England: Bath

Bath, named after its 1st century CE Roman bath, has the most comprehensible Roman in the whole world. Over the years we have come across dozens of Roman baths of varying sizes. The Bath Roman bath complex, though average in size and state of preservation, is very well presented, giving visitors a good idea of the original baths, undoubtedly funded by hefty admission prices.

Bath city center itself is mostly Georgian, built from the profits of plantations and India and opium. We had a beautiful walk on part of the Bath Skyline Walk, bagging National Trust Prior Park Landscape Garden (the house is now a college) along the way. The whole parcel was the direct result of 1/3 ownership of a Jamaica plantation. We are beginning to know English gardens. At the same time, I'm realizing that English gardens themselves are direct products of the Empire of slavery and colonialism.

The Roman Baths are in the city center, right next to Bath Abbey. The Great Bath is the highlight of course. Wikipedia: The Great Bath was discovered in 1871 by city architect Charles Davis, but the spectacular columned and open-air structure you see above it today was added by the Victorians in the 1890s.










Adjacent to the ruins of the Roman Thermae is the ancient Roman Temple of Minerva. Recovered fragments of the pediment are on display




The Temple of Minerva Courtyard has been partially reconstructed "in place" as well, with an elevated walkway for us visitors, and a video showing what the courtyard may have looked like 2000 years ago.






The Baths were much more than the Great Bath and the Temple of Minerva. There was also a swimming bath (1st and 2nd below), and a caldarium hot bath (3rd)






East Baths Sauna with Video Projections of Bathers


Great example of the "hypocaust" system. Encyclopedia Britannica: a hypocaust was an ancient Roman heating system that circulated hot air beneath a raised floor to warm the rooms above.


Bath Abbey with Busker


The River Avon runs through the center of Bath, crossed by the famous Pulteney Bridge, and regulated by the Pulteney Weir




There is also the Kennet and Avon Canal.


We visited the two amazing 18th Century terraces (row houses): The Circus (1st, 2nd, and 3rd below) and The Crescent (4th).








Pétanque (Boules) - Queen Square


Our second day in Bath we did the Skyline Walk (great views down to Bath), with a detour to Prior Park Landscape Garden and its scenic lake and bridge.

England: Salisbury and Stonehenge

From Brighton, we changed our base to Salisbury, one of the best-preserved medieval towns in the UK. Its economic base was wool. Unlike many other towns/cities, Salisbury seems to have changed little over the centuries. We attended an evensong in the cathedral, mostly town folks. To my surprise, I rather enjoyed the experience.

One day trip from Salisbury was to Stourhead House and Garden. We invested in a Royal Oak Foundation membership which gives free entrances to National Trust properties. Stourhead was built with the Hoare's Bank fortune which financed slave trade and New World plantations. While the house at Stourhead was not particularly impressive, the landscape garden with all the rhododendrons was very enjoyable. Per National Trust website's direction, we used an on-demand bus to get to the site, our first experience.

From Salisbury, we visited Stonehenge. We took the public bus and had a walk around the area, bypassing the tourist shuttle and ticket office. John was rather excited; I was less impressed, especially sinceI just came from the Minoans.

The Salisbury Cathedral has the tallest church steeple in the UK at 123 meters (404 feet).






The River Avon runs right through the center of town.




On the Train to Stourhead


The train passed through some typical English countryside.


Some photos outside and inside the Stourhead House






The Stourhead Landscape Garden, rhododendrons in full bloom, was amazing.


Temple of Apollo Viewpoint.


Pantheon Temple








A view of the lake.






One more rhododendron photo.

First below is the mapy.com map we constructed to plot our Stonehenge walk, starting and ending at the bus stop in the upper right. We ended up not following it to the letter, but just making the map was educational.


Off the bus (1st below) and walking through Durrington Walls Neolithic Settlement (2nd below) and Woodhenge Neolithic Timber Monument from 2500 BC (3rd).






The path towards Stonehenge.


And there it is. First below is the view from New King Barrows which are about 1 mile east of the Stonehenge Stone Circle. Second below, a bit closer.




Almost there. Personally I am happy to approach on foot from a few miles away.




This is as close as you get for free.


These folks are as close as you get if you pay.


Not much left to do after visiting the Stone Circle except to head back towards the bus via the Cursus Ridge Neolithic Burial Mounds




Bonus Woodhenge Pano with les deux SL.


One evening we had some small plates and a real ale at Wetherspoon's Pub.