Visit Bath To Enjoy History - The World Heritage Site

Bath is an historic resort (spa) town and World Heritage Site, situated 100 miles west of London and 15 miles (25 km) south-east of the nearest big city Bristol. A unique location, Bath is famous for its hot springs, Roman period baths, Medieval heritage and stately Georgian architecture. Set amongst the rolling Somerset countryside, Bath (population 80,000+) offers a diverse range of attractions for its millions of visitors each year: restaurants, theatres, cinemas, pubs and nightclubs, along with interesting museums, and a wide range of guided tours.

Bath is the oldest of England’s principal tourist destinations and has been welcoming visitors for millennia. The three hot springs within the city were sacred to the Celtic goddess Sulis, whom the Romans later identified with the goddess Minerva. Bath first achieved its status as a sacred spa site with the growth of the Roman settlement Aquae Sulis around the thermal springs. The Roman period saw a vast complex of baths constructed - the remains of these were re-discovered in the 18th century and helped fuel Bath's modern revival as a luxury resort.

Bath was a prosperous city in the Medieval period, the site of an Abbey and Cathedral (under the Bishop of Bath and Wells). The Reformation under Henry VIII saw some uncertainty emerge in Bath's future, although the reign of Elizabeth I saw the first revival of the town as a spa resort. It was during the Georgian period, however, that Bath came once again into its own. Exceedingly fashionable, Bath was laid out in stately avenues, streets and crescents, encrusted with Neo-Classical public buildings.

More recently Bath suffered a lot of damage during air raids in World War 2. The prestigious crescents and terraces were relatively unscathed and restored where necessary, but some of the more minor Georgian and Victorian streets were demolished both after the war and during a later ill-conceived phase of development known now as the "Sack Of Bath". Consequently some modern buildings pop up in unexpected places, and the locals are generally very opposed to any major building developments that are put forward.

Future development: As of 2007 plans are underway for several major building projects which will change the cityscape: 1. The Western Riverside development - thousands of houses, flats and bedsits with local shops and amenities are planned in 1960s-style blocks up to 9 storeys in height, 2. The Southgate redevelopment - the ugly old shopping centre at the bottom of town is being knocked down and replaced with a bigger one, 3. The Rec - Bath Rugby club has ambitious plans for this large part of the city centre even though they don´t own it..

By plane
Bristol International Airport is situated 20 miles from Bath and boasts scheduled flights from major European cities, including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels, Copenhagen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Paris and Prague (but not London). By public transport catch the Flyer bus service from the airport to Bristol Temple Meads station, then the train from there to Bath; expect the journey to take about one hour, and longer between 4pm and 6pm when Bristol's roads are congested. Alternatively pay more for a taxi and get to Bath in about 40 minutes, one firm is airportcarZ Bristol +44 (0) 1275 474888

Southampton Airport is under 2 hours from Bath by train, and connections are good. It is served mainly by the budget airline Flybe, flying mostly to European destinations.

The alternative is to use one of the London airports and travel on to Bath by train, car or bus. The most convenient are:

Heathrow Airport is about two hours drive straight down the M4 (westbound) motorway. Alternatively the RailAir express bus service (running every 20 minutes) connects with the main London to Bath rail service at Reading rail station; expect the total journey to take slightly over two hours. Alternatively the National Express coach company run direct buses from Heathrow to Bath bus station.
Gatwick Airport is about three hours drive away via the M23 (northbound), M25 (clockwise) and M4 (westbound) motorways. Alternatively a half-hourly rail service from Gatwick connects with the main London to Bath rail service at Reading rail station; expect the total journey to take slightly over two hours.
Stansted Airport is about three hours drive away via the M11 (southbound), M25 (anti-clockwise) and M4 (westbound) motorways. By train you will need to catch a Stanstead Express train to London Liverpool Street station, the tube to London Paddington station, then follow the directions below; expect the total journey to take around three and a half hours.
London Luton Airport is about a three hour train ride. The Thameslink rail connects the airport to central London where you can catch a train to Bath Spa.

