The English city of Bath is perhaps best known
for its association with Georgian era novelist, Jane Austen. She made the city
her home for several years and set two of her novels here: Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. But Bath was also the site of a Roman
public bathing complex that gave the city its name.
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| The Circus, Bath |
The Great Bath was built on natural hot
springs first discovered by the ancient Celts. The pool is lined with 45 sheets
of lead and steps on all sides lead down into the water. The flat slab of stone
where hot water enters the pool is known as the diving stone.
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| The Great Bath |
The pool is best viewed from the terrace
above, alongside the Victorian statues of Roman emperors. Bath Abbey is also nearby.
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| The Terrace |
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| Roman Emperor |
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| The Great Bath |
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| Bath Cathedral |
The weather in early May was grey and chilly
for our visit but the Parade Gardens had been planted with flowers and there
were plenty of tourists about. The old Pulteney Bridge and Weir on the River
Avon looked much as I imagine they would have in Austen’s time.
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| Parade Gardens, Bath |
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| Spring in Bath |
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Pulteney Bridge and Weir, Bath
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I’d like to return someday to visit the
Jane Austen Centre’s exhibition on the author’s life in Bath, or have afternoon
tea in The Pump Room that was featured in her novels. As for a glass of hot spa
water from the salon’s drinking fountain (with forty-three minerals that give
the water a “rather unusual taste”) I think I’d give it a pass.
Related Post:
They had mineral baths in a city near where I grew up. You had to hold your nose when driving through. Didn't look anywhere near as lovely as Bath.
ReplyDeleteThose minerals can often be a little smelly. I remember visiting the hot springs in Banff as a child and there was the distinct odour of sulphur in the air. No problem in Bath, though.
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