Exposing The World

UK: Bath

The Spa Days of Our Ancestors

The history of this Somerset town began in 60 CE, when Romans enclosed a warm, muddy cow pond as a hot spring bath. Centuries later, in the time of George III, the elite of Bath overlaid the Roman installations with a spa of their own design. The result is a unique two-layer historical site.

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A resort with an abbey

Bath Abbey is visible across the square.

This street busker just plays vinyl
The Pump Room was built in 1789, most recent of the Georgian construction at the site. It is now a restaurant.
The Roman hypocaust: A tile floor was laid on top of these piles of tile. Heated air circulated through the underfloor space, keeping Roman feet warm.
Local performers portray Roman artisans at work
THe museum now occupies the Georgian overlay on the site
The original Roman baths, plus upper stories that were added in Georgian times
A baptismal font
Inside Bath Abbey. This ceiling is one of the best examples of fan vaulting
The facade of Bath Abbey.
Posh Georgian row housing.
A feature of Georgian house design: basement apartments that open onto small garden courtyards of their own.
Thesse stores line the Pulteney Bridge itself
Pulteney Bridge
A more modern icon, the Island Club was the place to go in the Eighties
Sally Lunn’s iconic teahouse. A Huguenot baker, Sally was creator of the first Bath bun.
One of the nation’s most prestigious department stores
Not a statue, but a living person posing as one, freezing in position for hours. For tips, he will make small and surprising movements
A busker’s dog
One of the first Georgian-era spas in Bath, built in 1737
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