Bath …..Touring the Town

September 12, 2017

Cool but sunny morning, after breakfast got our stuff together for a day of touring Bath on our own….should be a relaxed day, as we have lots of time and the agenda is flexible….couple of pics of our room and breakfast room > The Belvoir was a pleasant place:

We walk down the hill, cross the Avon River and head for what was originally known as The King’s Circus, this remarkable sight consists of three curved segments of townhouses, arranged in a circular shape built between 1754 and 1768 >>> lots of personalities have lived there including Nicolas Cage…it is now known  as The Royal Crescent…

 This impressive landmark forms a sweeping crescent of 30 terrace houses, and is without doubt one of the greatest examples of Georgian architecture anywhere in the UK…

This is a pretty town and lives up to the hype…strolling the streets was great with various important and unimportant sites giving one pause. One such place was the Jane Austin …., neither Annie or I are fans, but she is certainly taken seriously here…

….some other pics around town…

Next up on our personal walking tour were the Roman Baths. Bath was founded upon natural hot springs with the steaming water playing a key role throughout its history. The Roman Baths were constructed around 70 AD as a grand bathing and socializing complex….it is now one of the best preserved Roman remains in the world. 1.2 million litres of steaming 46 C spring water still fill the bathing site every single day. The Romans believed that this was the mystical work of the Gods and built a temple high over the courtyard in honour of the goddess Sulis Minerva. ……a very nicely presented historic site….other than museums (free) such historic sites are not cheap to visit 28 STG for 2 seniors, but on the other hand these are priceless historical monuments worth seeing…..

some of the excavated chambers…

…the original lead water pipes...

… a short walk across the plaza….

….is the Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Bath, commonly known as Bath Abbey, an Anglican parish church and a former Benedictine monastery founded in the 7th century…

 

after lunch > what they call locally a “grab & go”, we passed by the Parade Gardens….no shortage of tour buses here!

.. then went on a low-key cruise on the Poultney River …..

…then a leisurely walk through the town …

……and back up the hill with a short detour to Widcombe…..

…… a non touristy district close to our B&B for a short rest, then back down for dinner at the GBT Smokehouse featuring a smoker brought from Oklahoma of all places >>> burgers, fries and beer…very nice. Back up the hill, pack, blog…….a pleasant day in a charming town.