Bath: The Roman Hot Springs That Turned a City Warm

The hot springs at Bath have been flowing at a constant temperature of 45°C for the entire recorded history of human settlement here, and the Romans figured out what to do with that in the 1st century CE. They built a bath house and temple complex around the sacred spring at what they called Aquae Sulis, draining a Celtic shrine that had occupied the same site. The Romans left in the 5th century, the bath fell into disuse, and the entire complex was buried and forgotten under medieval Bath until 1878 when a drain engineer found Roman lead pipes. The subsequent excavation revealed one of the most complete Roman bath complexes north of the Alps.

Bath was also the city that the English aristocracy and gentry made fashionable in the 18th century, producing the Royal Crescent and the Circus and the rest of the Georgian stone streetscape. Both histories are present simultaneously and neither detracts from the other.

The Roman Baths

The current visitor experience is a significant archaeological site with good interpretation. You walk around and above the actual Roman bath at street level, with good views into the green thermal water (the algae colour from the mineral-rich water). The museum below shows recovered artefacts including the famous gilt bronze head of Minerva Sulis (the Romano-Celtic goddess of the spring), the defixio curse tablets thrown into the spring by Romans seeking divine retribution against named enemies, and the drain infrastructure. Entry around £25 for adults; book in advance.

You cannot swim in the Roman Baths. You can swim in the Thermae Bath Spa, immediately adjacent, which pumps the same spring water into modern rooftop and indoor pools. Entry around £40 for 2 hours. Book well ahead.

The Georgian City

Royal Crescent: 30 Bath stone Georgian townhouses arranged in a crescent arc, built 1767-1774 by John Wood the Younger. Structurally one of the finest examples of Georgian urban architecture in Britain. Walk along the crescent on the public path; visit the Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa at Number 16 for a drink in the bar if you want to see the interior.

Pulteney Bridge: One of only four bridges in the world with shops built across its entire span on both sides (the others are the Rialto in Venice, the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, and the Krämerbrücke in Erfurt). Worth walking across and looking at from the weir.

Bath Abbey: The current church dates from 1499, though there has been a religious foundation here since the 8th century. The interior’s fan-vaulted nave and the large windows, the building is unusually light for a medieval church, are the main architectural features.

Where to Eat

Sally Lunn’s on North Parade Passage has been in continuous operation since 1680 and sells the Sally Lunn bun, a large enriched bread roll that is genuinely different from anything made elsewhere. Worth having for the cultural specificity, not necessarily for the gastronomy.

For a proper meal: Olive Tree in the Queensberry Hotel is the best serious restaurant in Bath; the tasting menu runs around £85 per person. For something less formal with good local sourcing, Acorn on North Parade does vegetarian cooking at a level that justifies the category.

Getting There

Train from London Paddington to Bath Spa takes about 90 minutes and runs frequently. The station is a 10-minute walk from the city centre. Bath is a compact city; everything significant is walkable once you’re there.