Bath owes its magnificent Georgian town-scape to the bubbling pool of water at the heart of the roman baths. The Romans transformed Bath in to England’s first spa resort and it regained fame as a spa town in the 18th Century.
Bath Abbey –Begun in 1499, and standing at the heart of the old city, Bath Abbey is the last of the great medieval churches of England. The West Front is unique as it depicts the dream that inspired the Abbey's founder, Bishop Oliver King, to pull down the ruined Norman cathedral and raise the present building on its foundations. The unique facade features stone angles climbing Jacobs’s ladder to heaven Worship has taken place on the site of today's Abbey for over one thousand years and continues to this day with services taking place throughout the entire week.
Pulteney Bridge – together with the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, this is one of the world's most beautiful bridges. Like the Ponte Vecchio it is one of a handful of historic bridges in the world with shops built into it. Built for William Pulteney by Robert Adams, the bridge was an attempt to connect central Bath to land on the other bank of the River Avon and make Pulteney's fortune. In spite of its practical origins it is surely the most romantic bridge in the world, best viewed from Parade Gardens park by the crescent weir.
Assembly Room - The Ball Room, Octagon, Tea Room and Card Room of the magnificent Assembly Rooms were used in the eighteenth century for dancing, music and card playing, tea drinking and conversation and are still in use for functions and conferences.
The Circus - The Circus was the masterpiece of John Wood the Elder. Viewed from the air it forms the shape of a key, perhaps a Masonic symbol? John Wood is also thought to have taken inspiration from the ancient standing stones of nearby Stanton Drew and from Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem. Either way, the Circus is a stupendous creative accomplishment and one of the key reasons Bath was awarded the title of World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The Royal Crescent – Hailed as the most majestic street in Britain, this graceful arc of 30 houses is one of the world's best known landmarks. Built between 1767 and 1775 and designed by John Wood the younger, the today crescent contains the Royal Crescent Hotel and No. 1 Crescent Georgian museum.
A stop for hot chocolate -
Eating Out (7/10) – while we did not sit to eat on this occasion it looks although there is plenty of dining options
Nightlife (2/10) – good for a pub night out but past 11pm I think you be hard pushed to find any night life
Outdoors (8/10) – very good compact city, easy to walk around with lots of Roman and Georgian architecture, all sign posted well
Romance (8/10) – very romantic feel about it, especially around the river or roman baths in evening
Shopping (6/10) – good mix of new shopping area, and old one off shops
Sight- seeing (7/10) – good mix of things to see, mostly outdoor hence low cost, but only for a day
Hotel (5/10) – Not a place to stay given the cost of hotel here compared to the livelier Bristol
Communication/attitude (8/10) – friendly locals
Transport (5/10) – easy to walk around to all main sites (15 minutes max between things), but car parking very expensive £3 hour
Value for money (4/10) – expensive for hotel and food in area, good for day out thou
Overall 60/100 = 60%
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