Bath
July 19th, 2002
Bath is one of my favorite little towns to visit in Britain! The first time I went there was about 2 1/2 years ago. I loved the view of the hills as the train pulled into the platform. Since then, I've been back with each person that comes to visit me in Britain.
Bath is best know for it's Roman Baths. The Roman Baths Museum shows how the baths would have looked and the engineering behind them. A Sacred Spring lies at the heart of the Roman Baths. The water pours forth at over a million litres a day and a temperature of 115 degrees Fahrenheit. There was believed to be many rooms which were heated by hot air flowing under raised floors (tiles were piled in stacks under the floor) and through the walls.
Also there was a large hot pool fed by the springs and a cold pool. One of the other neat things about this construction was the fact that an overflow drain was devised so that excess water from the spring was carried out to the River Avon. This also provided a way for the water flow to be diverted for cleaning the facility.
Since Bath is such an old town that has been built upon for many generations, the original Roman Baths are actually below today's street level. The Temple construction dates back to the later first century AD and was not uncovered until 1878. If you would like to see more detailed descriptions and pictures, please see the official Roman Baths Website at www.romanbaths.co.uk
Next stop was the Bath Abbey (church). The present Abbey church was founded in 1499. Then it was largely ruined in 1539 and repaired in 1611. Then in 1942 Bath was bombed and the Abbey damaged again! From 1991 to 2000, the Abbey has gone through much restoration and opened the Heritage Vaults Museum.
Notice the angels climbing up ladder on the face of the building... All except one, which
is climbing down...
After the Abbey, we set off to find the Botanical Gardens. It was a bit of a walk, but that's the best way to see the sights! The only problem was that after our various stops, we realized we would never make it there in enough time to see before closing. So instead, we headed off on another trail/bike path which skirted the river back to the town center. A few pictures a long the way...
Of course, we are always good at entertaining ourselves during mealtime!
Ok, There is a little more to the story. Exhausted after a day of sightseeing, we find a place to eat and rest our feet. I ordered the chicken tenders because it says it comes with hot sauce! Woohoo, I'm excited because you usually don't get hot sauce in Britain. Well silly me, even if it's on the menu you still don't get it! The chicken fingers came out with mayonaise and not a trace of hot sauce to be found!!! And this was right after I was telling my mom and sister how the English eat mayonaise with everything. In fact, in the grocery story they have different kinds of mayonaise (with basil, with mustard, etc). So, slightly irritated, I look for the waitress person who of course has disappeared! When she finally reappeared I tell her I want my hot sauce and she looks at me like I came off another planet. Eventually my hot sauce makes it to the table, but we put the mayonaise to good use too!
The bridge over the River Avon at night as we walked back to our hotel.
The Back to Britain page
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End