The beautiful city of Bath, England is located only two hours west of London and offers a very distinctive taste of British culture and a sense of history that is different from the country’s busy capital. Its mixture of ancient, Georgian, Roman and modern cultures are visible in the city’s architecture and layout. Bath is one of the oldest cities in Britain and in all of Europe as well; this antiquity is nowhere more apparent than in the city’s most famous attraction, the Roman baths.
The Roman Baths were excavated in 1878 and were repaired during the Victorian Restoration. The Baths are still fed by one of the city’s three underground hot springs. The ancient Celts first used these natural springs created by the pooling of rainwater heated by rocks in the hills. The Celts worshipped the goddess Sul, additionally worshipping the springs in her name. When the Romans built the baths over 2,000 years ago, they replaced the goddess Sul with their own equivalent, Minerva. They called the baths ‘Aquae Sulius,’ or Waters of Sul. The baths are open today for the many tourists who wish to walk through the courtyards and around the various pools. Unfortunately, the baths can no longer be used for the relaxing, cleansing and restorative purposes for which they were revered centuries ago.
The Pump Room was built in 1795, nearly adjacent to the baths themselves. This room was constructed to cater to the demand of Bath’s citizens who wished to have a place to socialize and drink the spa water, which was believed to have healing powers. Today, the Pump Room hosts formal teas, dinners and other events. It also holds somewhat more informal teas and a gift shop for tourists.
Aside from the famous Roman Baths, the Bath Abbey is perhaps the city’s second largest tourist attraction. The Abbey was built in 1499 in the center of the city, but is not considered a cathedral. The Abbey is the third church to claim this site, as the foundations of the Monastery of St. Peter were laid in 758 A.D.. It was in this Abbey that Edgar was crowned the first King of England in 975 A.D., and the Saxon rule replaced the Norman one near the end of the 11th century.
Spring Break
