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.