Pope. One finds oneself in a green aosi that matches well with the elegance of Bath, in an English style embellished with ponds, an artificial grotto, a Gothic temple, and a Palladian bridge. Prior Park was chosen, like other places in the town, as a location for filming some scenes from historical movies and TV series, including Bridgerton.
You cannot leave Bath without having immortalized yourself in a photo with the Pulteney Bridge in the background: it is a romantic 1774 construction that spans the placid River Avon. The Palladian mold that designer Robert Adam gave to the Pultney Bridge, which will remind many of the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, appears clear. Admiring it in autumn, with the foliage coloring the surrounding trees gaillo and orange, is an experience that beautifully complements a stay at Bath Spa.