Landmarks

Roman Baths. Built by the Romans around 2000 years ago, and later rediscovered by the Victorians, the Roman Baths are the must-see tourist attraction in Bath. The baths are fueled by England's only mineral hot springs, outputting over a million litres of hot water each day. You can wander the rooms that made up the baths, including the large open air 'Great Bath', see Roman, medieval, and Georgian architecture, and learn about the history of Bath Spa. The Baths are superbly maintained and the exhibits are filled with eye-popping archaeology. Make sure you get a taste of the "bath" water served in the restaurant. Stall St, BA1 1LZ. ph 012 2547 7785. Adults £10. Open Jan-Feb & Nov-Dec 09.30 - 16.30, Mar-Jun & Sep-Oct 09.00 - 17.00, Jul & Aug 09.00 - 21.00. Closed 25th & 26th Dec. [2]
The Royal Crescent, a magnificent crescent of houses designed by John Wood and completed in 1774. You can visit one of the houses which has been redecorated to resemble what it would have been like at the end of the 18th century. But you don't need to go in to admire the exterior and its view over Bath. There is also a large semicircular shaped lawn out the front owned by the Royal Crescent residents. It is separated from Victoria Park by a ha-ha. 1 Royal Crescent, BA1 2LR ph 01225 428 126. Adults £5. [3]
Great Pulteney Street & Pulteney Weir - Quintessential Georgian street. Film location for 2005's 'Vanity Fair' (the Reese Witherspoon version). Made for casual strolling past the Laura Place fountain, down to the Holborne Museum, around Sydney Gardens, then back up Great Pulteney Street. Below Great Pulteney Street is the Recreation Ground, home of the highly successful Bath rugby union club. Tourist trips by boat leave from the Weir during summer months. The Weir is an impressive site below the Pulteney Bridge, an attraction in itself with boutique stores operating along the [4] bridge.
Bath Abbey [5], city centre, adjacent to the Roman Baths, open Easter Sunday - end British Summer time 9am-6pm, other times 9am-4.30pm - the last Gothic church in England, started in 1499 and built on the ruins of the former Norman cathedral, this impressively large church (of small cathedral proportions) is located next to the Roman Baths. A place of Australian pilgrimage: Arthur Phillip, first Governor of New South Wales and founder of the city of Sydney has his burial and memorial within the Abbey.
Sion Hill - Wealthy neighbourhood in the upper part of the city that makes for a pleasant stroll. Attractive Bath stone buildings.
Sally Lunn's Refreshment House & Museum - Oldest House in Bath - see below under Eat
Walcot Street - Bath's 'Camden Town' bohemia with "bargain" antiques and weekend markets.
Bath's Crescents - Georgian architecture at its best can be seen at Bath's handful of crescent shaped, residential streets, offering superb views over the city. The Royal Crescent is the most famous, but Camden Crescent offers the best views, Cavendish Crescent is the most petite. Lansdown Crescent and Widcombe Crescent are also fine examples.
Other attractions include the American Museum in Britain (closed Dec 15 - Mar 16, Adult £6.50), the Thermae Bath Spa, Solsbury Hill, the Kennet and Avon Canal, River Avon, St. Catherine's Court, (unsure if you can visit, but you can stay there for £6500/weekend!) [6], and Beckford's Tower (Adult £3),

Parks
Bath's parks are ideal for a summer picnic although local bylaws prevent the drinking of alcohol outdoors. Topless bathing is frowned upon but not forbidden.

Parade Gardens In the heart of town overlooking the river this is where the locals come to laze away the afternoon. Small entrance charge for visitors but free to residents.
Victoria Park , Bath's largest park in front of the Royal Crescent. Ideal for ball games or feeding the ducks. Entrance is free.
Sydney Gardens a free park where Jane Austen used to visit.

Museums and Galleries
No.1 Royal Crescent.  Visitors can now see this grand town house redecorated and furnished to show how it might have appeared in the late 18th century.
The small Building of Bath Museum  in the Countess of Huntingdon's Chapel on the Paragon is one of the most fascinating museums in Bath. It gives an excellent potted history of the development of the Georgian city, illustrated with cut-away wooden models which give a better insight than any book into the construction and structure of Georgian houses and their furnishings. It also houses a unique collection of 18th century builder's tools.
The Museum of Costume Assembly Rooms, adjacent to the Royal Crescent and Circus
The Holburne Museum of Arts [13], Great Pulteney Street - displays the treasures collected by Sir William Holburne: superb English and continental silver, porcelain, maiolica, glass and Renaissance bronzes. The Picture Gallery contains works by Turner, Guardi, Stubbs and others plus portraits of Bath society by Thomas Gainsborough.
The Bath Postal Museum 8 Broad Street, tel 01225 460333 -
The Jane Austen Centre  40 Gay Street, Queens Square, tel 01225 443000, This museum is very popular and a fascinating testiment to Jane Austen's lasting appeal. As a museum it is somewhat disappointing as it is located in a house where Jane never lived and contains no items with any connection to her (unless you count items from recent films).
Sally Lunn's Refreshment House & Museum. City centre shrine to the original Bath Bun - also Oldest House in Bath - simple but enjoyable museum in cellars is free if guests take refreshment - see below under eat
Hershel Museum of Astronomy (Adult £3.50). A good museum if you are interested in the history of science and astronomy. You can visit the house where William Hershel (and his sister Catherine) discovered the planet Uranus using what was then the world's most powerful telescope (which was constructed in the garden shed).